YourMediaShelf

Some people prefer to collect music in its physical format. Now, if you are looking for the best affordable CD player to complete your home theater system, you may consider Onkyo C 7030 vs Marantz CD6005. They are available in a similar price range, but there are indeed some distinctions in their features and performance.

Continue reading below to learn further about:

• The design and dimensions of each CD player
• How easy to use these CD players are
• The available connection options of each CD player
• The features & capabilities of Onkyo C 7030 vs Marantz CD6005
• The sound quality comparison
• Which CD player that is generally more recommended

Quick Overview

Design and Build Quality
Onkyo C 7030 may look old and traditional. It is designed as a component-style single-disc CD player, and it is more for traditional stereo systems. The appearance says it all. This is not exactly an eye-catching CD player, but it is generally easy to fit into any room decoration.

Unlike many modern models nowadays, Onkyo C 7030 does not have a disc changer mechanism. So, it can only hold one disc at a time. It cannot hold multiple CDs and change the active disc. This is not very convenient, but some people prefer to live with that instead of dealing with a faulty disc changer mechanism. Considering that most disc changer mechanisms are prone to damage and not very durable, this is a good trade-off.

The housing of Onkyo C 7030 is made from steel aluminum, and is colored black. The housing is tough and durable. Well, you should not open the housing if you don’t want to void the warranty, but if you do, you will find a 192kHz/24-bit DAC with a differential headphone amp circuitry. Most of the components are surface-mounted. If you have some knowledge in electronics, you probably know that repairing surface-mounted components is possible yet more difficult than through-hole components.

There are several through-hole components as well, which are mostly power-handling parts and large capacitors. Onkyo C 7030 uses TK capacitors, which are generally of good quality. The capacitors should be able to last for quite a long time. The mechanical parts are also quite durable.

Marantz CD6005 is similar to Onkyo C 7030 that it is a single-disc CD player. It only holds a single CD at a time, and there is no disc changer mechanism to fail. If put the two models side by side, most of us may think that Marantz CD6005 looks more modern. It is classy and elegant.

Instead of putting buttons and knobs across the entire front panel, those things are arranged neatly on the left and right of the display screen. As the effect, the front panel does not look very busy. Unlike Onkyo C 7030, which uses green font on the display screen, Marantz CD6005 has opted for white font. The housing feels tough and very durable.

Marantz CD6005 is a successor of Marantz CD6004, and it is said that Marantz CD6005 comes with improved parts and components. One of the biggest changes is the new tray-loading transport. The company has made their own transports, instead of sourcing slot-loading transports from another manufacturer. This allows the company to tweak and customize for the best performance and durability.

At first, the changes are not visible. The trays look just like the ones on the predecessors. However, after testing the open/close operations, the difference becomes noticeable. Marantz CD6005 works a little more quickly and smoothly. The manufacturer mentioned that this model is equipped with a new disc drive motor, tray drive motor, and linkage mechanisms.

As you may have expected, Onkyo C 7030 vs Marantz CD6005 comes with different components. Marantz CD6005 is armed with the Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC. This is a 192kHz/24-bit stereo DAC which is based on the oversampled Delta-Sigma architecture, but with a certain shaping technology that prevents distortion due to capacitor mismatching.

In addition, Marantz CD6005 also uses Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module (HDAM), which is an operation amplifier module. Other CD players also use op-amps, but most of them rely on off-the-shelf op-amps. The company claims that their customized HDAM has lower faster slew rates and significantly lower noise than conventional op-amps. (See also : Onkyo C 7030 Vs Yamaha CD S300)

Connectivity
In this section, we will compare the connectivity of Onkyo C 7030 vs Marantz CD6005. These two CD players fall in the entry-level category, so we can’t really expect them to come with advanced technologies or a comprehensive set of connection options. Still, there is one big advantage that Marantz CD6005 holds, which is the front-panel USB port.

Onkyo C 7030 has a phones jack on the front panel. This is already a standard feature for CD players. The connection jack feels sturdy. Note that Onkyo C 7030 gives amplified output through the phones jack, so you don’t need an external amplifier or a connection to an AV receiver. You can plug your headphones directly into Onkyo C 7030, and you will be greatly impressed by the sound quality.

On the rear panel, you can find a pair of L/R analog audio outputs, as optical digital audio output, and a coaxial digital audio output. In addition, there is a remote control jack for attaching an infrared receiver for use with the remote control. All of these connectors are standard, so you should be able to connect this CD player to your devices easily.

On the other hand, Marantz CD6005 is already attractive right from the first look. It has a USB type-A connection port on the front panel, just beside the disc button. It is compatible with USB memory devices, iPhone, and iPod. Most Android smartphones can act as USB memory devices when they are connected via USB.

The USB port provides an electrical output of 5V/1A, so it can charge your device while you are streaming your favorite music. The USB port supports a maximum resolution of 192kHz/24-bit so that you can enjoy high-quality music tracks. It supports various audio file types, such as MP3, WAV, WMA, and AAC.

Another cool thing about Marantz CD6005 is that you can control a connected iPhone or iPod via the included remote control. This is very convenient. You don’t need to get up from your couch to reach for your device; just use the remote control.

Also on the front panel, there is a phones jack for use with a pair of headphones. Just like Onkyo C 7030, the output from Marantz CD6005’s phones jack is already amplified, so you can connect your headset directly.

Meanwhile, on the rear panel, there are also L/R analog audio outputs, one optical digital output, and one coaxial digital output. There is a remote control jack for attaching the adapter, too. However, all of the audio connectors are gold plated. This is very nice. The gold plating ensures optimum signal transfer and optimum sound quality without degradation. The gold plated connectors are also much more resistant to oxidation, so they will last for a long time.

Features
Onkyo C 7030 vs Marantz CD6005 share many similar features. First of all, both CD players are compatible with not only the compact disc audio format (44.1kHz/16-bit), but also MP3 and WMA. In fact, you can burn your favorite music tracks into a CD just like you do with data discs, and these units can play the CD just fine.

However, both of the two models do not support lossless audio files. They cannot play FLAC, WMA lossless, or Apple Lossless. Many people have bought these CD players with the hope to enjoy lossless music with the highest levels of detail and clarity, only to be disappointed. Onkyo C 7030 and Marantz CD6005 only play ‘traditional’ audio file formats.

Both devices also use high-quality 192kHz/24-bit DACs. In general, they have impressive performance. They can deliver pristine conversion of digital sound signals into analog output. They have high resistance against clock jitters.

Onkyo C 7030 boasts a high-precision clocking mechanism which manages and coordinates all digital signal processes. It comes with a state-of-the-art crystal oscillator, which boasts a frequency deviation of only plus-minus 10 ppm. The frequency deviation range is significantly lower than conventional oscillators, so you can expect highly precise and accurate performance from this unit.

In real life, completely removing noise from the output is impossible. However, one can try to minimize the noise to preserve the best quality of the output – which is what Onkyo C 7030’s Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC) does. In this circuitry, the signal is continuously sampled through two discrete points, and the difference is then joined with analog vectors in real-time to produce a smooth waveform. As a result, the output can be virtually free from pulse noise.

Additionally, Onkyo C 7030 is compatible with the Remote Interactive (RI) technology. The RI system allows you to operate multiple RI-enabled devices with just a single remote control. However, this feature is not really useful, as there are not many devices that use this technology. It is handy if you also use other Onkyo RI devices, such as the Onkyo RI Dock for iPod.

Marantz CD6005 boasts a fully discrete headphone amplifier section. It has the ability to drive the widest range of headphone types, regardless of the impedance or sensitivity. In other words, the phones jack can drive even the heaviest audiophile-grade headphones that you own. The phones jack is equipped with a dedicated volume control. The gold plating ensures audiophile-grade performance and longevity.

Marantz CD6005 also has the Audio EX function. This function is meant to enhance the already good analog audio quality. With this function, you can disable the fluorescent display on the front panel and digital audio outputs. By disabling those parts, you can greatly minimize noise artifacts and enjoy awesome analog audio quality.

The remote control of Marantz CD6005, as mentioned above, is able to control not only the CD player but also the iPhone or iPod device that is connected via the USB port. Now, this is a useful feature. Most probably, your USB cable is not long enough to stretch from the CD player to your couch – you’ll need to get up to reach for your mobile device. But this is not necessary if you can control it via the remote.

Sound Quality
One impressive thing about Onkyo C 7030 in terms of sound quality is the open soundstage. The sound output is truly fantastic. It somehow forces you to stop whatever you are doing for a moment, just to take in and enjoy the sound. It is realistic, almost like the artist is performing right in front of you.

Some people may say that there are CD players that are better than Onkyo C 7030, which is true – but you will be hard pressed to find one in the same price range. It sounds really good and clean. It is bright and clear. However, keep in mind that the sound quality also depends on the speakers that you are using. If you find that the sound is too bright or harsh, try to tone down the treble a bit.

Nevertheless, Marantz CD6005 is also impressive. The best quality of this CD player is the faithful sound reproduction. It is very accurate, and it can deliver various songs of different genres exactly as they are supposed to be. For example, club-type songs can have powerful and persistent synth bass. It can even deliver artificial noise floor under the entire mix. Even so, easy-listening songs can be delivered smoothly and with good balance. Vocal clarity is very good.

Warranty
Now, let’s compare the warranty of Onkyo C 7030 vs Marantz CD6005. The warranty of a product may represent the manufacturer’s confidence in the product’s durability. Onkyo C 7030 is only protected by a 1-year warranty for the parts and labor. This is pretty short.

Marantz CD6005 has a better warranty. It has a 3-year warranty for the parts and labor. The warranty is three times longer than its competitor here. This is also something to consider.

Onkyo C 7030 Vs Marantz CD6005

NOTE : Product prices, availability, ratings and save money information are accurate as of the date/time indicated on post time (as seen right bellow the tittle) and are subject to change. Any price, ratings, availability and save money information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Conclusion
All in all, Marantz CD6005 is the winner. It has better features and warranty. The USB connection is a big advantage, as it allows you to play music from memory devices, iPhone, and iPod. The sound quality is impressive; it is very accurate and powerful. The warranty is three times longer.