Classic Philips and Marantz CD Player Comparison – part 2
The Marantz players:
Marantz CD16 Exclusive
1993. CDM-4 transport, TDA1547 Bitstream DAC. This player doesn’t really belong in this review because I didn’t review it at the same time. Nevertheless, I have a very good memory of how it sounded compared to the Audiomeca and Wadia players I had at the time. In retrospect, it sounded a lot like the CD94MKII, especially when used as a transport, although the CD94MKII has a more rhythmic drive. When using the analog outputs, the CD94MKII would have won by a large margin, the 16 sounding less driven, less defined and less colorful.
Marantz CD52MKII (Special edition)
CDM4 transport. Bitstream player. In spite of its SE sticker, this player didn’t sound special at all. It is certainly no bad player and it has some of the qualities common to most CDM-1-based players, but overall it was clearly inferior to the CD94MKII, sounding blander, less dynamic and a bit slow and thick. It is not part of further comparisons. In retrospect, after hearing the Philips CD850, the two may actually have comparable character, but the 850 is definitely faster and fresher.
Marantz CD40
CDM4 transport, TDA1541 DACOn the picture the CD40 is the middle one, with the open drawer. This player, too, has the CDM-4 transport but is otherwise built more lightweight. It sounds more rough; less refined, less coherent and flatter than the CD94MKII and isn’t further reviewed.
Marantz CD94MKII
1986. New around 1300 euro in Europe. CDM-1 transport (special selection), 2x TDA1541s1 DAC. The CD94 (MKI) could be seen as a CD960 in a more beautiful housing. Internally these two players are almost indistinguishable. The CD94MKII has two TDA1541S1 on an additional DAC board instead of the single TDA1541S1 in the older player. The CD94MKII sounds like a good combination of the CD304MKII and CD880. It has the 304’s big bass and drive, and the 880’s subtlety, refinement and airiness but is even more refined, if not airier than the 880. The 94MKII is however even more fluid and liquid. No matter how it is used: as a transport or a player, it is the most liquid player I’ve ever heard, and that’s including Meridian, Audiomeca and CEC.
Marantz CD80
Added in 2011 after the extensive review was written – only included in some overall comparisons
1990. New around 900 euro in Europe. CDM-1MKII transport. TDA1541S1 DAC. Used as an integrated player, the CD80 was a slight disappointment. It has a smooth sound and is very gentle but it is also a bit bland (pastel rather than full color) and it lacks physicality and drive. Even the CD880 is much fuller in the bass and has much better dynamics. Used as a transport though, it sounds pretty good, much less blandness, more drive and better focus. Used this way, it reminds me of the CD94MKII but with less power and drive.
Marantz CD74
Added in 2011 after the extensive review was written – only included in some overall comparisons
1984. CDM-1 transport, TDA1540 DAC. No digital outputs. The CD74 sounds solid, with a full bass and a creamy smoothness. But it’s definitely less refined and airy than most other players in this test and can be a bit rough. Despite this, it communicates emotion like few others. Internally it looks somewhat like a Philips CD304MKII (The CD74 uses the 14-bit TDA1540 and the CD304 uses the 16-bit TDA1541. The CD74 is from the same generation as the CD104/304 (MKI) but has a pressed steel chassis instead of cast zinc and in fact not a single board in common with the Philips players. It does sound a bit like it, but better. It has the same kind of solidity and drive but with a smoother presentation and a more refined treble.
Marantz CD84
Added in 2011 after the extensive review was written – only included in some overall comparisons
1984. CDM-1 transport, TDA1540 DAC. No digital outputs. The CD84 sounds nothing like its close stable mate the CD74. Where the CD74 is a little rough but highly dynamic, upbeat and lively, the CD84 is much smoother but also slow, thick in the bass, undynamic, and sleepy. Of course, this could be a sign that the CD84 was simply more worn and more in need of a recap. Anyway, in order to fix the CD74’s transport problem (it sometimes hangs for a few seconds, then resumes) I swapped DAC boards between CD74 and CD84 and found that the sound signature moved along, while accidentally solving the transport problem!
Marantz CD85
Added in 2011 after the extensive review was written – only included in some overall comparisons
1989. CDM-1MKII transport, TDA1541S1 DAC. Used as an integrated player, the CD85 sounds great, reminding me more of the Marantz CD94MKII than the CD80 does. It is much more weighty and colorful than the Philips CD880, yet it loses none of its speed and drive as the CD80 does on its analog outputs. Used as a transport with its coaxial digital output into the Mark Levinson no.360S DAC, the CD85 sounds fantastic, just like the CD94MKII did.
Marantz CD12 LE system
Added in 2011 after the extensive review was written – only included in some overall comparisons
1988. New estimated 4000 euro in Europe. CDM-1 transport, TDA1541S1 DAC. The ultimate incarnation of the CDM1 and TDA1541S1. This combo excells in presenting music in an utterly smooth, creamy, harmonically ripe manner yet manages to have excellent soundstaging and very fine detailing. Its treble is state of the art. The CD12 used as a transport into a more modern DAC is almost unbeatable, only the CD94MKII challenging it for its better dynamic slam and PRAT but the CD94MKII sounds a lot emptier and more gray in comparison and it cannot match the CD12’s organic fullness.
Marantz CD11 LE
Added in 2011 after the extensive review was written – only included in some overall comparisons
1991. New 4100 euro in Europe. CDM-4MD (aluminum) transport, 2x TDA1547 DAC, Dual differential, FET-buffered, transformer-balanced XLR outputs. Followup to the less-than-well-received original CD11, which itself was the successor of the CD12. The CD11 and CD11LE don’t differ on the outside, sporting model “CD11” on both front panels. The differences lie on the inside, where Ken Ishiwate made some component swaps: SAA7310 instead of SAA7210; SM5803AP instead of SAA7321; 2x TDA1547 DAC.
Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – part 4
Weet je toevallig een goede reparateur die van mijn CD960 en mogelijk een CD11 de snaren kan vervangen (goed, zodat hij ook de CD’s herkend!), recappen en de loopwerken goed afstellen (best lastig met die swingarm dingen)?
Jan Schouten, (https://www.audioreparatie.nl) en Jan Croese (http://www.creatoaudio.com) zijn de beste die ik ken.
PS: Your question prompted me to add this to the Links page:-)