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Thread: Can a CD player's sound degrade?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,590
    I'm Steve.

    Default Can a CD player's sound degrade?

    Last month I bought a Marantz CD6006 (UK) to stand in for my ailing Densen player. I got it as an "open box" item from Richers, with a full guarantee and two tiny scratches on top which I fixed with a black marker pen. for £260.

    I wasn't expecting too much from this player, even though it had some great reviews. After all It's a £300 player replacing one with a new cost of about 1300 quid iirc. But I'm actually loving it, making me revisit my favourite discs, and one or two which were previously a 'difficult' listen. All the detail seems to still be there, but with a smoothness and balance that is really drawing me in. Why would this be?

    Possibilities:

    1. The lowered expectations and relatively low outlay is helping me 'relax into the music' rather than listening to the player.

    2. The Marantz is simply a really good player, and compares favourably with the ageing Densen.

    3. The Marantz has a better synergy with the rest of my stuff, and price be damned.

    4. The Densen's sound quality has worsened over time and it's taken swapping in another player to show this up.

    The first three possibilities I can readily believe, I'm just curious about number four. And whether it would be worth throwing money at getting the Densen fixed. Any views guys?
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  2. #2
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,774
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Could be that components have gone out of spec with age, that might affect sound quality. It's not likely to be the case though. Although you said it was ailing so that implies some sort of fault.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  3. #3
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Notts

    Posts: 2,741
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony View Post
    Last month I bought a Marantz CD6006 (UK) to stand in for my ailing Densen player. I got it as an "open box" item from Richers, with a full guarantee and two tiny scratches on top which I fixed with a black marker pen. for £260.

    I wasn't expecting too much from this player, even though it had some great reviews. After all It's a £300 player replacing one with a new cost of about 1300 quid iirc. But I'm actually loving it, making me revisit my favourite discs, and one or two which were previously a 'difficult' listen. All the detail seems to still be there, but with a smoothness and balance that is really drawing me in. Why would this be?

    Possibilities:

    1. The lowered expectations and relatively low outlay is helping me 'relax into the music' rather than listening to the player.

    2. The Marantz is simply a really good player, and compares favourably with the ageing Densen.

    3. The Marantz has a better synergy with the rest of my stuff, and price be damned.

    4. The Densen's sound quality has worsened over time and it's taken swapping in another player to show this up.

    The first three possibilities I can readily believe, I'm just curious about number four. And whether it would be worth throwing money at getting the Densen fixed. Any views guys?
    That's an expensive marker pen!

  4. #4
    Join Date: Mar 2013

    Location: London/Kent, UK

    Posts: 308
    I'm keith.

    Default

    Personally have always found marantz cd players very good sounding, irrespective of price. It may just be sounding different as well.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,590
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Could be that components have gone out of spec with age, that might affect sound quality. It's not likely to be the case though. Although you said it was ailing so that implies some sort of fault.
    It had been acting up for months, refusing to start, and when it did it would skip or sometimes stop, then start again after a minute or so. Its reluctance to play a disc from beginning to end was doing my head in, and this may have had some effect on perceived sound. Like enjoying a relaxing drive in tre country in a car that may and will break down at any moment.
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,590
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sherwood View Post
    That's an expensive marker pen!
    Bugger! Still, it did come with a free CD player
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  7. #7
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,774
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony View Post
    It had been acting up for months, refusing to start, and when it did it would skip or sometimes stop, then start again after a minute or so. Its reluctance to play a disc from beginning to end was doing my head in, and this may have had some effect on perceived sound. Like enjoying a relaxing drive in tre country in a car that may and will break down at any moment.
    Will probably be fixable. But as Keith says the more modern Marantz is going to be pretty good.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,590
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by skimminstones View Post
    Personally have always found marantz cd players very good sounding, irrespective of price. It may just be sounding different as well.
    That's a very good point I'll need a bit more playing time to decide whether it's just a honeymoon period. But right now I'm loving the sound, the operation, and its appearance. And it satisfies Mrs. P's "if it ain't black it's cack" stipulation
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,590
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Will probably be fixable. But as Keith says the more modern Marantz is going to be pretty good.
    I will try to get it fixed at some point, but the only likely repairer is Elite Audio, all the way up there. And when they failed to reply to my email I just sort of gave up.
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  10. #10
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,089
    I'm Alan.

    Default

    You seem to be implying the Denson is quite old, if that"s the case then it's probably just that modern design Dac's are better than older chips/designs.

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