As standard, this player has a very smooth and weighty sound that you can listen to for hours but it is very smoothed over in the higher frequencies.
If you have some skill with electronics and soldering, the CD85 is the perfect platform to modify and upgrade which propels it into one of the best sounding CD players on the planet. The build quality is outrageously good, the dac chip (TDA1541 single crown) is one of the most musical in the world, the quality of the PCB is top notch, the components are very high quality. All you have to do is release it's potential which is held back by the op amp audio section.
Valve output would be the best, but amazing results can be had with a high quality op amp like OPA627 or LME9990.

Here's what I did:
Trichord Clock 3 with independent power supply for highest quality digital signal.
Sanyo Oscon SEPC capacitors on digital chip supply pins only. (Original Cerafines sounded best on audio supplies out of Oscon, Silmic, Muse).
Added 220nf bypass film caps on TDA1541 (including 4x 1uf Black Gate in critical positions)
10uf Black Gate on each supply pin of TDA1541
TDA1541 in NOS mode!!! (this does make the player noisy only when skipping tracks but it's worth it for the improved sound).
OPA627 op amps (Class A bias with military precision resistor.) Black gate on supply pins.
Direct output from OPA627 to 4.7uf Mcap Supreme and then straight out to RCA sockets. (This bypasses a load of unnecessary components that muddy up the sound).

The result is big, beautiful, natural, detailed and weighty sound with an absolutely huge soundstage. It blows away everything I've heard apart from my custom made 24bit dac which was a no-compromise design. The only limitations are the power supply design but this player has made me want to build a 16 bit Dac using this chip, it has something that no other dac chip has, it just sounds "right"!

overall sound details

perhaps high frequency

better then nice sounding player mine is modified(p-supply and output stage

Similar Products Used:

phillips cd304(modded)

the very top end can sound weak.

Bought new about 12 yrs ago along with a Marantz PM75 and Mission Argonaut speakers. I still get as much pleasure from the system as the day i bought it, although not perfect it can still hold its own against newer players.
I invested in better quality cables etc a few years ago and that changed the sound, hard to say if it could be described as an improvement. Just looking at upgrading again but still find it hard to justify the expense for a small improvement. Overall, money very well spent.

Similar Products Used:

modern Marantz and Arcam

Excellent build quality, Classy looks, good sound.

Lower than average output voltage.Needs to be switched on for at least a day to sound at its best. Width and weight.

I bought my player secondhand in 1994 for £250 (£1000 new). Marantz refered to it as part of its "audiophile" range and it is distingushed from lesser Marantz models by its polished rosewood cheeks. Although these look nice, they make the player 3 inches wider than standard so make sure it will fit in your equipment stand.The player is also quite heavy, so make sure any shelving to be used is securley fastened to the wall.
It is well spec'd with both optical and co-axial digital outs and has the nifty FTS system. It has a very clear, full function remote.
My machine gets very heavy use and it has had no faults to date. I have had the machine over 6 years and it is about ten years old. Its build quality is excellent and it will read cd's my other players won't even look at!
Sound quality is very good. Punchy bass and mid, though treble perhaps not up to the standard of todays £1000 players, it will outperform anything available new between £150 & £300. I tried using it as a transport with a Roksan DA 1 (no improvement) and an arcam black box (different sound, but perhaps no better. Comparing the cd85 with other players on a different amp channel showed it had a lower output voltage than many others (perhaps a consideration for tube/valve enthusiasts?) to get a true comparison turn the amp up a bit!
I've upgraded every part of my system (some 3-4 times) over the past 6 years, but the cd85 still remains my main cd player. I spent more on my cartridge than the cost of this player! At $400 dollars (secondhand) it is a real bargain!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz cd65, Phillips cd104 (x2), Roksan DA1, Arcam Black Box

After 11 years it still sounds good enough! Very Good looking! Build quality !

Ok after 11 years digital technology has improved a lot.
But main diferences are in the recording and processing process! Please listen to the SAME records, say years 89/90 and 2000/01 with new remastering. Get it ?

I would like to keep it for ever! Is there someone who can gime me an ideia how to improve it? I mean change transport mechanism, and DAC. I LIKE IT´S BOX AND LOOKING.I did compare it with a new Rega Planet. The rega is better but not so much considerng that they are 11 years different technologies.
It still has a good sound, I just need a more open soundstage with a litle more 3D. Sorry my poor english.
Ok I can buy a new one, but MARANTZ still works, and in ecological terms it´s a waist to send it to trash
Help me to save the planet and improve may good MARANTZ!

Similar Products Used:

Recent Nad, Naim, Rega, Sony, Marantz