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Review 1 of 4
Price Paid:
$600.00
from Stereo-Star, Israel Summary:
My review relates to SA7001 model.
(NOTE: This review is mostly based on comparisons with my CD player Marantz CD6000OSE-LE and some others I've heard, generally all of them belong to lower midrange).
The first thing I noticed is a very clear and polished sound with excellently separated instruments. It is not a flawless player however, so I'll mention a lack of deepest bass.
7001 has a wider soundstage than the 6000; although it goes much more to the left and to the right, while in the same time it goes proportionally less upwards and especially downwards (I guess this is caused by missing deepest bass). There is enough depth and imaging is very good i.e. instruments are well positioned in space.
Bass is a little bit slower and it sometimes lacks some energy, although this is something typical for most Marantz CD-players. The sound is a little bit cold and lean in the lower ranges (6000 sounds fuller). Upper bass is very obvious but there isn't almost any deep one. The deepest bass lines are those that underline and make basis for rest of the sound. This lack was a reason few discs sounded to me pretty thin. The unusual thing here is that the lack of deep bass is more obvious on normal and lower volumes, while it's harder to notice it on higher volumes. All this results in that 6000 sounds warmer, "meaty" and passionate against the sound of 7001. I think that it is worthwhile to try this player via the interconnect cable van den Hul – The Name because of its very deep and meaty bass (mine is van den Hul D-102 III).
I want to point out once again a very good separation between instruments with sheer sound in the same time (6000 looses here the competition). Vocals sound excellent, especially female vocals. Whole upper frequency range is very detailed, smooth and refined without exaggerating in that direction.
Attention; the sound of 7001 is so detailed and clear that sometimes you will be aware of a strange noises or for instance distorted sounds that you never heard before (of course that this depends also on a quality level of rest of your equipment). In other words 7001 is capable to reveal easily even a technical mistakes is recording, or mixing or mistakes in burned CD-R. The same can be heard with my 6000 CD player as well, but it is harder to notice, while such noises are more covered with rest of the sound. 6000OSE has a romantic soul, while 7001 likes to show you the real true on every disc (for good or for bad).
Although the sound is not so well balanced, generally 7001 sounds very nice, pleasant and relaxed. It allows you to enjoy your music for many continue hours without being tiresome.
P.S. SACD reproduction sounds excellent; detailed, very dynamic and clear. In short term it's like studio recording in a "live" manner. This is based on only 2 originals, hybrid SACD's I have.
Strengths:
very clear, detailed and smooth sounding player with excellent separation between instruments. Weaknesses:
no deepest bass; very slow in "FF" and "REV"; doesn\t read "CD-text" (only from SACDs). Similar Products Used:
Marantz CD6000OSE-LE & 6000-KI; NAD C541i.
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