Marantz backs the disc with CD 60 player

THE chapter on compact disc isn’t closed yet; in fact, there seems quite a bit more gas left in the medium. And Marantz, which played a part in its development more than three decades ago, offers us a new CD player in an era when streaming is the fad. As with previous models in more recent times, the CD 60 includes a USB port for your digital music files. That takes care of your music library.

“With so much attention devoted to the burgeoning vinyl market plus the popularity of streaming content, we sometimes forget that an entire generation of music lovers built sizeable collections of beloved compact discs,” says brand president Joel Sietsema.

“Marantz was present at the dawn of CD technology with our original player, the CD 63. Now, the CD 60 reminds us why we fell in love with the format 40 years ago, delivering more warmth, musicality, and detail than any player in its class.”

According to the press literature, CD 60 features a “new reference-class D/A converter (up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD 5.6MHz resolution)” and two switchable filters – 1 has a gentle roll-off while 2 provides a sharper roll-off for more precise imaging. The digital-to-analogue conversion stage features new Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules (HDAMs).

“The new HDAMs are superior in their overall response compared to off-the-shelf IC chip solutions found in other products. These modules have been further optimised for the CD 60 to flow current more accurately, leading to significantly lower distortion at high frequencies than its predecessor for unmatched musicality and detail from every recording.

“In addition, the CD 60 also offers the convenience of a front panel USB-A port, enabling playback of a vast array of digital files such as MP3, WMA, AAC and WAV, FLAC HD, ALAC, AIFF (up to 24/192), and DSD (up to 5.6-MHz) from a connected USB storage device.”

THE CD 60 uses the exclusive Marantz HDAM-SA2 high-performance headphone amp circuit with three gain settings (low/mid/high) to drive most headphones. The headphone amplifier can also be switched to “off” when not in use, “eliminating any unwanted interference.”

The CD 60 is also designed to complement the new Model 40n streaming amplifier from Marantz, so if you’re fretting over looks, they make a perfect match.

Retailing at €799/£749, the CD 60 will be in stores from June.