Which one is preferred - Marantz 6004 or Exposure 1010 S2?

[milestoneseeker]

Folks,

I am in the midst of a dilemma of choosing a CD player for my set-up. I have a pair of Monitor 9. I needed your opinion on the pros-cons of Marantz 6004 and Exposure 1010 s2 CDPs.

And how much worse exactly would the Exposure 1010 S2 be vis-a-vis 2010 s2?

To top it off, how would Rega's Apollo-R stack up against these?

Regards

 

[square_wave]

Never heard Exposure players. I would go with the Rega compared to the entry or mid level Marantz.

 

[raz_737]

There is 15K diff between Exposure and Marantz and exposure is of completely different league

 

[metalmickey]

Marantz cd 6004 which I use is an decent enough player with ipod playback facilities,nice detailing,wide soundstage and its made in japan and 5* rated by what hifi! Are its Pros and the cons I noticed are it can be bit bright,and in india they are over priced!

 

[milestoneseeker]

There is 15K diff between Exposure and Marantz and exposure is of completely different league

The price difference is something I am aware of. What I am keen to know is how big a deal would 1010 s2 be against cd6004. While I have heard 2010 s2, I am not in a position to audition 1010 s2 and I am not yet convinced of the value of a 90k CDP (2010 s2).

 

[metalmickey]

@milestone-unless your amp is worth around 2-3L its not really worth it!provided your speakers are also in that league!....just my ideas....

 

[milestoneseeker]

I agree with you, metalmickey.

However, while my current speakers can live with Marantz, I am keen to avoid upgraditis when I move to better speakers such as ProAcs etc. Even then, I am sceptical of a very expensive a CDP as I believe in diminishing value of return beyond 50-60k CDP component.

I am very much leaning towards Rega Apollo-R as it should be do justice to what I may end up with in near future.

 

[subhobh]

Well, I can offer you a 1.5 yr old Rega apollo CD player @35k.

 

[raz_737]

The price difference is something I am aware of. What I am keen to know is how big a deal would 1010 s2 be against cd6004. While I have heard 2010 s2, I am not in a position to audition 1010 s2 and I am not yet convinced of the value of a 90k CDP (2010 s2).

If you have a DAC or planning to buy one, I feel 6004 is overpriced and 5004 is better value for money.If you are planning for 6004 in any case I suggest you to strongly consider 1010 just going by the brand reputation of these two companies.

 

[milestoneseeker]

Well, I can offer you a 1.5 yr old Rega apollo CD player @35k.

Thanks Subhobh, but unfortunately my plans are on hold for a quarter or so.

 

[milestoneseeker]

If you have a DAC or planning to buy one, I feel 6004 is overpriced and 5004 is better value for money.If you are planning for 6004 in any case I suggest you to strongly consider 1010 just going by the brand reputation of these two companies.

Marantz is no longer in equation for me. I will think along the lines of either Exposure or Rega.

 

[aashish351]

My advice would be to invest in a dac and use your existing DVD or bluray player's digital out.

When I had the valab nos dac, I found this combination to be comparable to 25 - 30 k cdp.

Arcam dac, rega dac, music fidelity m1 etc should be options to consider.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[milestoneseeker]

Aashish, I will explore that option too.

 

[subhobh]

Thanks Subhobh, but unfortunately my plans are on hold for a quarter or so.

Okay, sure

 

[Dr.Bass]

milestoneseeker, IMO dont bother too much with other CD players and just get the Exposure when you are ready to take the plunge. It is just in different league. I know 2012 S2 is a very good player and knowing the philosophy of Exposure I would safely put my money on any of their products that suits my budget. While they do not beat but happily compete the Naims, Linns and Roksans of audio. Rega ? it is not in the same league IMO, by a good margin.

 

[milestoneseeker]

milestoneseeker, IMO dont bother too much with other CD players and just get the Exposure when you are ready to take the plunge. It is just in different league. I know 2012 S2 is a very good player and knowing the philosophy of Exposure I would safely put my money on any of their products that suits my budget. While they do not beat but happily compete the Naims, Linns and Roksans of audio. Rega ? it is not in the same league IMO, by a good margin.

Very heartening to read that! So I just chuck the idea of a rDAC or a Rega or any other compromise? I am just not sure of how behind would 1010 s2 be from 2010 s2.

 

[Dr.Bass]

Very heartening to read that! So I just chuck the idea of a rDAC or a Rega or any other compromise? I am just not sure of how behind would 1010 s2 be from 2010 s2.

It is not easy to find that out unless one does a direct A-B. However if I draw some analogies from how a 2010 s2 differs from a 3010 S2 or how a Naim CD5x differs from a CDX2 (higher model), I would say the philosophy remains the same. The higher models just have a cleaner and more micro dynamic. However to resolve these differences in an audibly appreciable manner the rest of the chain should be quite revealing else it will not seem to be of any importance.

What is more important is the philosophy behind these products, that remains constant throughout their product line and yes, they are far superior to the Marantz and Nad, even the most entry level Exposure.

 

[milestoneseeker]

Hmm, since the A-B comparison ain't going to happen, I think I will just freeze on this one then. I don't foresee my set-up reaching such dizzying heights that the sonic subtlities between the players will become "obvious" Thanks for helping me overcome my decision paralysis!

 

[aashish351]

Exposure 1010 series was designed and launched recently with the budget consumer in mind. Not to say that it is bad, but 2010 and 3010 are long standing series which have been continuously improved over time. So given the level of other equipment in the setup, there will be a considerable improvement between them.

I would still hold my previous view that if your budget is limited, don't discount the possibility of getting something like the Arcam rdac or Cambridge audio dac magic or music fidelity m1 and use digital out of existing DVD player. It may not meet the level of 2010 cdp but be comparable to 1010 (and the like). Flexibility is added bonus.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[milestoneseeker]

Aashish,

While the 1010 series is indeed "budget", I have read that the internal electronics are exactly the same as 2010. What has changed is that the chassis is not of the same weight or stiffness as 2010. I did some research and confirmed that the DAC and transport used in both the players are the same.

While I agree with the flexibility that a DACs bring, my current and relatively long term future needs are CD based. I have zero digitial music and all of my listening is CD based which I do not see changing any time. It is with this status that I am more inclined to a CDP based set-up for now.