MARANTZ CD6007

A small but significant improvement on its predecessor

No one could accuse Marantz of pushing the boundaries on the CD6007, but it didn’t really have to. The company has taken an already excellentCD player – its 6006 UK Edition predecessor – and made it a bit better. At this point in CD’s life arc, at the affordable end of the market at least, that’s all it takes to ensure class leadership.

The big news here is the change of DAC chip to an AKM 4490 (the CD6006 used a Cirrus CS4398), allowing the CD6007 to process high-resolution files.

Not through the CD disc drive, of course. You will need to use the front panel USB Type-A socket to get the files into the player, as there are no other digital inputs here. You can play hi-res PCM music up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD128.

Other engineering changes between the two generations of player are a quieter power supply and improved HDAM amplifier modules, helped along by a sprinkling of higher-quality internal components. The headphone circuit now shuts down when not in use, which reduces unnecessary power draw on the supply and removes the potential for additional noise.

The CD6007’s build quality, as with its predecessor, is excellent. It feels solid and operates with a slickness that belongs at a far higher price point. The disc mechanism on our sample is quiet and responsive, all the controls working with precision. We can’t think of a rival CD player that feels as polished in use.