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Marantz HD CD 1 Awesome Transport

About a month ago my decade + old Pioneer PD 65 with extensive Musical Concept mods (including outboard power supply), spit out the laser lens. I glued it in but it still would not read the discs. I called Pioneer but they are no longer stocking parts.

my Oppo 105 (with upgraded incoming power wire loom, including IEC and linear power module did not come close to the Pioneer, which put me in an intense ’in search of’.mode.

The best replacement I found was the NuPrime CDT 8, but even at $800 it was more than I was comfortable spending. I came across a Marantz HD CD 1: MSRP $600. Even that was a stretch but the specs sounded like it was a high end bargain, so I hit the used audio market. I found one for $450 out of state, and just after telling the seller I wanted it, another one came up a days shipment away. AND, it was new, box opened only for inspection. I would rather it had been broken in as all the internals can take 100-200 hours to loosen up.

Opening the box I was very pleased to see how well built it is, and being a smaller chassis means less potential for bad vibes. I connected it to my Audio Alchemy DAC/PRE via WireWorld toslink and WW series 7 power cord, plugged into a Core Power 1800, which is plugged into a 20 amp dedicated line

I let it run 12-24 hours at a time with short breaks in between. I intermittently used several different burn in discs, too. Slowly it got better, but even after ~ 100 hours it was not strutting its stuff. I kept this up for another 6 days.

Well, last night it finally loosened up (both with a silent 3D sound stage and note breathing- extending to their full decay) and rewarded me with even better sound than the Pioneer ever did! .

2 CDs I layed were the ShoutFactory reissue of Famous Blue Raincoat followed by Frank Sinatra Live at the Sands, dics I know quite well.

The remote is not without it quirks: it is not backlit, and the input selector is directly above the pause/play button, which caused some palpitations. requiring a bit of investigation to figure ou as the manual is on a disc!

Anyone searching for a great transport that happens to be very affordable, look no further.. I have no idea what it sounds like as a player, and hope I never need to, but it’s there, and stuff happens

hth
tweak1
tweak1 OP
3,679 posts
 
SO.... after turning it upside down and gently shaking it, I just reinserted it. Fingers crossed that the skipping was due to a lodged sliver of NDM

Only been fired up for maybe 10 minutes played 2 cds, no issues so far. It is much more focused than the Oppo with a deeper sound stage, and a more organic sound. Plus, I am able to play it at a lower volume with excellent tone

Assuming it doesn't skip anymore, the Oppo will be relegated to SACD and DVD-A playback

Thanks for contacting me today!
tweak1 OP
3,679 posts
 
Really good news so far, no more skipping 

The difference is the Marantz has an astonishing black (quiet) background for the music to present itself. The pluck on strings has the appropriate instant awareness and tone, voice is titled more into the midrange than the Oppo, which improved significantly, post upgrades. 

When I bought the Marantz I wanted a Jay's Audio CDT 2 Mk 2, which has a reasonable MSRP of $2500, but way out of my retired budget. I scored this virtually new HD CD-1 for $500!

Anyway, one thing I've learned, regardless of hobby, be it motorcycles, cars, boats... squeezing another 5-10% performance costs quite a bit more money over stock.

I am confident the Marantz will not disappoint, AND it's also a player, which I have not tried

hth 
tweak1 OP
3,679 posts
 
Apparently MSRP is $599. I may have paid as little as $400 for mine

FYI: TMR is selling one. Here’s a bit of Marantz copy from their page

Combining more than 30 years of Marantz expertise in compact disc playback with the latest developments in digital audio technology, it’s ideal for use as a CD transport when used with the HD-AMP1, or as a CD player in any situation where a compact form-factor is required without any compromise on sound quality. Small it may be, but it makes use of state-of-the-art Marantz technology carried over from our Award-winning CD players, including a high-resolution 192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converter from Cirrus Logic, a high-accuracy system clock, and the famous Marantz HDAM-SA2 amplifier modules, as found in our flagship Reference Series CD players and amplifiers.

and here’s a review (the white is only available in Asia, SIGH!)

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/marantz-hd-cd1
tweak1 OP
3,679 posts
 
Ok, Zug asked about bass, well...

When I was using the Oppo I had a WireWorld Eclipse Series 7 power cord ($300), which I left on as I wasn't sure whether I had resolved the skipping problem: seems like I did. ;)

Carefully listening to Eagles Hell Freezes Over, I noted the top end was rolled off (guitar strings a bit blunted) , but the Marantz hadn't been on 24 hours, so... about an hour ago I decided to move the Oppo from the top replacing it with the Marantz, so I plugged the WW into it. Not only did the top end open up, the bass got a lot more punch and tone
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,898 posts
 

tweak1


I have enjoyed reading this thread. If you like the WireWorld sound check out an Electra7/Silver Electra7 power cord. As always, buy demo or used and spend the monies saved on more music.


Happy Listening!

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