Price Paid:  $599.00 from www.studio107.nl

Summary:
I bought this player second-hand to replace my Marantz CD-80. The difference the CD-17 makes is obvious. Here are some impressions:

very rhythmic sounding
very detailed tight bass
a wide and deep soundstage
excellent overall easy accesible sound
clear and well placed vocals

The detail this player produces, combined with the punchy bass and the excellent timing, makes this a toe-tapping and involving player. My Fun Lovin' Criminal cds never sounded so funky. And Robbie Williams' Sing When Your Winning suddenly contains lots of rhythmic information in the vocals.

Also the variable analog output makes it possible to feed my two mono power amplifiers directly without a pre amplifier. This solution comes in handy until there is some budget for a first-rate tube pre amplifier.

System used:
Marantz CD-17 cd-player
2 Kebschull 35/70 mono Tube Amplifiers
Monitor Audio Studio 2 SE speakers
Van den Hul The First Metalshield interlinks
Wireworld Atlantis speakercable

This player is excellent value for money! So five stars for the value.

I'm not sure if the CD-17 can still compete with modern high-end cd players. So four stars for the overall rating.

Strengths:
Music isn't produced as a non-stoppable continuous flow but contains loads of interwoven rhythmic waves.

Clear vocals that are not placed outside or above the rest of the instruments.

Weaknesses:
Maybe not as refined and detailed as modern DACs.

Would not recommend this player for classical music.

Cheap crappy-looking plastic remote control that feels like it can stop working any moment, but somehow hangs on to its life and works fine.

Similar Products Used:
Marantz CD-80
Denon DCD 1290 in combination with Musical Fidelity 24/96 DAC
Pioneer DVD 717

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Used from dealer

Summary:
I've had this unit a couple years now and every time I try something else I always end up going back to the CD-17. The unit has the ability to pull all the detail off a CD and provides a well balanced sound. Build quality is exceptional.

As other reviewers have stated, the ability to hear what this unit is capable of depends on what gear you have between the player and your ears.

When I first purchased this unit the rest of my system was not up to the task. I currently run the CD-17 via Homegrown Audio Silver Lace interconnects to a B&K Reference 30 preamp via the direct output (no processing) to a Decware Zen Select tube amp (2 watts/channel) using Homegrown Audio Super Silver interconnects. From the amp via Kimber 4TC speaker cable to Klipsch RF-5 speakers. Also using a Paradigm external crossover connected via speaker level connectins to a Rane PE-17 parametric equalizer which feeds a 2-channel Sampson amp (500 watts/channel) connected to two SVS Ultra subs.

Strengths:
Smooth highs, great detail, reliable, super build quality. Have to rate this 5's based on the price I paid.

Weaknesses:
None found.

Similar Products Used:
Other Marantz players

Price Paid:  $295.00 from Ebay

Summary:
Got this for a great price off Ebay. I actually wanted the MK II version. But not receiving the tweaks of the MK II version to save a couple hundred bucks is well worth it.

I was initially disappointed with this player. I thought it only sounded marginally better than my DVD-A player (when I played pop & rock) and thought it did not justify having a seperate CD player. But when I loaded classical and jazz, instruments came alive and voices had "meat" to them...the music just "plays" and doesn't want to stop. The DVD-A player simply sounded, flat, hollow and synthetic and unlistenable. Like other reviews said, this player is smooth sounding and that's what I would say also. For the meantime, the itch to upgrade is gone until DVD-A and SACD hardware and software is readily available and widely accepted.

Strengths:
solid build quality, liquid sound

Weaknesses:
no optical out, unconvential DAC's (not 24/96)

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha, Toshiba DVD player, TEAC

Price Paid:  $450.00 from home

Summary:
A combination of a Class A amplifier and the Vincent CD-S3 gives an unbelievable HighEnd sound. A Mark and Levinson Killer.

Strengths:
Everything from sound till chassis.

Weaknesses:
None (one - a bad amplifier)

Similar Products Used:
Marantz cd-17
Duson

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from Sound Academy

Summary:
Fantastic - This player has it all.

Strengths:
Warm without being over the top, Controlled yet natural, Superb low frequencies, open and acurate sound, excellent soundstaging, analogue sound. Partners well with Arcam's A85 and B&W's CDM1NT speakers.

Weaknesses:
Slightly too wide for some racks; only a minor gripe.

Similar Products Used:
Various