Upgrade my CD player or futile effort?


I would appreciate you guys input. I listen to 90% vinyl  and 10% CDs due to a lot of new music I get into only comes out on CDs. My analog system sounds fantastic to my ears but unfortunately my digital falls short. My analog system consists of:
-VPI Classic 1 TT
-Lyra Kleos cart
-PS Audio Stellar phono preamp
-Prima Luna 100 preamp
-Parasound Halo A21+ amp
-PBN Montana XPS speakers
-Dual Rythmick
F-12 subs
My CD player is a Marantz CD6005 running through my analog system.
Compared to my vinyl, overall the sound from my CDs lacks the depth and definition in bass, comes short in the soundstage and overall space in presentation and does not have the
same clarity in treble.
If I rate my analog sound a 9, I would rate my digital CD a 7.
My question is, would I benefit from a better CD player, even so the CD6005 is no slouch, or am I gonna end up in a goose chase?
I realize my CDs may never sound as good as my vinyl, but I would try to improve it if you guys think it would be worth the effort. Are there really some outstanding CD players out there that can measure up to vinyl? Personal experiences only please, do not need sales pitches by equipment associations you may have never listened to. Also all my cabling and room setup is a 10 to me with the analog so I wouldn't change any of that for my CD player listening.  Thanks.

128x128baylinor
OP

As others have indicated, your problem is your lousy Marantz CD player.  A new DAC will make an enormous improvement.  You may want to consider a new CDP that allows for digital inputs-essentially these are DACs that spin CDs..  Then you can upgrade the transport at the same time and ditch the Marantz and not have another box and cabling issues.
  OP indicated that he uses digital to explore new artists.  Streaming would probably fit his needs better, since most services offer huge catalogs and also suggest new artists based on your previous selections.  I would also consider a DAC streamer and keep the Marantz for CD transport 
I had an Ares II and was happy with that but dove a little deeper and got the Pontus II; didn't see what your budget was (will assume you're "dipping your toe in"), so there's a lot of people here that will offer more expensive and better quality options here than what I'm suggesting.  There's a $1000 jump from the Ares II to the Pontus II but I felt it was worth it, but I stream heavily and use my CD transport when the mood strikes me (Cambridge Audio CXC V2; had the Audiolab one but preferred the CXC) .  I would second the suggestion that you get a DAC that works for you feature-wise and hook up your Marantz to that first - only change one thing at a time, and it might actually be the DAC in it that's poochy.  There's a bunch of good DACs out there for whatever price point you're at so it's unlikely you're going to get a dog.  Any Denafrips DAC are going to be the ones with the least B&W so no bluetooth, remote, or wireless capability, and if you buy directly from Vinshine there's no return policy if you don't like it.  I've had a number of Topping products and they've all measured well, were packed full of features and sounded good but never moved me enough to keep them.  I hear many raves for the Jay's Audio transport but we're talking about $2400 and it's a top loader so that has to be accommodated.  Alternative: the Bluesound products have an OK DAC built into them and allow you to get into streaming at a low cost; requires you install their BluOS software which works very well (I think) on either your smartphone or computer - no fees or subscription needed.  You can stream internet radio for free or play any flac files through it, and you can always bypass the DAC in it if you get a better one and use it only as a streamer.
OP, you stated "Obviously now I know going with a better CDP without a DAC is worthless." Not obvious, and not true.  I recently plugged my Oppo UDP205 into my den (main) system; it had been anchoring my home theater since purchased (ca 2017) on a system that was more pro and less audiophile.  My den system had been using either a Sony S9000ES SACD player or Pioneer Elite BDP05, both of which were about 20 years old (and consequently 20 year-old DAC technology). Holy smoke!  Soundstage, frequency range and dynamics galore!  I know a lot of A'goners bitch about the Oppo DAC, but the point is, a good quality CD/SACD player runs circles around older CDP's, and you shouldn't discount them.  Look at current models from Luxman, Marantz, and Technics, to name  few (which should set you back $3K-4K).  Or you can try the separate DAC route, but try to avoid the optical connection if you can help it.
FWIW I am waiting on Esoteric K-05XD and the K-07XD SACD players which should be released in a couple of months.  Rave reviews for the K-01XD and the K-03XD which have been out for a couple of years now.  All the Esoteric models have among the best tray mechanisms in the world, and the new "XD" versions have a much-improved DAC.  So you get a phenomenal transport and a fantastic DAC all in one.  They have all kinds of digital inputs to use the DAC in the player.  For me, it's a no-brainer upgrade.  But first I'd like to demo when they come out.  Guessing in the $7500-10K range, so not cheap.  But again, it's a player-- 2-in-1 transport and DAC that has USB input, among other inputs.  And they play SACD's.