This is my second Marantz CD6000 K.I.Signature, the first one i put a Russ Andrews Yello Power lead on it and the listening experience was over smooth via Senhieser HD600 headphones, to polite.
The second one, the Champaigne version, dont know why, just looks more seductive, is a vast improvement on my Black version. The detail retrieval is superb, warm fool blooded sound via my Grado SR60i headphones and not one hint of sibilance, i can only assume i cocked the sound up using the Russ Andrews power lead, not to worry, have mine stood on a 4 shelf Custom Design 1988 (Newcastle UK) metal stand with the MDF shelf covered in a black cloth, top shelf spiked onto 4 self tap screws, player is earthed via the chassis back to a earth pole on my MK UK double power socket, anyone got any ideas as which amp this player works superbly with please.

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This review concerns the CD6000KI version.

I always loved the looks of this machine, but didn't have the money at the time to buy one - I bought a Marantz CD5000 instead.
6 years later I found a 2nd hand deal and I didn't hesitate to buy one.

Much heavier and sturdier built than the CD5000 and rave reviews all-over, this in strong contradiction to the CD5000 which received rather luke-warm reviews, I had high hopes for this KI machine.

The CD6000KI was supposed to be a full-blooded Marantz, whereas the CD5000 was nothing more than a souped-up Philips, with a rather lean, 'rough and ready' sound.

Since I have both now I can honestly claim that there are far more similarities than differences between the two players.
Both have this distinct warm/cool mixture: lush and rather warm mids and pretty bright highs - but not aggressively so.
Both machines don't add that much drive to the music, they are more or less observant and objective.
They play the discs and nothing more, except maybe adding some pleasing warmth to the material.

So both are full-blooded Marantz players or both are souped-up Philips players, just a matter of perception.

So the differences aren't that big at all and think the higher cost of the CD6000KI at the time ($750 for the CD6000KI, $250 for the CD5000) isn't really justified when it comes to sound alone.

The CD6000KI plays just a little more confident, with more force and with bigger strokes - though at the same time with more refinement than the CD5000.
This isn't audible with every cd I play and in hands on testing with the CD5000 I many times wasn't even able to hear a subtle difference.
Most differences occurred when I had settled to the new sound of the CD6000KI for a week or so and then decided to listen to my old cd player again.

The CD6000KI is definitely more fluid and analogue sounding, but still it isn''t like night and day.

Now for the worst part:
My old and cheaper CD5000 plays every disc without a problem, not the CD6000KI.
Strangely enough it doesn't have a problem with CD-R's, it plays them and skips to another track with very little effort.
But some original cd's aren't recognized at all: the CD6000KI starts to make loud noises and finally decides to give up.
"ERROR"
After a couple of tries it then accepts to play some music, but do not ask him to skip to another track...

Not a very big issue, because in the end it will play the discs and I kept my faithful CD5000 as a back-up machine, but needless to say that it's pretty annoying.

So.
How to rate the CD6000KI?

For the price I paid for it it isn't a bad deal.
The sound is better than CD5000's sonics and the machine is handsome, in fact to me the best looking cd player ever made.

If I had bought this KI machine full-price in 2002, paying $750 when I could have a bought a very similar $250 Marantz CD5000 then in retrospect I would rate it pretty low.

Overall 3 stars
Value 3 Stars

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD5000

excellent lively sound, good transport mechanism. easy controls, track details/description on some cd's.remote.

none really!

as i mainly listen to vinyl, it was a challenge to find an affordable cd player that would deliver an accceptable sound quality. i tried many popular makes but settled for the marantz 6000oe trichord clocked. this modification is highly recommended and will lift the marantz to perform to its true capability. i was amazed at the quality of detail this machine revealed from my cd's, and handles cd-rw copies well, as long as you don't mess around with the track order numbers.

giant slayer

none what so ever

i seen a marantz on ebay and it was a 6000se so i asked the guy if he would mod mine the same spec, i sent it off and i got it back in 48 hours amazing. after a run in of three days i compered it to a a £2000 meridian cd player i was gob smacked my marantz ,was now a super player. it was every bit as good and, my marantz had more detail,and space than a meridan wow, if you own one tweak it cos it is the best money i have ever spent. i now need a better amp and speakers to match this quality player

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meridian 508 24 bit

deep bass and sweet treble massive step up from the ki

none

mine is modifed with a modified trichord clock 2 and work on the power supply and a silver plated woven mains cable it is now every bit as good as a £1950 naim cd5x with the flat cap2 audio_excellence dose the work for £160 it the best £160 i have ever spent bargain

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naim arcam exposure

Very involving natural sounding player, excellent build quality.

None at the price

This review is for the KI Signature ( price is in pounds sterling ) The Signature Version is well worth the extra money in terms of the improvement in sound quality. I have heard a lot of different types of CD player in this price range, but the CD6000 OSE KI Signature is the most impressive. It's a seductive sound that communicates the emotion in the music, as well as digging out the detail. Instruments and voices are natural, yet timing and rhythm is spot on. The sound is refined, yet accurate. This is a great player, that can compete with players twice the price. 5 stars no question.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Arcan, Naim

Detailed, warm sound. Build quality

Remote control

Very natural sounding CD player. Especially noticable with small scale acoustic recordings. For instance the latest Norah Jones CD sound incredibly realistic. I bought this CD player ex-dem, otherwise it would have been over budget for me. But compared to players within my budget (around 600 Euro) it sounds so much better. I compared it with a.o. a Cambridge Azur and NAD CD542bee. These players sounded very harsh compared to the Marantz. I have to say, that when I first listenend to the Cambridge and NAD I was already very impressed with those player, but when they hooked-on the Marantz, it was very clear which one I wanted to have.

Similar Products Used:

Philips CD850 Several Denon players

Quality build (but not as nice as the CD72) Very good sound like most marantz players. A lifelike soundstage with incredible good highs it's so good and bright that I could imagine it would cause trouble with plenty cheap amps so it needs good amp matchin. It matched perfect with the PM8000 (Class A mode) Marantz offers HI-END cd-players for a budget price.

Doesn't play all CDR's. But this is resolved since the 6000OSE-LE version, so don't worry if you wanna buy the 6000 OSE LE.

I bought the player a year ago, and use it with my PM8000 in Class A mode. AMP: Marantz PM8000 Gold. always in source-direct and Class-A. Speakers: Self-build models based on the Vifa Nearfield Monitor but then with a 25mm MDF closed box 8 Liters Tweeter: Vifa HT275D2 (silk dome). Bas: 17WP200 (mineral filled polypropylen bas) Before this set I had a Marantz PM50 Amp in combination with a Harman Kardon HK7600. I was very dissapointed about the fact that it didn't play a lot of my CDR's. That was a big problem for me because I got a lot of copies. But the sound was good. So I bought me a CD 72 in Champaign Gold matching my PM8000 as wel. Hah I expected this sucking 6000 OSE will be pushed of my audio rack by the CD72 in a jippy..... Darn! AGAIN i got dissapointed the 6000 had a more realistic soundstage than the 72, better trebles/bas and warmer voices. This can't be!! so I checked my configuration: Switched interconnectors and listened... No, still the 6000 outperformed the 72 in the same way. But then I noticed somethin, I have a netfilter wich filters interference from the power-net. ahah, there it is, the 72 was connected to a part of the filter wich did not filter but only supplied it with a fuse protection. OK now it all started all over again, both players got filtered power supply now. I played Tom Rotella (a test-cd I use for more then 10 years now). And emedietly the big differences between these players vanished, they now sound almost identical. The 72 is smoother in its hights but looses some detail as well. But the 6000 can be a bit more harsh with some music. Now I like the 72 better because it plays ALL CDR's. Somethin positive about the 6000: This player performed just as wel without the filter! This means that the powersupply of the 6000 is better then the 72! Hey I learned somethin here, the Power section has even more infuence on the DAC section then I had expected. Because the new series the 'CD6000OSE-LE' Does not have these problems with CDR it gets the full 4 star rating. I personally think none of all 16 bit based digital sounds can get a 5 star rating from me. Buy the way: the PM 8000 is an absolute wetdream! What a sound! I wich I had a good turntable!

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD72 Gold. Marantz CD52 SE Harman Kardon HD7600 ( I didn't compare it but I had it for years and it died because a mean CDR, that's why I bought the 6000 OSE)

Voices sound REAL!!!, a lot of details in the sound of the musis its playing. Nice design, a lot of metal used instead of plastics. Good reading of bad/scratcht cd's.Direct track access.Silent transport when playing.

Verry laud and hard clossing of the draw/transport mecanic, but nothing dramatic.

I think when i listen to the sound of th e Marantz CD6000 that now in the year 2000/3 the cd player sounds as it mean to be!. In the introduction of the cd player in 1983 by Philips and Sony all players sound like an operation-room in an hospital. Also in the ninetees most of the cd players sound like that. But now you can own a natural warm sound with this Marantz CD6000.

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Sony, CEC, Pioneer, Sharp, Technics, enz...

Detailed sound Good quality for this price

Doesn't play all CD's

I bought the 6000 OSE LE a few months ago and was astonished by it's detailed sound. A bit harsh, but very good for that price! ...but it did'nt play all my cd's. It seems that copy-protected cd's are not supported and it gives error-messages when I try to play them.