Fix or buy new?

Fix or buy new?

Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?

Re: Fix or buy new?

David Zeit wrote:
> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>

The Marantz is a good player, but it depends what the repair will cost.
The most common problem is the laser assembly, originally a CDM-12.1,
replaceable by a VAM1201, both made by Philips. Unfortunately, there
are a lot of forgeries out there, and in my experience they are awful.
Tracking problems and short lived, if they work at all.

Trust your ears, and go listen to the Denon and Rotel. I might add a
NAD and Arcam to the list, but that's your preference. If you don't
like what you hear as much as the Marantz, then get the Marantz fixed.
If any of the new players make you go "WOW!" then buy one.

Regards,
Tim Schwartz
Bristol Electronics

Re: Fix or buy new?

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:00:11 GMT, Tim Schwartz <timhhk@verizon . net >
wrote:

>David Zeit wrote:
>> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
>> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>>
>
> The Marantz is a good player, but it depends what the repair will cost.
> The most common problem is the laser assembly, originally a CDM-12.1,
>replaceable by a VAM1201, both made by Philips. Unfortunately, there
>are a lot of forgeries out there, and in my experience they are awful.
>Tracking problems and short lived, if they work at all.
>
> Trust your ears, and go listen to the Denon and Rotel. I might add a
>NAD and Arcam to the list, but that's your preference. If you don't
>like what you hear as much as the Marantz, then get the Marantz fixed.
>If any of the new players make you go "WOW!" then buy one.
>
Poor advice indeed! Never buy anything that makes you go "WOW". It
will be irritating you within a week. Hi Fi stuff should never induce
a wow feeling - the very best will go entirely unnoticed.

d

Re: Fix or buy new?

"Don Pearce" <nospam@nospam . com > wrote in message
news:aj6cv394ea0p4cri8iffargjpjl3r44pre@4ax . com ...
> On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:00:11 GMT, Tim Schwartz <timhhk@verizon . net >
> wrote:
>
>>David Zeit wrote:
>>> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
>>> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>>>
>>
>> The Marantz is a good player, but it depends what the repair will cost.
>> The most common problem is the laser assembly, originally a CDM-12.1,
>>replaceable by a VAM1201, both made by Philips. Unfortunately, there
>>are a lot of forgeries out there, and in my experience they are awful.
>>Tracking problems and short lived, if they work at all.
>>
>> Trust your ears, and go listen to the Denon and Rotel. I might add a
>>NAD and Arcam to the list, but that's your preference. If you don't
>>like what you hear as much as the Marantz, then get the Marantz fixed.
>>If any of the new players make you go "WOW!" then buy one.
>>
> Poor advice indeed! Never buy anything that makes you go "WOW". It
> will be irritating you within a week. Hi Fi stuff should never induce
> a wow feeling - the very best will go entirely unnoticed.
>
> d


Completely agree! I would also be very surprised if there was any difference
audibly between the CD63 (obviously when working properly) and any other CD
player around these days. My advice would be to see how much it would cost
to repair the CD63. If it's comparable to buying a new player, then buy the
one who's ergonomics you like most as it most likely will sound the same as
any other. By the way, make sure that the output voltages are the same for
any players you're comparing:- even if it's not obvious that one is louder
than the other, the one that's a little louder will convince you it sounds
that bit better.

S.

--
* audiopages.googlepages . com

Re: Fix or buy new?

"Serge Auckland" <sergeauckland@btinternet . com > wrote in

> Completely agree! I would also be very surprised if there
> was any difference audibly between the CD63 (obviously
> when working properly) and any other CD player around
> these days.

IME that is true.

> My advice would be to see how much it would
> cost to repair the CD63. If it's comparable to buying a
> new player, then buy the one who's ergonomics you like
> most as it most likely will sound the same as any other.

Agreed.

> By the way, make sure that the output voltages are the
> same for any players you're comparing:- even if it's not
> obvious that one is louder than the other, the one that's
> a little louder will convince you it sounds that bit
> better.

Doing a good job of comparing digital players in real time can be very
demanding. There's probably under 100 people in the world who have ever put
forth the necessary effort and had the necessary resources.

Re: Fix or buy new?


"David Zeit" <davezeit@telesport . com > wrote in message
news:47F5C3D2.8A06DE89@telesport . com ...
> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?

**Buy a Harman Kardon HD970. VERY good machine, for not too much cash. It'll
even play MP3 disks.

Trevor Wilson

Re: Fix or buy new?


"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio . com .au> wrote in message
news:65odmsF2h1sveU1@mid.individual . net ...
>
> "David Zeit" <davezeit@telesport . com > wrote in message
> news:47F5C3D2.8A06DE89@telesport . com ...
>> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
>> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>
> **Buy a Harman Kardon HD970. VERY good machine, for not too much cash.
> It'll even play MP3 disks.
>
> Trevor Wilson
>

I pretty much despise HK products the past 30+ years, at least insofar as
their US-marketed stuff.

Chinko Chinese crap. Unserviceable. Poorly documented and supported.
Not even a legitimate manufacturer. Haven't made their own stuff for
decades, and it shows.


Mark Z.

Re: Fix or buy new?

Mark D. Zacharias wrote:
> "Trevor Wilson" <trevor@ SPAMBLOCK rageaudio . com .au> wrote in message
> news:65odmsF2h1sveU1@mid.individual . net ...
>> "David Zeit" <davezeit@telesport . com > wrote in message
>> news:47F5C3D2.8A06DE89@telesport . com ...
>>> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
>>> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>> **Buy a Harman Kardon HD970. VERY good machine, for not too much cash.
>> It'll even play MP3 disks.
>>
>> Trevor Wilson
>>
>
> I pretty much despise HK products the past 30+ years, at least insofar as
> their US-marketed stuff.
>
> Chinko Chinese crap. Unserviceable. Poorly documented and supported.
> Not even a legitimate manufacturer. Haven't made their own stuff for
> decades, and it shows.
>

I was under the impression they had "come back" some with the latest
CEO?

--


"Number fucking three? You bastard, I demand to be #1. Pleace to publish
teh lits, doucheweasel. " -- Cujo DeSockpuppet

Re: Fix or buy new?


"Mark D. Zacharias" <mzacharias@nonsense . net > wrote in message
news:unJJj.199$%41.176@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc . com ...
>
> "Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio . com .au> wrote in message
> news:65odmsF2h1sveU1@mid.individual . net ...
>>
>> "David Zeit" <davezeit@telesport . com > wrote in message
>> news:47F5C3D2.8A06DE89@telesport . com ...
>>> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
>>> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>>
>> **Buy a Harman Kardon HD970. VERY good machine, for not too much cash.
>> It'll even play MP3 disks.
>>
>> Trevor Wilson
>>
>
> I pretty much despise HK products the past 30+ years, at least insofar as
> their US-marketed stuff.
>
> Chinko Chinese crap. Unserviceable. Poorly documented and supported.
> Not even a legitimate manufacturer. Haven't made their own stuff for
> decades, and it shows.

**The HD970 is well built, using quality materials and sounds better than
products costing considerably more. I can't speak for other HK products. So
good is the HD970, that I purchased one. It replaced my considerably more
expensive (about 5 times, more expensive) Rotel RD990.

Trevor Wilson

Re: Fix or buy new?


"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio . com .au> wrote in message
news:65qbk4F2h287cU1@mid.individual . net ...
>
> "Mark D. Zacharias" <mzacharias@nonsense . net > wrote in message
> news:unJJj.199$%41.176@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc . com ...
>>
>> "Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio . com .au> wrote in message
>> news:65odmsF2h1sveU1@mid.individual . net ...
>>>
>>> "David Zeit" <davezeit@telesport . com > wrote in message
>>> news:47F5C3D2.8A06DE89@telesport . com ...
>>>> Marantz 63 se cd player need a fix. Better to fix or replace? If
>>>> replace, which one? Rotel for 7 hundred or Denon for 300?
>>>
>>> **Buy a Harman Kardon HD970. VERY good machine, for not too much cash.
>>> It'll even play MP3 disks.
>>>
>>> Trevor Wilson
>>>
>>
>> I pretty much despise HK products the past 30+ years, at least insofar as
>> their US-marketed stuff.
>>
>> Chinko Chinese crap. Unserviceable. Poorly documented and supported.
>> Not even a legitimate manufacturer. Haven't made their own stuff for
>> decades, and it shows.
>
> **The HD970 is well built, using quality materials and sounds better than
> products costing considerably more. I can't speak for other HK products.
> So good is the HD970, that I purchased one. It replaced my considerably
> more expensive (about 5 times, more expensive) Rotel RD990.

**That would be, of course, RCD990.

Trevor Wilson