Marantz CD-67 MkII SE CD Players

Marantz CD-67 MkII SE CD Players 

DESCRIPTION

Highest Model 'Budget' Marantz

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 10  
[Jun 29, 2006]
Johnny Farm
AudioPhile

Strength:

Sound, Quality and looks.

Weakness:

none.

Is an excellent cd player in this range of price. I used them for about 4 years and i am very happy with the sound. Very Crisp and detail saound, ideal for classic music and jazz. Solid construccion and build quality. I give 5 starts.

Similar Products Used:

Nakamichi cd-mb 10 - Rotel cd-951

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 03, 2006]
Belgarchi
AudioPhile

Strength:

Features, convenient; reputation

Weakness:

Sound just average, soundstage really bad.

A big disappointment. This CD-Player is well built for the price, convenient... but it doesn't sound as good as I thought after reading all these reviews in English magazines.
It is moderately detailed, slightly harsh, lacks deep bass (upper bass are ok), and the soundstage is a mess (no depth, instruments not precisely located).
Average dynamic.
Well, to be honnest, I am used to more expensive CD-players, but I think that in the same price range, other players from NAD, for example, are better.
Way below Marantz CD-17-II.

Similar Products Used:

NAD 5100 and S500, CAl Icon II, Musical Fidelity A3, Marantz CD-17-II, Classe CDP-10, Musical Fidelity A3

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
4
[May 04, 2006]
martin-ortiz@or-es.com
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Sound, quality and looks.
Volume control.

Weakness:

none yet.

Great cd Player. Its very musical with clean and balance sound.
Good Looks and build quality.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz cd-52

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 07, 1999]
michael
an Audio Enthusiast

i agree with your comments Oben this player needs a lot of breaking in mine took

at least
200 hours to break in i also believe you need excellent interconnects.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Jun 19, 1999]
Grant
an Audio Enthusiast

I had been looking at CD players for a year or so to drive my B&W 601's. Having read lots of reviews, taken advice from this site and done brief listening tests narrowed the field down to the Rotel 971 and Marantz CD 67se MkII. The Rotel reviews on thisa site suggest that it would be better. We did extensive listening tests and decided that through a Rotel 971 Amp the Marantz sounded better.I have no interest in looks, remotes etc, only in what it sounds like. In short we liked the Marantz better than the Rotel, added to that the Marantz was 300NZD cheaper. In short a great product for the price.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Jun 05, 1999]
Oben Candemir
an Audio Enthusiast

This CD player continues the successful (in reviewer's ears anyhow) line of budget Marantz CD players.
I bought this player a month or so ago now and I was highly impressed in the shop and when I brought it home. I bought based on excellent reviews in the Hi-Fi magazines this player received. I had compared the player against the Denon CD735, Yamaha, and Sony players in the same price bracket. Now to what my experience has been...

In the shop there was no doubt the player sounded good. I tried it with KEF Q35 speakers, and a Sony STR-925 amp/receiver. The most outstanding aspect of its sound was the clarity and detail the Marantz extracted from my CD's. The bass seemed good (magazines say 'big-boned') and all in all the Marantz beat the Yamaha, and Sony hands down. Those players seemed to smooth out the sound to a 'commercialised' sound the masses love. Not for me...

However, as I played my CD's at home I found some problems with the machine. Firstly it requires an extended break in. I suggest leaving the machine on constantly if you listen to it 3-4 times a week (I use it daily). The volume control seems to affect the acoustic envelope presented to the amplifier with lower volumes sounding mellower than full volume.

The biggest problem was the tracking of certain CDs (one example is the Ministry of Sounds' Clubber's Guide to 99 CD). Random access of tracks or skipping tracks leads to the player choking and initialising to the initial idle state. This means programming or any other function doesn't work on these CD's.

I took that CD to the shop... same problem on the shop model. It must be some sort of design fault. I will write to Marantz about it.

So I started looking for a replacement player and pitched it against the Benchmark-635 (a Denon CD-635 that has been tweaked and completely overhauled by an Australian Hi-Fi guru). What a difference... the Benchmark showed up many more faults of the Marantz. The Marantz' bass while seeming big really only gets to the mid-bass without extension to lower frequencies. The Benchmark showing true extension to the lower bass. The Marantz was harsher on all styles of music than the Benchmark... Turning down the volume on the Marantz made things a bit more even in terms of musicality but the bass was still lacking. For Australian readers try the Benchmark... it is truly awesome and sounds like a player costing four times as much.

I strongly considered changing to the Benchmark but after measuring it, there was unfortunately no space in my cabinet for it... The tracking problem is going to be a nuisance I will have to live with perhaps.

Against other non modified Japanese players the Marantz is a clear winner in terms of sound but there is better (more expensive models). I give it 4.5 but it'll have to be 4 for the tracking problem...

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Dec 07, 1999]
ed
Audiophile

Strength:

le 67se est relativement doux mais reste dynamique.malgre
sa capacite a extraire les details sa sonorite est chaude
est nuancee

Weakness:

le chassis n est encore pas assez renforce et les basses pourait etre plus propres.le rendu pourait etre un peu plus
leger

le cd67se donne envie d enchainer disques apres disques
loin d etre froid il extrait une foule de detailles
son point fort est sa musicalite et son rendu des timbres
par contre la neutralite est en retrait au profit d une
certaine chaleur.il affirme sa personnalite sur chaque disque ce qui commence a me lasser un peu.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 06, 2000]
Litchao
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

An entry-level high-end CD Player for an affordable price

I use this CD-Player for a year now. I am totally satisfied with the sound it present. When I first got this CD-Player and hooked it on. It sound like toy to me, but after I burn in for about 72 hours and started to listen my first CD Jewel. It suprise me, the music is very crisp and detail.
I recommand a good performace interconnector such as Synergy alpha silver or better because it really improve the sound a lot.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 31, 1999]
ct
an Audio Enthusiast

One year ago I've played with the 67SE, in spite of all good review in the several magazines, I was al little bit disappointed. I've compared it with the Rotel 975 and Pioneer PDS707. These machines are much better, more detail, soundstaging, etc.

The 67 OSE is very good stuff. In mine opinion it sounds better than the Rotel, Pioneer and the 67SE.
Very smooth, detailed and to involve into the music. It make no difference if you listen to classical, jazz or pop.
No doubt I gave it 5 stars

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Apr 13, 2000]
Mark Elkington
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

A player you can listen to and listen to some more. The digital volume control on this bitstream player is really handy if your amp doesn't have a remote.

Weakness:

Doesn't sound nearly as good as my turntable :-)

When my 10 year Sony player died I was curious to hear what progress had been made in CDs. I'd come accept that CD was so far behand vinyl that it was really only for background music and the kids.

I auditioned a NAD C540, a Rotel RCD951, and the now discontinued 67SE. Having read a rave TAS review on the 951 I was prejudiced towards it, however listening to a jazz disk the 67SE was to my ear slightly more musical and convincing. All three players were a big improvement on my old Sony.

One reviewer here reported a similar comparison between a 67SE and RCD971 (951 big brother).

Someone else noted the 67SE's out-of-box sound as "a toy." Thanks for the tip-off - I would have returned it as faultly had I not known that! 24 hours burn-in fixed it.

Another reviewer noted that turning the volume down "mellows" the sound - I'd agree with that too.

[Meta-review comment: audioreview.com gets a good review from me on the basis of these specific and accurate reviews]

On uncomplicated jazz tracks this unit does a nice job with smoothness and placement. I've heard 3D depth on good disks that I never thought possible with CD. With more complex orchestral pieces it starts to lose it, though I suspect this is a limitation of the CD format itself.

In fact, at times the 67SE was sweet enough to have me wanting to believe it was catching up to LPs. Alas, a quick reality check by tossing an LP on to my old Linn/RB300/K9. To both my wife and I the vinyl was comfortably more natural, detailed and dimensional. But at least I can now sit and listen to CDs :-)

Have a look at http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/cd67.html for tweaking info: I snipped the 4 output muting transistors (freebie tweak) and was pleasantly surprised to hear a small but noticeable opening up of the top end; cymbals had a shimmer to them that wasn't there before, and imaging was also improved. Now will I swap the op amps or fit a clock module?!

In short, a very pleasing budget player, excellent value for money.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 10  

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