Marantz CD63 mkII KI vs CD6000OSE

[Absolute0 0]

Hi people, I currently have the Marantz CD63 mkII KI, and am wondering whether it is worth upgradng to the CD6000OSE (not LE). Has anyone heard both? I read that the latter suffers from grainy highs/brightness, is this a huge drawback? Also, what would be a good price to pay for the CD6000OSE? Thanks in advance!

[Blues 0]

I have no experience with the former, but as the previous owner of cd6kOSE .. I can testify the harsh/edgy/grainy high. It can get quite irritating, especially paired with the wrong components.

Huge drawback? sort of. Because it is quite a turn off especially if you have very revealing cans or cans that emphasize the highs(something like cd3k), then u will keep hearing the source's flaw.

If you have the extra $$, I think cd7300 is a better choice.You can find the review by mackie.

[Rameish 0]

Blues sorry to disagree with you here. There is a slight edgyness but it's still better than the 63. Before you turn your nose at it Absolute, hear it for yourself. But do read the bit about wrong components above. System synergy is what you should be asking. The 6000OSE with Corda HA-1 with Beyer DT-931 is quite nice.

 

Interconnects get the Kimber PBJ

[Absolute0 0]

I think my other components (HD600 with stock cable, Ety ER-4P/S, Pimeta) are not exactly bright sounding, so if the edgy highs isn't too obtrusive, it should be fine. I am actually more concerned about whether the sonic improvement is substantial enough to justify an upgrade and very importantly, the extra money spent, since my funds are very limited.

[augustineRS 0]

Divaaudio to get TS Lim for a mod on the CD63.

[Rameish 0]

Hmm...in that case you really need to audition both CDPs together. They probably will be sounding but in general the CDP that offers more weight in the music presentation is the better one. A visual analogy of weight would be holographic imaging, the more real (fleshed out) the image the better. So when you close your eyes and listen to the music the CDP that fleshes out the musicians more is the better cdp. But most importantly, trust your ears. The 63ki is a good cdp as well. Both will exihibit the typical Marantz sound. When I had the 6000 ose, and did a direct comparison over several weeks with the CD-19 (a lesser knon defunct model that looks like a CD-17) the CD-19 offered the better imaging. Also you don't mention an amp? Curious. IMO if you don't have one you will be better served by getting a good home headphone amp (not a portable amp). The Spark Audio HA-1A is quite good but does require tube rolling to maximize it's potential (set aside S$200 for tube rolling). I'll be doing an extensive 12AX7 and 12AU7 tube rolling on the HA-1A so you might wanna wait till that happens (it normally takes me several weeks as I try not to jump the gun on anything other than specs). av98m, lengcm, and scriberex came over on sat and briefly listended to the HA-1A tube rolled with Mullards CV4004 and CV4003. Very promising.

 

Another good amp is the original Corda HA-1 - but that is a bit hard to find nowadays and can only be found on the 2nd hand market.

 

As always think of system synergy.

 

Cheers

 

[Absolute0 0]

Thanks to all, esp. Ramiesh, for the replies. I did mention an amp, a humble PIMETA , and I don't think I have enough funds to upgrade (much less tube roll) in the near future. Plus tube amps might be overkill for my setup. In fact, I think I am a more of a solid state person, so likely upgrades include the PPA, Larocco PR and XP-7. Somehow I have a feeling tubes would be too complicated for me, and difficult to maintain. And the current weakest link in my setup seems to be the source...

 

Perhaps Mackie can provide more insights regarding the Marantz CD63 mkII KI vs CD6000OSE? I believe he has heard both from my search in past threads.

[Mackie 0]

Alrighty I guess I can't escape from this thread. LOL

 

CD6000OSE does have a slight tilt in the treble department but before U frown at it, this trait actually contributes to greater airness and details. Comparatively, 63KI sounds a tad closed in but thicker and wamer overall. System synergy and choice of interconnects aside, there's a way to improve any perceived treble edge or overall thin sound of 6000OSE. The rest calls it Mackie's plug but I simply call it RFI rejection plug meant for exposed digital output on all cdps. Through my own experience and those who have this plug, aside from lower noise floor, overall presentation seems to sound fuller, image better and less digital glare inherent in most cdps.

 

I suggest U pick up one of this plug and try it for yourself since we live quite close to each other. PM me for details.

 

Pls scroll forward to reviewer 11-15 for my contribution on Marantz CD6000OSE

 

Scroll forward to reviewer 6-10 to read about the plug's effects on Musical Fidelity A3CD

 

All else being equal, I prefer the freshness offered by 6000OSE as the treble tilt can be tonally adjusted with interconnects. However, one can't compensate much for the relatively lesser detail retrieval by 63KI. Nonetheless, I wouldn't see a jump from the latter to former as an upgrade unless it's for CD17MKIII.

Edited April 6, 2004 by Mackie

[cmk 0]

Divaaudio to get TS Lim for a mod on the CD63.

Yup, get TS to mod the 63, bring new life to redbook.

[N3w_Typ3 0]

ya don't worry blues post the cd 6000 OSE is a good player for a start or small upgrade .... i had no much problem when i use this cdp ( still using at the moment ) ya the mackie plug's (he perfer to call RFI rejection plug ) really work wonders .. heh should try it out !

 

[foxylady 0]

is makie's plug a 75 ohm resistor soldered into an rca? i tried that on my cd17, made a difference, but not really a good one.

[Absolute0 0]

Thanks a great deal, Mackie, for the much-needed insights. It seems that I would put off an upgrade for the time being, but I wouldn't rule that out entirely, esp. if something great at an irresistable price happen to "pop up" in the classifieds. Meanwhile, my CD63 mkII KI will remain FS for a while, and if there are no takers, I will gladly continue to live with it for it has served me well.

 

The "Mackie's plug" seems pretty amazing, gonna PM you about it. Thanks in advance.

[foxylady 0]

http://www.diyparadise.com/75ohmtweak.htm

[Rameish 0]

Besides the 75 ohm tweak which you can try you should also spend a little on isolation. The DH cones are espicially good at cleaning up the top end.

[Blues 0]

hrm - I find that my previous post was a little bit too harsh

In fact , the 6000OSE is just glaring at the top end. I didn't mean to say it was 'very' harsh.. well unless you connect a bright IC, use bright cans and amps.. and

But the real question - whether it is worth an upgrade from your current 63mkII KI .. I think the 63mkii KI is quite a competent cdp(seriously I haven't heard it - only read the reviews) . Save more $$ and get the higher models like 7300 or if u have the cash cd17mkiii - that would be real 'upgrade' IMHO .

 

As for the good price of the player: I would consider anything below $300 for the player to be a bargain. You will usually see them from $250-350 in the 2nd hand market. (don't quote me on this)

Hope these help..

Edited April 9, 2004 by Blues