I decided to buy the Marantz CD-48 because I read about it being a rare bargain at goodsound.com My budget is low so I need to get bargains and another thing that I look for is upgradeability. So a digital out is a must. The optical pickup is the same as in Marantz higher end CD players so if you buy this then later dump your money into a higher end (read: expensive) DAC then you will have a very good sounding system. But the improvement has already been noticed by me. A tremendous improvement. I don't need to buy a DAC for a while. I would have to agree with goodsound.com, this is a rare bargain.

Best player this money can bye. With Tannoy M1 loudspeakers it will pleased you, no matter, what kind of music you prefer.

Just bought this to replace an old HK that sounded great, but was a reliability nightmare. So quality of construction was important. The CD48 has better construction than any other player I've seen at this price. Sound is liveley but not overly bright. And this player uses the same laser pickup that more expensive Marantz players use. For double the price, those players give hardly any improvement in sonic clarity or accuracy. Paired this up with a Harmon receiver and some PSB Century bookshelves, and for little more than a grand total (plus cables), the system kicks some serious ass. Marantz has come through with an absolute bargain. Only complaint: too many features for recording to tape which I do not need. But so what, its still the best CD player in its price class.

Bought this player new for $200 from a dealer, and I feel that it is well worth the money. Much better than what is offered from the chain stores at this price point. The transport seems well-built, the sound is good, the display is easy to read, the remote has plenty of functionality, and the unit looks good. Highly recommended for those on a tight budget. Also comes with a digital out in case one chooses to add an external DAC later - something that I might investigate when my wallet allows.

I got this player for half price (£100 over here around $160) and for that price it produces a excellent clear, rich sound on my Tannoy M2's. Sounds equally good at dance music as it does at Rock or pop.

One word-Excellent. I used to have a Sony single disc (Run of the mill). I have had the unit for about 8 months. Right out of the box the unit sounded horrible. Very harsh. After a break in period the sound improved immensly. Paired up with my Yamaha rx 485 receiver and Pinnicle AC 650's, the sound just can't be beat for the money. This is a definitely a CD player worth checking out.

Particularly capable of clearly presenting a change in pace or volume

A little bright with certain types of music

A fantastic little player for the money, but with the Matsui at just £45, it's gonna take some beating

Similar Products Used:

Matsui CDP200

Your every $ to the performance

lack of accuracy and sound stage without considering
the price range

I recently purchased a Marantz CD67se. So I had an opportunity to audition its sibling CD48. If you really want to hear from a good source and have a tight budget, say you want to just spend $350 cdn, CD48 gives you a basic step to the hi-fi. CD48 has a digital out. Teaming it with a DAC will give you a remarkable jump.

But I can hear the difference from cd67se, which is $200 more than cd48. CD67se plays more detail and sounds clear. I don't want to devalue CD48 here. Some audiophiles like to evaluate the products without fitting them into their money categories. Although it may not be the rule, I still believe you hear what you spend, particular on the individual piece. It may vary from the system.

I give both CD48 and CD67se 5 stars. They do good jobs on the money you invest. BTW, Marantz is a source to make excellent CD players, as I know. I had bad time with AMC, all the pieces, three CD players, I owned, had control problems.

Similar Products Used:

NAD522, YAMAHA575, MarantzCD67se, AMC CD9

This is one of the best CD player I've ever used. Everything is dynamic & loaded with lots of

Overall sound quality, price, DIGITAL OUT!

no power button on remote

This CD player is amazing for the price. The sound is MUCH more detailed and refined that comparable models that I have heard in this price range (NAD 522 in particular). It seems to me that there is a bit of a burn-in time for this piece (little bright at first), which was a couple of evenings; however, once it is burned-in the sound is incredible for a $200 CD player. The soundstage is well defined, bass is tight, and there is absolutely no muddiness in the midrange or harshness in the treble. I would recommend the CD-48 to anyone, except those who WANT to pay 500 bux for a player that doesn't sound as good. The unit is well constructed (except for a cheesy CD tray--like all production CD transports these days it seems). And to boot, it has a digital (RCA) out. Obviously, my next purchase will be a DAC...which reportedly improves the sound greatly (see reviews below). Buy the CD-48 now!!! You should pay around $200 for this model.

Tested on:

-Pioneer receiver VSX-401 (circa 1990) (gack!!!)
-Mystery 100 dollar interconnects
-Cheap 12 guage speaker cable
-PSB Century 300i speakers
-Small listening room with high ceiling

Obviously, my system is not great by audiophile standards. Still, I am pretty familiar with the sound of the high-end audio, and all I can say is that this piece shines! I finally have the balanced smooth sound and 3D imaging that I was looking for. RATING : 5 stars for value, 4.5 stars for sound

Read on about this and other comparable CD players at:

http://www.goodsound.com/digital.html#cd_players

Similar Products Used:

NAD 522, Sony, Pioneer, etc...