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A Auralic Aries LE issue would like to know if I am alone to have it ... When I change or pause song Streaming Qobuz , My DAC is losing connection with streamer which is create an unlock in my DAC ( Marantz SA14 ) and activate amplifier switching relay ... i don't believe the the relays on Marantz PM 14 are designed to be open close continuously . i asked Auralic Xuanqian Wang who nicely replied to my question and It is not possible for software reason to like open an empty file with white noise while pausing or changing tracks in order to not lose connection with DAC. I will ask Marantz for the PM relays but it is quiet sad to realize that afterward ... my Chromecast even gapless was not triggered the amplifier relays when stoped . thanks for help.

So today I decided to put the Marantz NA6005 through the ringer and see how it actually performs up against a great affordable DAC, the fully loaded Schiit Bifrost. The Bifrost has the upgraded USB board as well as the upgraded "Uber" analog output board. The Bifrost has many thousands of hours on it. It's been powered up ever since the first day I bought it over 2 years ago. The NA6005 has been up and running non-stop for the past two and a half weeks, so roughly 400 hours on it. The Schiit is being fed via a Wireworld Ultraviolet 2 meter USB cable with JRiver off of a stripped down Compaq laptop, then out through Wireworld Oasis 7 1 meter interconnects to the preamp. The Marantz is being fed via a Belkin CAT5 2 meter cable, through an old Netgear 10/100/1000 switch, streaming directly from the NAS and another Belkin CAT5 cable, then out through an old pair of Cardas Crosslink interconnects to the preamp. Both units getting fed quality 24/96 FLAC files straight from the NAS. Now comes the fun part, the comparison... The tests were done with the same tracks playing, with the Marantz playing roughly one second ahead of the other, so when switching back and forth I could hear and remember exactly how one sounded with not only instruments, but also by word of the songs. I also tried running the Toslink out of the Marantz into the Bifrost, then switching back and forth that way, which ultimately ended in the same exact results as mentioned below. Both the Schiit Bifrost DAC and the Marantz NA6005 sound almost identical. Same amount of bass and attack, same silky smooth top end, same dynamics, same inner detail, same sound stage width and depth. The ONLY difference between the two is that the Bifrost has just a touch more fullness and warmth in the midrange, especially with vocals. This gives vocals just a bit more heft and scale, which is a good thing. I then wondered if that touch of extra fullness and warmth in the midrange was due to the different interconnects being used on both units, so I swapped them. The Wireworld cables now on the Marantz, the Cardas cables on the Schiit. Sure enough, that fullness and warmth left the Bifrost and went to the NA6005! Also, with said cable swap, the bass on the Marantz seems to be a little more detailed and tighter as well as the sound stage depth being just a little deeper with the Wireworld cables. Everything else seems to have remained the same. This is also a pleasant finding. So all in all, both the Schiit DAC and the DAC in the Marantz sound virtually identical, with the Marantz getting the slight edge in a bit more bass detail and stage depth. That says quite a bit about the NA6005's capabilities considering for all practical purposes it just beat the fully upgraded and praised Schiit Bifrost, which is an extremely good DAC as well. I guess this means I can free up some $$$ by selling off the Bifrost and USB cable.

Well, mainly insights concerning DACs I will take from interviews of Ken Ishiwata. Plus, his Japanese colleague, Ryuichi Sawada—because he too speaks authoritatively with reporters. Okay, I've already delayed starting this Thread, which may help readers, for nearly a week since coming across Ken's Polish Q&A and it's English email exchange. Let's just begin : « As you are well aware, DA converters (IC Chips) have changed so much from the time of introduction… Today, you can have very high specification DAC to fulfill all High Resolution Audio formats!! However, do they sound good??? That’s the pertinent question… Personally, I love old non-CMOS DAC like old Philips types (BiMOS) but unfortunately you won’t get those anymore and they are not compatible with new High Resolution Formats… If we can keep everything in Analog, then of course we would stick with Analog but, as you know, that’s not possible… DSD is indeed very popular but not many people know why… In my opinion, it’s related to your first question about DAC IC! Every DAC commercially available nowadays are using delta-sigma conversion for PCM… In other words, you are not getting same DA conversions we used to have with PCM!! Therefore, if you feed DSD signal to such DAC, then you bypass the delta-sigma stage!! Of course it sounds better!!! As you were remarking, Less is More applies here!!! » Yeah, I've left out the questions because I find them overlong, fatiguing. English isn't our first language So you can picture the man, here's a photo of Ken during a presentation (which I had once projected the CS4397 flowchart...) : More relevant quotes for your consideration another time

Hello. I have had my Marantz for a few days now, and I must admit, that I was a little surprised how warm it runs when in use. I'm sure it's built to be able to handle it, but I'd like to know if it'll shorten the unit's lifespan, if it is turned on at all times. I usually turn it off when I go to bed, but last night i forgot, and this morning i thought it best to turn it off and let it cool off, before using it again. I only use the unit with headphones connected - no speakers. Thank you in advance.

I bought my first high end products - a NAD receiver, turntable and wonderful speakers from a company whose name I do not recall -- in 1980. I have owned good stuff ever since. I bought the good stuff to enjoy even more the passion of my life -- music. I bought my first computer, an Osborne 1, about the same time. Back then, computers were for spreadsheets and wordprocessing. The Osborne and its PC successors have been used a lot for that. I installed one of the first Novell networks in 1987 in my small CPA office betting the farm that the increased efficiency would justify the cost. My bet paid off big time. Finally, I built a music computer in the early nineties using the highest rated sound card at the time (and again its name has been forgotten). I ripped my CD collection to wav files and used iTunes to play them. (Unfortunately, a crash disconnected the files from the metadata in iTunes and the files were pretty much lost. But that's another story.) The point of the foregoing is to establish that I know a little bit about both high end audio and computers. I got a divorce a few years ago and pretty much lost all of my equipment. I am only now getting back on my proverbial feet. I am installing a TV system in my house that I will hopefully also be able to listen to music on. I want to be able to play ripped CDs from an NAS as well as stream music. I am currently using Spotify which is OK. I hope to try out Apple Music and Tidal in the near future. Based on what I have read, I see Tidal as my future streaming service. My new system will be centered around a Marantz AV8801 processor/preamp. My question is what additional hardware I need to play files and stream music. I have spent a fair amount of time on the Internet and particularly on this site to answer this question. But I must say that I am overwhelmed by all of the technologies discussed in this forum. I know that one way to go would be to buy a Mac Mini and a DAC and plug the analog outputs of the DAC into the Marantz unit. It also appears that I could plug the Mac Mini directly into the Marantz and use its internal DAC. Finally, the AV8801's documentation says that I can stream using the unit by using a router that supports audio streaming. But I have no idea what that means. My reading seems to say that while a computer and a DAC will work fine, an "appliance" might sound a lot better and would cost about the same. I wouldn't be using the Mac for anything other that serving as a music server. My budget for this project is $100k. Just kidding. Actually, if I could start off kind of inexpensively and then build more quality and capability into the system over the next year or two, that would be great. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Happy New Year! Tim

For those of us that are into both computer gaming and high end audio; there are not very many compromises with hardware. Sure there are bundled systems like Bose that maintain as one of the greats for computer music lovers (cheap ones at least), and there is also the newly released Corsair Sp2500’s. Both are a great products, but lack one crucial feature; EAX effects. Playing games on your PC has taken many major leaps over the past decade with many hardware changes with displays, graphics cards, and processing technologies; but one area remains completely un-appreciated and overlooked; the sound card. Those who have them swear by them and those without are completely missing intense levels of depth in their favorite games. For the longest time I have been looking for a high end sound system build for my gaming computer that includes support for EAX and also satisfies my audiophile spoiled ears. I could have easily just sent optical out from the computer to a home theatre receiver and had great sound with the capability of multichannel support, great, but that doesn’t work for professional gamers. As much as I’d like to claim it, I’m by no means a professional gamer in the sense, but I take computer gaming and sound very seriously, as any professional does. First, let’s break down what exactly environmental audio extensions (EAX) effects are. Created by non-other than Creative Technologies; the idea is to use hardware accelerated sound processing to add lifelike sound qualities to games. An easy way to think of it is most people do not use EAX and get 2D sound; flat and non-directional, whereas EAX is 3D sound, directional and lifelike. As adding extra graphics detail and depth that you get with a nice graphics card; same thing applies to sound detail when you upgrade to a nice sound card. So when you are planning a build like this, where do you go? There are not very many if none at all that have been built with the intention of using EAX effects. The first thing I had to do was choose a good sound card that supports EAX; so after extensive research, I choose the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium. You may notice that it has RCA out/inputs versus 5.1 channel 3.5mm mini jacks; I did this on purpose. I decided that I was going to only build a system with 2.1 speakers versus a 5.1 system. I have been using 5.1 systems for over a decade, and don’t get me wrong they are nice to have, but take up way to much space and you really have to have an optimal desk layout to really benefit from them. Most people are super pumped when they get them, but eventually move them to the side or not even plug the rear speakers at all. From there, I needed a receiver. Sense I am using analog lines to carry my signals and not optical; I only needed a 2-channel stereo receiver with a pre-out for the sub. I have always been a huge fan of Pioneer so I looked at them first. Their PM8004 was on my mind until I ran into a Marantz SR4023 at a Magnolia HIFI store in San Ramon, CA. it was half the price with the same if not better sound quality. And then it came to the biggest question, what speakers should I use? I really thought about this one for a while. There are tons of good manufactures out there with thousands of varieties to choose from. I was thinking of all the great manufactures and remembered that last time I had heard something of theirs, until one name popped into my head; Martin Logan. I was at the San Ramon Magnolia store when an employee demoed a set of Vantage Electrostatic tower speakers playing Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles through a McIntosh amp. There are special times in everyone’s life where something magical happens that you will always remember; like seeing the ocean for the first time, falling in love, or going on an epic European vacation through the Mediterranean; this was one of those moments. The song starts off with a string quartet and as soon as the artist brushed the strings on their instruments, the hair raised on my neck. The Cello in particular made me feel like I was sitting right in front of live musicians and their instruments. It is really hard to describe the feeling that I was having. I was never really into high end audio before I went into the store; I was only accompanying my brother in law so he could look, but left in disbelief. So I started doing some research into Martin Logan and saw that they had a set of bookshelf/wall mountable speakers I could use. As much as I would love it, I can’t fit floor standing towers in front of my desk, so I went back to demo the Motion 4’s. Again; I was amazed. I even put these up against the best set of Bowers and Wilkins bookshelf and even two sets of floor standing models, and the Martin Logan’s blew the pants off of the competition. People in the store were trying to figure out where the great sound was coming from and kept looking at all the really high end and super expensive sets in the room, pretty funny if you ask me. So I was totally sold. I also included a Dynamo 700 sub to better balance out the frequency spectrum in the lower end. For testing I had chosen a list of recently released games and a diverse song list that includes HIFI studio samples down to everyday listening. Many companies demo really high end quality music to listeners at stores to help the sell, but it is really important to list to the music you will be listening to on your new set of speakers, so you know that they work great with the stuff you love. After a good few days of just music listening, artist ranging from Mason Williams to Slayer and everything in between, to really get a good feel from every type of music genre; and believe me, Martin Logan delivers. Gaming on the other hand is where is believe Martin Logan and Creative really shines. Playing Battlefield 3 on this system is something else. Every foot step, on every different type on ground, and the sounds of whistling bullets takes gaming to a whole new level of amazing. Playing multiplayer on a 2.1 system usually puts someone to a disadvantage because of directionality, being where the enemy is compared to you, that favors 5.1 or surround headsets; but not this system. With using Creative 3Dfx processing, the game sounded as if I had a 5.1 system; I mean you really do start looking in the direction of sound in the room because you know that there are no speakers behind you, but you look in disbelief anyways. Every explosion and every tank round fired reverberated through my room and straight to my chest thanks to the Martin Logan Dynamo 700 sub; extremely accurate, lifelike, and powerful are only a few ways to sum up my experience with it. Purely magical in its ability to blend in to the room and take music and games to a whole new level of realism. Sub placement is key to the great sound and Martin Logan has a funny instructional video on sub placement located on their website. I started to do what it told me on the video and after some funny looks and snickers from my wife, I found the magical spot in my room and set the proper settings on the back panel. The next game I tested was awarded one the best sound effects and detail of any game, Dead Space 2. The game itself is not life changing in anyway; fun and suspenseful, but not the best action game out there. However, the sound alone is worth it. I had played and beaten this game before I purchased my stereo system, so I had the before reference already set and was ready to see the after. And after beating the game a second time, I had noticed that it took me a few hours longer this time than before, and I started thinking what the hell? It should have gone faster if anything. But it didn’t and here’s why. The game scared the sh*t out of me; constantly... It’s hard to admit and anyone who has played this game with a nice system will tell you, the sound alone is scary. I had to take many breaks from the game. With the Martin Logan speakers, I was hearing every ounce of detail such as aliens scrambling about air ducts, bodies being dragged and eaten rooms away, and just the creepy ambiance of just walking around the crumbling up ship by yourself. Every gamer remembers when they played the 2004 release of Doom and walking around Mars’s substation with a flashlight or a gun, not both at the same time, in the dark and hearing the monsters coming at you without being able to see them, not cool. Dead Space 2 is a non-stop adrenaline rushed edge of the set thriller only for that fact that the sound alone has you tuned in and wetting your pants; it is a spectacular audible adventure that I recommend to everyone. So do I recommend this system and all its components… hell yes. It is a little on the expensive side for a computer audio build, but it is worth it; in every way. If you think about it, it is more an investment than anything. I was going through cheap sets of speakers almost every 1-2 years, and at around $300 each, it adds up. With buying higher-end equipment, you get excellent build quality with fantastic warranties; you should be good listening to your new equipment for decades, not years. I would recommend saving up for a system like this, for as long as it takes, because, it really is worth it. I was never a real audio buff, until I heard what is was missing, and I challenge you to go and demo some nice equipment and tell me you don’t notice a difference. I also open an invitation to anyone in the Reno/Tahoe area that would like to come over and hear some music or play some games with me; and I do mean that sincerely, I love nothing more than share my incredible experience with others and welcome you to the wonderful and rewarding world of high-end audio. So feel free to email me with any question you have and also if you would like to set an appointment to come and demo my equipment. I had a blast putting this system together and am looking forward to setting up a home theater system using Martin Logan's much anticipated, and more affordable, Electromotion Series speakers. I'll keep you guys posted, but with funding, it should happen some time late next year. Daniel Gilbertson [email protected]

I am currently using JRiver in server mode on Win7 OS to stream WAV files to my Marantz SR6006 reciever. I am controlling with JRemote. The files play ok but show up on the receiver as MP3. I cannot figure out how to get them to play as a WAV file and of course I want the best possible quality. I do note on JRemote there is a streaming quality option in settings but it is limited to 64, 128 or 320 kbps and no other options are offered but I would think that setting is for files streamed to my iPhone and the receiver. Last evening I tried some files directly from PC to Marantz (no JRiver or JRemote involved) and still shows MP3. Does anyone have any suggestions on appropriate settings? Many thanks.

Simply, I study Marantz because I trust them to deliver, reproduce my music—my drug of choice. And their M-CR611 may be the solution for you ; briefly, summarised from Japanese 5-page review : Paired with B&W「CM1 S2」as「Premium System」set, priced at 198,000円 Paired with B&W「686 S2」as「Standard System」set, priced at 160,000円 Paired with DALI「Zensor1」as「Basic System」set, priced at 106,000円 From latter 3/4 of UK listing, Overview : N.B. American importer orders only Black

Indeed, it's displaying « USB-DAC DSD11.2M » As reported, in June, by Steve Withers : And the best insight into their HD-DAC1 is a 7 part engineers' interview in Japanese. And (due to my lack of time to discuss the text) here's some photo examples (of course, you yourself can try Google or Bing translator) :

Hi all, I am about the invest some money into a new audio setup for my recently bought house. After listening to several brands and components I how decided to go for the Dali Rubicon series which will be feeded by Marantz PM8005 and NA6005. Not purchased yet. For this I would like to have some thoughts from you guys as the possible speaker setup is somewhat unconventional or even problematic. The old owner has installed the necessary speaker wires through the walls in our new 45 m2 living room. When standing exactly in the middle of this room one cable is in the front wall on the right side where the other cable is on the back wall on the left side. I can imagine this is not very good for overall sound quality or stereo. It would be better of both the cables would be installed in the same wall (left and right) which isn't the case. The distance between the loudspeakers in the opposite walls would be a 6 to 7 meters (20 foot). For the on wall loudspeakers I was thinking to purchase the Dali Rubicon LCR. They are a good fit but I have my doubts on the current setup and if they can fill the size of the room.

Reading Andrew Everard's : « Much more HEOS And there are plans to expand and extend the HEOS technology beyond the existing wireless multiroom speaker line-up : the new HS2 models are now on sale, offering hi-resolution capability up to 192kHz/24bit, due to be extended in the future to handle DSD ; the company has shown a prototype AV unit (below) with multichannel amplification plus the choice of using HEOS speakers to give wireless surround ; and HEOS integration is extending some Marantz models as well as the upper reaches of the Denon receiver range. That last element is part of what D+M’s Terry O’Connell describes as turning HEOS from being purely a standalone brand into an ‘ingredient’ for other models in the range. Internal discussions are still being held as to how many more Denon and Marantz products will become HEOS-capable beyond the current clutch of AV receivers across the two brands, and how the ‘ingredient’ will be described—one favoured solution under consideration being ‘Powered by HEOS’. However, expect to see more HEOS-capable products appearing, from receivers and amplifiers to systems and maybe even headphones—as the company moves to extend the wireless interoperability of its two brands. One of the Denon models with HEOS onboard will be the... » DENON AND MARANTZ POISED TO LAUNCH A HUGE RANGE OF NEW PRODUCTS

A « heads-up » as they say—official Japanese HD-AMP1 product page, see (click) especially « 特長・機能 » tab Pardon, I've not time right now other than, briefly, to alert you of this upcoming (worldwide) option for... Illustrative photo introduction (with corresponding Japanese captions) :

« £1799 » is significant because that's the key price and primary region intended for these 30th Anniversary... Briefly, 'Special Edition' originated in Britain, then were ordered too by « official » Marantz distributors throughout Europe, Asia Pacific... But, « SE » products weren't ever imported into North America—nor released as such in native Japan ‽ In New Zealand, albeit always more expensive, I'm awaiting—usual delayed arrivals due to, let's say, shipping hierarchy—to audition both the SA-14S1 SE and its matching PM-14S1 SE Integrated Amp. A few days ago, I found Andrew Everard's September Hi-Fi News, 4 page, review available online in pdf. Noteworthy excerpts :

I hope this isn't the wrong place to ask. I've got a Marantz SR7007. I use it's built in DAC for now which isn't DSD capable as far as i can tell. I downloaded the SACD Plugin and am curious if i have to change settings to convert to PCM and sample rate of 176.4khz due to my Marantz only having a 24/192 DAC. I currently have all the settings on to where it would play DSD, with DSD processor option ticked: Output Mode: DSD+PCM PCM Volume: +0db LFE as is PCM Sample rate: 352.8khz DSD2PCM Mode: I have no idea what to select here(Options are Multistage 32fp or 64fp/ Direct 32fp or 64fp/ Installable 32 or 64fp) DSD Processor: Ticked on. All my dsd files show they are playing at their resolution in Foobar status bar, but my Marantz is converting it to 24/192 on it's own correct? Should i ideally turn off dsd processor options and choose the 176.4khz sample rate or does it not matter? Thank you

Debuting at High End Munich 2016 :