Hi,
Anyone own this? Changers can be flimsy and fickle, so I'd sure like some feedback before I buy it. But I cant find any opinions in avs nor any professional reviews. (Btw, I think there's a Marantz receiver with practically the same name, but I'm referring to the vc 6001, a 5 disc dvd changer.) I actually will use it mostly for cds, to replace the NAD cd changer that died on me. I quickly discovered it's easier to find a dvd player with the features I want than a cd player. This one does mp3 and wma in addition to all the dvd and cd formats. And because I have a ton of cds that I've burned and ripped (lossless, primarily), I really would like a changer that displays cd text (when available). This one one does, according to their website. But I cant figure out from the online manual if this unit in fact displays song titles, and does it display on the remote or on the unit itself?
I know mentioning prices is verboten, but I guess I can say I found an authorized dealer who has it for less than half of the 699.99 list price.

Thanks,
Ray

I bought one in April, and returned it. You can find my opinion of it here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1019492&highlight=vc6001

BTW, this unit is identical to the Yamaha 961 except it will not do DVD-A and SACD over HDMI. The Yamaha is about $399. I believe both units are manufactured by Philips.

I bought one from Accessories4less. I hate that the tray does not rotate when changing disc, but this does not bother me as much. I think I will play with it a bit more before I decide if I am going to keep it. Sound is great.

frenchmon

I bought one from Accessories4less. I hate that the tray does not rotate when changing disc, but this does not bother me as much. I think I will play with it a bit more before I decide if I am going to keep it. Sound is great.

frenchmon

If the tray doesn't rotate "when changing disc," how do you load all 5 discs? Someone in sales at Marantz told me you can't change ("exchange") discs while one is playing, which is contrary, btw, to what several of the online merchants claimed-- they said you could change 4 discs while one is playing. Anyway, is this the problem you're referring to?
Or maybe you mean you can't rotate the tray when it's open, which others have mentioned?

If the tray doesn't rotate "when changing disc," how do you load all 5 discs? Someone in sales at Marantz told me you can't change ("exchange") discs while one is playing, which is contrary, btw, to what several of the online merchants claimed-- they said you could change 4 discs while one is playing. Anyway, is this the problem you're referring to?
Or maybe you mean you can't rotate the tray when it's open, which others have mentioned?

You cannot change any discs while one is playing. When the drawer is open, the back two discs are only half way out of the player, you can barely get your pinky finger in the hole in the disc. I found myself constantly dropping these discs when trying to remove them. This is also a common complaint on the Yamaha model, based on the same platform (Philips). It would be nice if the tray rotated when open, but it doesn't.

Other glitches, like not going to the next disc when playing DVD's, but returning to the main menu instead, and constantly re-checking the empty slots, kind of make it pointless as a DVD changer.

The one positive thing I can say about this player, is that it would play anything I threw at it without a hitch. But from an operational standpoint, it's a nightmare.

You cannot change any discs while one is playing. When the drawer is open, the back two discs are only half way out of the player, you can barely get your pinky finger in the hole in the disc. I found myself constantly dropping these discs when trying to remove them. This is also a common complaint on the Yamaha model, based on the same platform (Philips). It would be nice if the tray rotated when open, but it doesn't.

Other glitches, like not going to the next disc when playing DVD's, but returning to the main menu instead, and constantly re-checking the empty slots, kind of make it pointless as a DVD changer.

The one positive thing I can say about this player, is that it would play anything I threw at it without a hitch. But from an operational standpoint, it's a nightmare.

Well after using it for a few days its a keeper for me. I don't have the problem you spoke of about getting the disk out. There is a hole at the end of the two trays that are 1/3 covered so that you can get the disk out with no problems. Mine also goes to the next disk when playing a dvd when its done. Did you try programming it? Dont know what you are talking about it checking empty slots. You may have had a deffective one. Its also out standing for music play back. This is its stronger point. I got mine from accessories4less for $249. Its a keeper for me.


frenchmon

Thanks for your responses, frenchman. Only $249? Wow, it was a lot more when I checked there. Yours was a refurbished unit, I take it?

If the tray doesn't rotate "when changing disc," how do you load all 5 discs?

You just open the drawer and drop in the disk... No problem. You ntake them out the same way. Not a problem for many.


Someone in sales at Marantz told me you can't change ("exchange") discs while one is playing, which is contrary, btw, to what several of the online merchants claimed-- they said you could change 4 discs while one is playing. Anyway, is this the problem you're referring to? Or maybe you mean you can't rotate the tray when it's open, which others have mentioned?


Its no big deal. I got mine for $249. I'm not going to complain. The regular price is $699. Most players that do allow that feature, will suffer in the musical sound compared to the Marantz, so for me its not a big deal, I would rather have the quality sound reproduction than a tray that rotates for me. I figured that Marantz was cutting cost some where and this is where they cut it.

frenchmon

Thanks for your responses, frenchman. Only $249? Wow, it was a lot more when I checked there. Yours was a refurbished unit, I take it?

Yes it was refurbed...but it looks new. I have no problems with it or the tray issues. I think its realy $269. I order the single DV6001 for $249 and they sent me the changer VC6001 instead. I like it. Y0u can't beat it for a universal player at this price point.

frenchmon

You cannot change any discs while one is playing. When the drawer is open, the back two discs are only half way out of the player, you can barely get your pinky finger in the hole in the disc. I found myself constantly dropping these discs when trying to remove them. This is also a common complaint on the Yamaha model, based on the same platform (Philips). It would be nice if the tray rotated when open, but it doesn't.

Other glitches, like not going to the next disc when playing DVD's, but returning to the main menu instead, and constantly re-checking the empty slots, kind of make it pointless as a DVD changer.

The one positive thing I can say about this player, is that it would play anything I threw at it without a hitch. But from an operational standpoint, it's a nightmare.


Thanks, William. I had checked your link to your comments on the other forum. Yes, you've confirmed what the people at Marantz told me, that with this changer you definitely cannot exchange discs, contrary to what one of the merchants said, and I quote:

"Marantz VC6001 Multi Disc DVD Changer
Have your cake and eat it too. This DVD changer from Marantz offers the performance of a great single disc player, and the convenience of a 5 disc carousel. Think of it, an all day Arnold-fest without leaving your seat!
• Plays DVD-V, DVD-A, SACD-Multi, SACD-Stereo, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, SVCD, VCD, CD, CD-R/CD-RW, MP3, WMA, JPEG, DiVX
• HDMI Output with Scaling (1080p, 1080i, 720p and 480p)
• 5-Disc Carousel
• Access 4 discs while still playing 1
• 192kHz/24-Bit Audio DAC
• 216MHz/12-Bit Video DAC
• Progressive Scan w/ 3:2 Pull-Down
• Dolby Prologic II and DTS Decoders
• Faroudja DCDi processing and NSV (Noise Shaped Video)
• CD Text and CD Up-Sampling
• RS-232C Terminal for System Control
• Direct IR Input
• D-BUS remote Connection
• Detachable AC Cord endquote

So that part in bold is wrong. Still, after reading Frenchman's comments, I do wonder, William, if you had a defective unit with regard to loading the discs. In your case, if I understand it correctly, you can load 3 discs, but since the two others aren't accessible for you, I assume[/B] you have to close the tray, advance the tray until those slots are available, then reopen the tray to load the 2 slots?
Quite a hassle, if so. Which again, makes me wonder if it's bum unit.


cheers, Ray

Yes it was refurbed...but it looks new. I have no problems with it or the tray issues. I think its realy $269. I order the single DV6001 for $249 and they sent me the changer VC6001 instead. I like it. Y0u can't beat it for a universal player at this price point.

frenchmon

What luck on your part, my friend ! The vc 6001 changer lists for two hundred dollars more than the single disc one you were trying to order, the dv6001 !
What are those marketing geniuses thinking when they give two products almost identical model numbers?

Thanks, again.

So that part in bold is wrong. Still, after reading Frenchman's comments, I do wonder, William, if you had a defective unit with regard to loading the discs. In your case, if I understand it correctly, you can load 3 discs, but since the two others aren't accessible for you, I assume[/B] you have to close the tray, advance the tray until those slots are available, then reopen the tray to load the 2 slots?
Quite a hassle, if so. Which again, makes me wonder if it's bum unit.


cheers, Ray

The tray always opens in the same position, regardess of which disc was playing. You can change all five discs with the drawer open, it's just that the back two are a pain. If you are willing to slide them out, risking scratches, I suppose it would be easy. I should mention that I have large hands.

Also read up on the Yamaha 750, 950, and 961 models (same Philips player). You will see that this is a very common complaint, contrary to frenchmon's beliefs.

Dont know what you are talking about it checking empty slots

Frenchmon,

It's really simple. Load only disc 1 and 2. Skip to disc slot number 3, and it will check the empty slot, it will see that it is empty, turn off the light for that disc, and move on to the next one, etc. So far so good. When you get back to disc 2 again, hit next disc, and you will see that it checks all the empty stots again, even though you have not opened the drawer. No other changer I have had does this, they remember that 3, 4, and 5 are empty, and would go from disc 2, back to disc 1 directly.

Marantz support said this was also normal operation. Before returning it, I also had Audio Advisor check another unit, for both the empty slot issue, and the fact that the player did not automatically advance to the next DVD. They confirmed that their demo unit operated just as mine.

Most players that do allow that feature, will suffer in the musical sound compared to the Marantz, so for me its not a big deal, I would rather have the quality sound reproduction than a tray that rotates for me. I figured that Marantz was cutting cost some where and this is where they cut it.

The Yamaha has this feature, and it is the same player. As far as cutting costs, Marantz did that by buying a Philips player, and slapping their own faceplate on it.

I would recommend not more than 250, even lower ro refurb and around $299 for new at this time. It is a keeper, no doubt! It does each and every ting you would throw at it.

I would recommend not more than 250, even lower ro refurb and around $299 for new at this time. It is a keeper, no doubt! It does each and every ting you would throw at it.

Well, sure, I would prefer to pay $299 for a new one like you recommend, but unfortunately, the dealers arent cooperating. Not the authorized ones, anyway. But thanks for your input (and, again, thanks for the personal messages). I know you're happy with this changer.
Two questions for you, please. I'm guessing that, like Frenchman, 1) it doesnt bother you that you can't exchange discs with this unit? and 2) you havent been having trouble loading 5 discs?

Rayboy,

Get it from www.audioadvisor.com, It's the cheapest authorized dealer I found ($399). If you decide you don't like it, they have an excellent return policy, you will just lose shipping.

You should also look into the Yamaha DVD-C961, it is the same player with a different faceplate, and the added ability to send multi channel SACD over HDMI. The disc tray is exactly the same as the Marantz, but that was my only issue with the player. It did not re-check empty slots, it jumped to the next DVD automatically, and you can change 4 of the discs while on is playing. And it's cheaper if you use the 10% off coupon that is available:

http://store.audioholics.com/product/1124/75/yamaha-dvd-c961-super-audio-cd-dvd-audio-changer

I actually tried this one first, and sent it back due to the disc tray issue, although with the Yamaha there is sort of a workaround. If you leave one disc playing, the drawer opens in a different position, which leaves the other 4 discs very easy to access.

Imagine my shock when I bought the Marantz for more money, only to discover it was a slighty older version of the same player, without SACD over HDMI support, or the ability to change a disc while playing. Menus were also identical.

Rayboy,

Get it from www.audioadvisor.com, It's the cheapest authorized dealer I found ($399). If you decide you don't like it, they have an excellent return policy, you will just lose shipping.

You should also look into the Yamaha DVD-C961, it is the same player with a different faceplate, and the added ability to send multi channel SACD over HDMI. The disc tray is exactly the same as the Marantz, but that was my only issue with the player. It did not re-check empty slots, it jumped to the next DVD automatically, and you can change 4 of the discs while on is playing. And it's cheaper if you use the 10% off coupon that is available:

http://store.audioholics.com/product/1124/75/yamaha-dvd-c961-super-audio-cd-dvd-audio-changer

I actually tried this one first, and sent it back due to the disc tray issue, although with the Yamaha there is sort of a workaround. If you leave one disc playing, the drawer opens in a different position, which leaves the other 4 discs very easy to access.

Imagine my shock when I bought the Marantz for more money, only to discover it was a slighty older version of the same player, without SACD over HDMI support, or the ability to change a disc while playing. Menus were also identical.


Yep William...its just as you said...the Marantz and Yammie are almost twins. But I am not complaining and will keep the Marantz. Heck for the price I paid, it works fine for me. The disk tray problem is not all that bad. I don't care if it checks all trays as you said, and its not hard to remove the back disk either. I'm happy and will keep it until I can get a better one. I have my eyes on one of Marantz Reference players...sorry if you where not happy with this unit. So what player did you get?

frenchmon

Glad you like yours, that's why I suggested Rayboy try it out.

First I tried the Oppo 983, but it was unable to play any DivX/Xvid files in the correct aspect ratio, and mine arrived scratched, so that went back as well.

I ended up getting a brand new Yamaha DVD-S1700 off ebay for $139, retails for $449. It's not a changer, which I did want for SACD playback, but like you I figure for the price, it will do for now.

I wrote a letter to Philips and Yamaha in regards to not automatically changing to the next DVD. Yamaha told me that the players are designed that way and there was nothing they could do. Philips just didn't respond to me at all! It appears they fixed the problem. It would have been nice if they had notified me.

When outputting video via HDMI, it appears as though the Yamaha can only output 50Hz Pal at the 576p resolution. However, the Marantz can output 50Hz Pal and 60Hz NTSC at 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.

Unfortunately, the Yamaha DVD-C961's SACD via HDMI is converted to PCM and is not true DSD, which in my opinion defeats the purpose of SACD.

Last, but not least, back in December 2005, I ordered a Yamaha DV-C6770 (DVD-C750) from Vanns.com. Through the first year, its tray would sometimes jam when closing. About 15 months later, it would lock up and become nonresponsive. I then sent it back to Yamaha for a replacement. They sent me a 750 which locked up after a few months. I then sent it back and got it replaced with my third and final 750 which I now have plugged into my receiver's outlet so that if it becomes nonresponsive, I can just power off my receiver and power it up again after 5 to 10 seconds. I also own a Yamaha DVD-C950 which is more tolerable, but occasionally misbehaves. Because of my issues, as soon as my units become inoperable, I will no longer have anything to do with this design, even if it can be made multi-region compatible, play everything except BluRay, output in Pal and NTSC, and can change DVDs automatically.

I think that because this is a Philips DESIGN, it renders Yamaha's and Marantz's customer support useless because they don't really know about the product they are DISTRIBUTING.

In my situation, I think my next player is going to be the new single-disc Pioneer Elite DV-58AV. It has a good reputation for build quality. It's strictly manufactured by Pioneer, making for more knowledgeable customer support. It can output true DSD via HDMI. It has a good analog output section for people like me who aren't yet HDMI equipped. I believe it can even be made multi-region compatible via a special IR signal. I'm not sure if it can output both NTSC and Pal signals, however I do understand that its Pal-to-NTSC conversion is so good that for the tiny artifacts you might see, it's a fair sacrifice for a more durable, stable machine. It can even play M4A/DIVX/WMV. I don't think the other players in this topic can play M4A and WMV. Because of all of the above, I don't even mind having to get out of my easy chair to change discs. Another thing: By doing away with the large tray and giving up multi-disc capability, that allows more internal room for things such as better build quality, better analog output performance, and more features.

The moral of the story is: Yamaha makes great speakers, and Yamaha and Marantz make great receivers, but Pioneer rules as far as build quality, analog output performance, and media compatibility for their DVD players. Now that I know how good the 58AV is, I am actually using my changers more often in order to get rid of them with dignity so I can soon upgrade to the 58AV.

Seriously, if you still have time to change your mind, I would do so before it's too late. I thought you might find a post from someone who has first-hand experience suffering this agony useful.

Best regards,

Big C

I wrote a letter to Philips and Yamaha in regards to not automatically changing to the next DVD. Yamaha told me that the players are designed that way and there was nothing they could do. Philips just didn't respond to me at all! It appears they fixed the problem. It would have been nice if they had notified me.

When outputting video via HDMI, it appears as though the Yamaha can only output 50Hz Pal at the 576p resolution. However, the Marantz can output 50Hz Pal and 60Hz NTSC at 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.

Unfortunately, the Yamaha DVD-C961's SACD via HDMI is converted to PCM and is not true DSD, which in my opinion defeats the purpose of SACD.

Last, but not least, back in December 2005, I ordered a Yamaha DV-C6770 (DVD-C750) from Vanns.com. Through the first year, its tray would sometimes jam when closing. About 15 months later, it would lock up and become nonresponsive. I then sent it back to Yamaha for a replacement. They sent me a 750 which locked up after a few months. I then sent it back and got it replaced with my third and final 750 which I now have plugged into my receiver's outlet so that if it becomes nonresponsive, I can just power off my receiver and power it up again after 5 to 10 seconds. I also own a Yamaha DVD-C950 which is more tolerable, but occasionally misbehaves. Because of my issues, as soon as my units become inoperable, I will no longer have anything to do with this design, even if it can be made multi-region compatible, play everything except BluRay, output in Pal and NTSC, and can change DVDs automatically.

I think that because this is a Philips DESIGN, it renders Yamaha's and Marantz's customer support useless because they don't really know about the product they are DISTRIBUTING.

In my situation, I think my next player is going to be the new single-disc Pioneer Elite DV-58AV. It has a good reputation for build quality. It's strictly manufactured by Pioneer, making for more knowledgeable customer support. It can output true DSD via HDMI. It has a good analog output section for people like me who aren't yet HDMI equipped. I believe it can even be made multi-region compatible via a special IR signal. I'm not sure if it can output both NTSC and Pal signals, however I do understand that its Pal-to-NTSC conversion is so good that for the tiny artifacts you might see, it's a fair sacrifice for a more durable, stable machine. It can even play M4A/DIVX/WMV. I don't think the other players in this topic can play M4A and WMV. Because of all of the above, I don't even mind having to get out of my easy chair to change discs. Another thing: By doing away with the large tray and giving up multi-disc capability, that allows more internal room for things such as better build quality, better analog output performance, and more features.

The moral of the story is: Yamaha makes great speakers, and Yamaha and Marantz make great receivers, but Pioneer rules as far as build quality, analog output performance, and media compatibility for their DVD players. Now that I know how good the 58AV is, I am actually using my changers more often in order to get rid of them with dignity so I can soon upgrade to the 58AV.

Seriously, if you still have time to change your mind, I would do so before it's too late. I thought you might find a post from someone who has first-hand experience suffering this agony useful.

Best regards,

Big C

Thanks for the heads up. If I had known about the problems with the Marantz before I bought it, I would have made sure I bought a Marantz designed player. But I do like this player and will hold on to it...I do have the Marantz warrenty.

For those who like Marantz, and want a good player, tho its only a single and not a changer, the Marantz DV 7600 universal player is a good one with positive reviews. I believe its a Marantz design as well. Original price $899. But refurbished by Marantz to new specs and sold at Accessories4less for only $299 with a one year warrenty. Its a good deal.

frenchmon

Sorry to break the bad news. However, I just downloaded a PDF manual for the Marantz VC6001. Like the Yamaha DVD-C950 and the Yamaha DVD-C961, it says that 720p/1080i/1080p only support 60 Hz NTSC. However, I believe it uses the same Pal-to-NTSC converter as the Pioneer I mensioned. So HD Pal should be tolerable.

Sorry to break the bad news. However, I just downloaded a PDF manual for the Marantz VC6001. Like the Yamaha DVD-C950 and the Yamaha DVD-C961, it says that 720p/1080i/1080p only support 60 Hz NTSC. However, I believe it uses the same Pal-to-NTSC converter as the Pioneer I mensioned. So HD Pal should be tolerable.

So what are you saying...that this player wont be true HD?

frenchmon

So what are you saying...that this player wont be true HD?

frenchmon

Are you familiar with Pal, NTSC, and converting one to the other? All I'm saying is that 720p/1080i/1080p can only output in NTSC. Therefore, when viewing Pal DVDs with the 720p/1080i/1080p resolutions, you might notice tiny artifacts as a result of converting Pal to NTSC, but the quality should be tolerable. Did I make myself clearer now?

Are you familiar with Pal, NTSC, and converting one to the other? All I'm saying is that 720p/1080i/1080p can only output in NTSC. Therefore, when viewing Pal DVDs with the 720p/1080i/1080p resolutions, you might notice tiny artifacts as a result of converting Pal to NTSC, but the quality should be tolerable. Did I make myself clearer now?

I thought NTSC was an American standard? Besides, don't they list the format on the back of the DVD purchase?

frenchmon

I thought NTSC was an American standard? Besides, don't they list the format on the back of the DVD purchase?

frenchmon

Yes. NTSC is an American color standard. Pal is European. NTSC is 60 HZ or 60 fraims per second. Pal is 50 Hz or 50 fraims per second. When converting one to the other, it could result in artifacts such as flicker, jidder, etc. The better the video processer, the less noticeable the artifacts are. It seems as though these Philips based changers output both NTSC and Pal via the analog video outputs. And via HDMI, they output 480pNTSC, 576pPal, 720pNTSC, 1080iNTSC, and 1080pPal. There are some single-disc players that can output both NTSC and Pal no matter what the resolution.

Rayboy,

You should also look into the Yamaha DVD-C961, it is the same player with a different faceplate, The disc tray is exactly the same as the Marantz, but that was my only issue with the player. It did not re-check empty slots, it jumped to the next DVD automatically, and you can change 4 of the discs while on is playing.

Imagine my shock when I bought the Marantz for more money, only to discover it was a slighty older version of the same player, without SACD over HDMI support, or the ability to change a disc while playing. Menus were also identical.



I think that because this is a Philips DESIGN, it renders Yamaha's and Marantz's customer support useless because they don't really know about the product they are DISTRIBUTING.

In my situation, I think my next player is going to be the new single-disc Pioneer Elite DV-58AV. By doing away with the large tray and giving up multi-disc capability, that allows more internal room for things such as better build quality, better analog output performance, and more features.

Seriously, if you still have time to change your mind, I would do so before it's too late. I thought you might find a post from someone who has first-hand experience suffering this agony useful.

Best regards,

Big C

William, Big C: my apologies for chopping down your responses and adding my underlines to them.
The short story is, I ordered the Marantz a few days ago and experienced "post-purchase cognitive dissonance," (aka as, WTF did I just do?!) the instant I pulled the trigger. Reading you guys' posts, sounds like I should have tried the Yamaha instead. But, William, are you certain the Marantz is an older version of the same Philips mechanism? The dimensions are slightly different, I noticed. But if you're right, that's a very very convincing argument for the Yamaha. But what about the sound? The DACS-- are they the same manufacturer as well? They're both 192 khz 24 bit, but I called Marantz, and sales "didnt know" who manufactured them. Betcha if they were Burr Brown, they'd know. I'll just bypass them and compare with my receiver's BBrown Dacs.
On the other hand, there are supporters for the Marantz out there, and it's on its way anyhow. If I have trouble getting at the back slots like William did, I won't be shy about returning it and trying the Yamaha, especially since the seller falsely told me you can change discs while one is playing. You can't. As for the searching around for empty slots that the Marantz reportedly does, well, I lived with that just fine for 13 years with my cd changer. A lot of clacking and clunking, sure, but worth it for the convenience of listening to music for hours on end.
Big C, thanks for your single disc suggestion, but I absolutely want a changer. I already have an Oppo. Plus, within the year I'll probably be getting a blu-ray (yet another single disc player). But what I want now is a changer that does everything, cds too. My NAD cd changer died, and I quickly learned it was "easier" (no, make that, no less hair-pullingly difficult) to find a dvd changer with the features I wanted. And I absolutely want one that displays CD text which I'm told, the Marantz does, because I rip and burn a ton of lossless cds, and many have the info encoded on the disc.
To sum up, I'll be giving the Marantz a try, and probably the Yamaha too. I'll report back.
In the meantime, if you like, keep the comments coming.
thx, Ray

Yes. NTSC is an American color standard. Pal is European. NTSC is 60 HZ or 60 fraims per second. Pal is 50 Hz or 50 fraims per second. When converting one to the other, it could result in artifacts such as flicker, jidder, etc. The better the video processer, the less noticeable the artifacts are. It seems as though these Philips based changers output both NTSC and Pal via the analog video outputs. And via HDMI, they output 480pNTSC, 576pPal, 720pNTSC, 1080iNTSC, and 1080pPal. There are some single-disc players that can output both NTSC and Pal no matter what the resolution.

Well according to the Marantz manual, the VC6001 will output 1080p through HDMI. If there is a higher resolution then I don't know of it.

frenchmon

William, Big C: my apologies for chopping down your responses and adding my underlines to them.
The short story is, I ordered the Marantz a few days ago and experienced "post-purchase cognitive dissonance," (aka as, WTF did I just do?!) the instant I pulled the trigger. Reading you guys' posts, sounds like I should have tried the Yamaha instead. But, William, are you certain the Marantz is an older version of the same Philips mechanism? The dimensions are slightly different, I noticed. But if you're right, that's a very very convincing argument for the Yamaha. But what about the sound? The DACS-- are they the same manufacturer as well? They're both 192 khz 24 bit, but I called Marantz, and sales "didnt know" who manufactured them. Betcha if they were Burr Brown, they'd know. I'll just bypass them and compare with my receiver's BBrown Dacs.
On the other hand, there are supporters for the Marantz out there, and it's on its way anyhow. If I have trouble getting at the back slots like William did, I won't be shy about returning it and trying the Yamaha, especially since the seller falsely told me you can change discs while one is playing. You can't. As for the searching around for empty slots that the Marantz reportedly does, well, I lived with that just fine for 13 years with my cd changer. A lot of clacking and clunking, sure, but worth it for the convenience of listening to music for hours on end.
Big C, thanks for your single disc suggestion, but I absolutely want a changer. I already have an Oppo. Plus, within the year I'll probably be getting a blu-ray (yet another single disc player). But what I want now is a changer that does everything, cds too. My NAD cd changer died, and I quickly learned it was "easier" (no, make that, no less hair-pullingly difficult) to find a dvd changer with the features I wanted. And I absolutely want one that displays CD text which I'm told, the Marantz does, because I rip and burn a ton of lossless cds, and many have the info encoded on the disc.
To sum up, I'll be giving the Marantz a try, and probably the Yamaha too. I'll report back.
In the meantime, if you like, keep the comments coming.
thx, Ray

Rayboy...I like the Marantz and its a keeper for me. I have no problems with it. IF I had a beef, its with the speed of responce time when I push a botton on the remote. I guess the player I had before kinda spoiled me. I have no problem with changing the back disk and I have big hands. For all the little things that this player does not do, it makes up for it with sight and sound. BigC says the Phillips players does not do 1080p but only 1080i...well the manual says it does 1080p just fine. While the players (yammie, phillips, marantz may look almost the same, I think they have there differences. I have an old Kenwood CD Changer form the 90's and it looks the same as well) I don't as yet have a HDMI TV so I can't see it, I am just going by the book. Let me know how it does with your high def TV. That may be the deal make or break for me.

The processor is Faroudja DCDi processing and NSV (Noise Shaped Video. Its not bad. For what I paid, I will not change unless I decide to go with a Marantz reference product, but maybe not if this one does good by me. I like the fact that it does all those different DVD's and CD's. The only thing I need is a Blue Ray...and Iwill get that when I get the High Def TV.

frenchmon.

Where did you order your from? Did youget a good price?

frenchmon

Where did you order your from? Did youget a good price?

frenchmon

Frenchmon,
I checked online for the lowest authorized dealer price (and I wanted new, not refurb), then called audioadvisor and one-call. Both had the same price. Sometimes it's even lower when you call, argue with them a little. Threaten them. Just kidding. Anyhoo, didnt work this time. I went with one-call, only because they were the 2nd one I called. To answer you, yet dance around the "no prices" forum policy, it was 300 bucks under the list price, plus $19.37 fed ex. Btw, they shipped it less than 2 hours after I ordered. Purty goddam friggin fast, pardon my french. Heh, heh. Get it? No? Oh well.

Frenchmon,
I checked online for the lowest authorized dealer price (and I wanted new, not refurb), then called audioadvisor and one-call. Both had the same price. Sometimes it's even lower when you call, argue with them a little. Threaten them. Just kidding. Anyhoo, didnt work this time. I went with one-call, only because they were the 2nd one I called. To answer you, yet dance around the "no prices" forum policy, it was 300 bucks under the list price, plus $19.37 fed ex. Btw, they shipped it less than 2 hours after I ordered. Purty goddam friggin fast, pardon my french. Heh, heh. Get it? No? Oh well.

Hey thats a very good price for new. I hope you are satisfied with it. I have met about 3 people online who bought this player and sent it back because of the tray and lack of safistication in other machanical perks. But for what I paid and the free shipping and the fact that I got the changer and not the single and all the different things it can play being a universal player, I'm more than happy. If I had paid the full price of $699, I'd want it to have all the bells and whistles but as I said, at this price point I'm happy.

One guy said he sent his back because his conversion to 1080p was grainy on his TV screen...I suspect his setting on his TV was not set proper or he did not have a HDCD compatible TV. I have yet to purchase a HDMI TV so I can't say for sure...kindly let me know.

frenchmon

One guy said he sent his back because his conversion to 1080p was grainy on his TV screen...I suspect his setting on his TV was not set proper or he did not have a HDCD compatible TV. I have yet to purchase a HDMI TV so I can't say for sure...kindly let me know.

frenchmon

Sure, when I get it I'll post some comments after playing with it for a while.
But my main use for this will be cd's. Music during the day, movies at night. The Oppo's hard to beat until I get a blu-ray. I'd use this for videos, sure, if I thought I might be shuffling between several discs in one night. Also, my projector is native 720P, not 1080P, so I usually dont even try to upconvert regular dvds past 720p. Maybe when I get a 1080P projector ,,,

Sure, when I get it I'll post some comments after playing with it for a while.
But my main use for this will be cd's. Music during the day, movies at night. The Oppo's hard to beat until I get a blu-ray. I'd use this for videos, sure, if I thought I might be shuffling between several discs in one night. Also, my projector is native 720P, not 1080P, so I usually dont even try to upconvert regular dvds past 720p. Maybe when I get a 1080P projector ,,,


Thats one of the reasons why I'm liking this player...its very good for Movies and CD's...super and DVD-A. It beats the hell out of my Sony DVD player I moved to a second system. The Marantz Universal Player.... Its a keeper until Blue Ray.

frenchmon

Frenchmon,
I checked online for the lowest authorized dealer price (and I wanted new, not refurb), then called audioadvisor and one-call. Both had the same price. Sometimes it's even lower when you call, argue with them a little. Threaten them. Just kidding. Anyhoo, didnt work this time. I went with one-call, only because they were the 2nd one I called. To answer you, yet dance around the "no prices" forum policy, it was 300 bucks under the list price, plus $19.37 fed ex. Btw, they shipped it less than 2 hours after I ordered. Purty goddam friggin fast, pardon my french. Heh, heh. Get it? No? Oh well.

It's odd you didn't get a better price when you call audioadvisor. I got mine for $375 plus $10 shipping, and sales tax since I am in Michigan.

I never buy from one-call unless I am damn sure I want the item. They have a 15% restocking fee on all non-defective returns, and you don't get shipping back. That means if you return it, you will lose $80 total + whatever it cost you to ship it back.

Audio Advisor gave me a full refund, including shipping, All it cost me is $7 to ship it back to them.

It's odd you didn't get a better price when you call audioadvisor. I got mine for $375 plus $10 shipping, and sales tax since I am in Michigan.

I never buy from one-call unless I am damn sure I want the item. They have a 15% restocking fee on all non-defective returns, and you don't get shipping back. That means if you return it, you will lose $80 total + whatever it cost you to ship it back.

Audio Advisor gave me a full refund, including shipping, All it cost me is $7 to ship it back to them.

William,
As for the price, obviously it's changed since you bought it.
As for the return policy, hot damn, you're absolutely right. I guess I shouldve gone with audioadvisor: same price, more lenient exchange than one-call.
But if I dont like it, I'll have to mention that I discovered in the interim that they mispresented the player. ("access 4 discs while playing 1") Oh, really?
And get, I assume, a chance to return it without that stocking fee. Or at least exchange it for the Yamaha, which is the exact same price.

William,
As for the price, obviously it's changed since you bought it.
As for the return policy, hot damn, you're absolutely right. I guess I shouldve gone with audioadvisor: same price, more lenient exchange than one-call.
But if I dont like it, I'll have to mention that I discovered in the interim that they mispresented the player. ("access 4 discs while playing 1") Oh, really?
And get, I assume, a chance to return it without that stocking fee. Or at least exchange it for the Yamaha, which is the exact same price.

No, the price is still the same, I probably just got a different sales advisor on the phone. He was insistant that was the lowest they could go, then I mentioned that since I had to pay sales tax and shipping, I could get it for less elsewhere. He immediatly dropped the price so it would be $399 delivered, including tax. I just looked at the reciept again, and the actual price was $366.98 + 6% sales tax and $10 shipping. Shipping was cheap because I am only 130 miles from them.

William and/or Big C

I might send the Marantz back unopened, but first I'd like to know a few things from you two. Maybe One call will let me try it out, I don't know. Since they misrepresented it when they said you can play while exchanging discs, they should be cooperative. But no way, on principle, will I risk paying a restocking fee. I'll return it unopened if I have to, and try the Yamaha first, from audioadvisor, depending on your answers.

1) You seem certain the Marantz and Philips are "the same player" or "an older version of the same Philips mechanism" used in the Yamaha. How do you know? Did you have both in your possession at the same time? Or did Marantz or Philips or Yamaha tell you? Or is it an educated guess, a feeling? If it's the latter, I certainly would respect that, but I'd like to know before I send the Marantz back unopened, which I'm prepared to do. The dimensions are slightly different on the two, I noticed, so I got to wondering.
2) And is just the "turntable", the tray, that's the same? What about everything else, especially the electronics? That is, do both players have the same DACS as well? They're both 192 khz 24 bit. I called Marantz, though, and sales "didnt know" who manufactured them. Betcha if they were Burr Brown, they'd know.

Thanks a heap,
Ray

I am positive they are both the same player, made by Philips, Philips does not sell the player under their own brand though. It is very commonly known that Yamaha players are made by Philips.

I opened both players (I open all equipment to see how it's made), and they look identically made. They may have a different chip here and there, as there have been updates since this player originally started as the Yamaha 750. It was obvious that they both use the same chassis, mechanism, and boards.

The small dimensional differences are cause by the Marantz having taller feet, and a slightly wider faceplate to match other Marantz gear. Even the button placement on the front panel is almost identical.

I am positive they are both the same player, made by Philips, Philips does not sell the player under their own brand though. It is very commonly known that Yamaha players are made by Philips.

I opened both players (I open all equipment to see how it's made), and they look identically made. They may have a different chip here and there, as there have been updates since this player originally started as the Yamaha 750. It was obvious that they both use the same chassis, mechanism, and boards.

The small dimensional differences are cause by the Marantz having taller feet, and a slightly wider faceplate to match other Marantz gear. Even the button placement on the front panel is almost identical.

First of all, I just realized that the newer changers have detachable power cords, making it easier to disconnect the power in case buttons become nonresponsive.

William, do you know what kinds of audio DACs are in the 750, 950, 961, and 6001? Were they Burr Brown PCM1791, 1792, 1796, Ciris(sp?) Logic, or some other?

Now I hope my 750 and 950 last a little longer so I have time to make up my mind between the stability, durability, and reference audio of the single-disc Pioneer Elite DV-58AV and the convenience of the Yamaha DVD-C961 changer and the more recent batch of the Marantz VC6001. Of course, according to the rules of superstition, now that I wished bad luck on my 750 and 950 a few days ago, you know what'll happen now--LOL!

William and/or Big C

I might send the Marantz back unopened, but first I'd like to know a few things from you two. Maybe One call will let me try it out, I don't know. Since they misrepresented it when they said you can play while excnanging discs, they should be cooperative. But no way, on principle, will I risk paying a restocking fee. I'll return it unopened if I have to, and try the Yamaha first, from audioadvisor, depending on your answers.

1) You seem certain the Marantz and Philips are "the same player" or "an older version of the same Philips mechanism" used in the Yamaha. How do you know? Did you have both in your possession at the same time? Or did Marantz or Philips or Yamaha tell you? Or is it an educated guess, a feeling? If it's the latter, I certainly would respect that, but I'd like to know before I send the Marantz back unopened, which I'm prepared to do. The dimensions are slightly different on the two, I noticed, so I got to wondering.
2) And is just the "turntable", the tray, that's the same? What about everything else, especially the electronics? That is, do both players have the same DACS as well? They're both 192 khz 24 bit. I called Marantz, though, and sales "didnt know" who manufactured them. Betcha if they were Burr Brown, they'd know.

Thanks a heap,
Ray

one call, have restocking penalty! you might refuse ship, but do talk to them. Imho, even this changer is based on Philips, and Yamahas too, I prefer Marantz for aesthetic, and warranty and I'll assume Audio will be better.

My only concern is that $399 for new changer, is too high, while it is about 1-2 years old product.

I don't know which DAC's the players use for sure, but I have read on different forums that it is Cirrus Logic.

one call, have restocking penalty! you might refuse ship, but do talk to them. Imho, even this changer is based on Philips, and Yamahas too, I prefer Marantz for aesthetic, and warranty and I'll assume Audio will be better.

My only concern is that $399 for new changer, is too high, while it is about 1-2 years old product.

Why would you think the Marantz would sound any different than the Yamaha, when they are basically the same player?

As far as cost, if you want a universal changer, Yamaha and Marantz, and Sony are about the only choices, and the build quality on the Sony's is pretty weak IMO.

I don't know which DAC's the players use for sure, but I have read on different forums that it is Cirrus Logic.



Why would you think the Marantz would sound any different than the Yamaha, when they are basically the same player?

As far as cost, if you want a universal changer, Yamaha and Marantz, and Sony are about the only choices, and the build quality on the Sony's is pretty weak IMO.
my apologies! I was referring to philips!I used to have cx1 and 981 yamaha and was happy!

First of all, I just realized that the newer changers have detachable power cords, making it easier to disconnect the power in case buttons become nonresponsive.

William, do you know what kinds of audio DACs are in the 750, 950, 961, and 6001? Were they Burr Brown PCM1791, 1792, 1796, Ciris(sp?) Logic, or some other?

Now I hope my 750 and 950 last a little longer so I have time to make up my mind between the stability, durability, and reference audio of the single-disc Pioneer Elite DV-58AV and the convenience of the Yamaha DVD-C961 changer and the more recent batch of the Marantz VC6001. Of course, according to the rules of superstition, now that I wished bad luck on my 750 and 950 a few days ago, you know what'll happen now--LOL!

Well when I got my VC6001 it had a sticker on the back saying it was manufactured in Feb 2007 and had the detachable power cord.

The DAC's are made by ADC...Anolog Device Co. LTD. They make componets for most of the big name companies such as Onkyo, Denon, Marantz and others so they are no bums.

The only problem I have with the Marantz is that its a little slow to respond with the remote compared to my Sony...but performance from audio and video out classes my Sony by a long shot.

frenchmon

I don't know which DAC's the players use for sure, but I have read on different forums that it is Cirrus Logic.

The More expensive players by Marantz are totally designed by Marantz and have the Cirrus chips. The 6001 series uses ADC video converters so I assume its the same for the audio converters. This information about ADC is on page 6 of my manual.


Why would you think the Marantz would sound any different than the Yamaha, when they are basically the same player?

I'm not so sure they are 100% the same unit. I still believe Marantz and the Yammies still have whats special to them in the units. The core of Marantz and Yammie are still present in the units you would think its not a total Phillips player being pushed under a different names.

As far as cost, if you want a universal changer, Yamaha and Marantz, and Sony are about the only choices, and the build quality on the Sony's is pretty weak IMO.

I agree...I bought two Sony players and one stop working and the other is very weak.

frenchmon

I'm not so sure they are 100% the same unit. I still believe Marantz and the Yammies still have whats special to them in the units. The core of Marantz and Yammie are still present in the units you would think its not a total Phillips player being pushed under a different names.


Well I didn't see anything "special" inside when I opened them up. There are probably some small differences, due to revisional changes, but nothing stood out. They would also use different firmware, which would easily explain any operational differences. And they sure sounded identical to me when using the analog outputs.

When using the 5.1 analog output stage while not applying delay or bass management, do the Cirrus and ADC chips convert DSD to pcm before outputting it as analog, or do they convert DSD directly to analog? Also, what about the audio DACs in the Yamaha DVD-C961? This is not to be confused with the 961's ability to output SACD as PCM via HDMI.

Imho, Marantz, Yamaha are more feature ladden, doing divx, pal, ntsc compatibility and region free optional possibility that sony lacks!

When one of my current units break, I will get the Pioneer Elite DV-58AV for the livingroom because that's where I prefer audio/video quality. When my other one breaks, I'll get the Yamaha DVD-c961 for bedtime use because it is more automatic. And who knows ... Maybe by the fall, Yamaha might release a newer version of the 750, strictly using the MediaTek for video, with the added conveniences of automaticly switching DVDs in the 'ALL DISC' repeat mode, 480i-1080p and true DSD via HDMI version 1.2A, and DivX Ultra/M4A/WMV compatibility. In fact, I'm right now going to anonymously e-mail them with that suggestion!

Hi, all
Well, One-call didnt take the players apart like William did (thanks, Wm.!), but they looked at both, and said the same thing several of you have. There doesn't appear to be any significant difference, the face plates are only superficially different. And they acknowledged their mistake: that you cannot exchange discs on the Marantz. So, I'm sending it back, complete refund, they're paying the shipping, no restock fee. Now, I guess I'll try the Yamaha first, somewhere where I can exchange it easily if necessary.
Maybe I'll end up with the Marantz again, who knows?

Hi, all
Well, One-call didnt take the players apart like William did (thanks, Wm.!), but they looked at both, and said the same thing several of you have. There doesn't appear to be any significant difference, the face plates are only superficially different. And they acknowledged their mistake: that you cannot exchange discs on the Marantz. So, I'm sending it back, complete refund, they're paying the shipping, no restock fee. Now, I guess I'll try the Yamaha first, somewhere where I can exchange it easily if necessary.
Maybe I'll end up with the Marantz again, who knows?

if you can get yamaha cheaper, and it does extra what you desire, you might be better off with it. I guess magnolia or vanns might be the best bet or crutchfield.

You may also want to consider the Denon DVM-2845CI, although it lists for $499. I also considered this one, but could not really find much information.

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3420.asp

Also, I may have been wrong about the 961 advancing to the next DVD automatically. My boss has one, and he says his goes back to the main menu at the end of a disc, just like the Matrantz did. Maybe our players had different firmware, or I am mistaken. This issue is only with DVD's, in case I didn't mention that. It always advanced with CD's or SACD's, so did the Marantz.

You may also want to consider the Denon DVM-2845CI, although it lists for $499. I also considered this one, but could not really find much information.

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3420.asp

Also, I may have been wrong about the 961 advancing to the next DVD automatically. My boss has one, and he says his goes back to the main menu at the end of a disc, just like the Matrantz did. Maybe our players had different firmware, or I am mistaken. This issue is only with DVD's, in case I didn't mention that. It always advanced with CD's or SACD's, so did the Marantz.

The price is fine. I considered the Denon, it may well be a great choice. But I really prefer CD TEXT display. I emailed the co. and they told me quote "DENONs consumer line does not carry any changers or DVD players that will display text" The Yamaha does support cd text, or least that's what they claim. Text isn't encoded on every disc, from what I understand. Quite often in my car, the cd song titles are displayed, which is great, and it's spoiled me. Hmmm, maybe it's just available on the discs I've burned. Maybe when I burn, the internet automatically updates the info. I usually use copies, not originals, in the car so I'm not sure about that, never noticed. Anyhoo, I'd love the convenience of cd text on the home stereo,too. Can you or anyone else confirm that the Yamaha does in fact display info such as song titles?
Re: your other comment: I remember you or someone anyway mentioning that dvd's don't automatically advance. Not ideal, but that doesnt bother me much. Good thing it advances cds, because that would definitely be a deal breaker.

The price is fine. I considered the Denon, it may well be a great choice. But I really prefer CD TEXT display. I emailed the co. and they told me quote "DENONs consumer line does not carry any changers or DVD players that will display text" The Yamaha does support cd text, or least that's what they claim. Text isn't encoded on every disc, from what I understand. Quite often in my car, the cd song titles are displayed, which is great, and it's spoiled me. Hmmm, maybe it's just available on the discs I've burned. Maybe when I burn, the internet automatically updates the info. I usually use copies, not originals, in the car so I'm not sure about that, never noticed. Anyhoo, I'd love the convenience of cd text on the home stereo,too. Can you or anyone else confirm that the Yamaha does in fact display info such as song titles?
Re: your other comment: I remember you or someone anyway mentioning that dvd's don't automatically advance. Not ideal, but that doesnt bother me much. Good thing it advances cds, because that would definitely be a deal breaker.

Out of the 400 or so CD's I have, only a couple have CD text, I know this because my CDR-HD1500 displays CD text, and I have only seen it display it on a couple of discs. I had to enter all the CD names manually.

I only wanted a DVD changer for DVD's, SACD and DVD-A. For all my CD listening I use the CDR-HD1500. If you want a fantastic CD only changer you should check it out. Instant disc changes, no mechanical noise, and holds about 600 discs on the hard drive, which can also be upgraded to a larger drive:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200106&CTID=5002200

The price is fine. I considered the Denon, it may well be a great choice. But I really prefer CD TEXT display. I emailed the co. and they told me quote "DENONs consumer line does not carry any changers or DVD players that will display text" The Yamaha does support cd text, or least that's what they claim. Text isn't encoded on every disc, from what I understand. Quite often in my car, the cd song titles are displayed, which is great, and it's spoiled me. Hmmm, maybe it's just available on the discs I've burned. Maybe when I burn, the internet automatically updates the info. I usually use copies, not originals, in the car so I'm not sure about that, never noticed. Anyhoo, I'd love the convenience of cd text on the home stereo,too. Can you or anyone else confirm that the Yamaha does in fact display info such as song titles?
Re: your other comment: I remember you or someone anyway mentioning that dvd's don't automatically advance. Not ideal, but that doesnt bother me much. Good thing it advances cds, because that would definitely be a deal breaker.

I can speak for the Yammie, but I can say the Marnatz does disply the Name, artist and other information of some CD's. I was surprized to see it disply such information of a Miles Davis CD I was playing last night. That was cool. I can't remember if the DVD's Advanced but I do know CD do. And it did skip the empty slots with CD's

frenchmon

William...how long did you keep your Marantz? How well did it do with up conversion to 1080p? Was it a good picture?

frenchmon

You may also want to consider the Denon DVM-2845CI, although it lists for $499. I also considered this one, but could not really find much information.

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3420.asp

Also, I may have been wrong about the 961 advancing to the next DVD automatically. My boss has one, and he says his goes back to the main menu at the end of a disc, just like the Matrantz did. Maybe our players had different firmware, or I am mistaken. This issue is only with DVD's, in case I didn't mention that. It always advanced with CD's or SACD's, so did the Marantz.

I bought, returned, no region free, al etc options. If u do not need those, by all means. I did not like built quality either.

William...how long did you keep your Marantz? How well did it do with up conversion to 1080p? Was it a good picture?

frenchmon

My set is 720p, so I only ran it at 1080i and 780p. I thought the picture was excellent, no complaints. It also handled DivX files very well too.

I kept it about 2 weeks. At first I was going to keep it, but as I used it more, the disc tray really started to annoy me. If it weren't for that, I probably could have lived with the other quirks.

My set is 720p, so I only ran it at 1080i and 780p. I thought the picture was excellent, no complaints. It also handled DivX files very well too.

I kept it about 2 weeks. At first I was going to keep it, but as I used it more, the disc tray really started to annoy me. If it weren't for that, I probably could have lived with the other quirks.

Thanks William. I've had it about 5 days now. I think I can live with the tray problem. I do like the player and the way it looks. I like Marantz as well. I do need to get the HDTV tho. Its a wife thing.

frenchmon

[QUOTE=WilliamZX11;13966084]Out of the 400 or so CD's I have, only a couple have CD text, I know this because my CDR-HD1500 displays CD text, and I have only seen it display it on a couple of discs. I had to enter all the CD names manually.

I only wanted a DVD changer for DVD's, SACD and DVD-A. For all my CD listening I use the CDR-HD1500. If you want a fantastic CD only changer you should check it out. Instant disc changes, no mechanical noise, and holds about 600 discs on the hard drive, which can also be upgraded to a larger drive:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200106&CTID=5002200[/QUOTE

Yes, I know of the cdr 1500. Ever since my old '92 NAD cd changer died the other month, I've been playing cds on the Oppo, meanwhile considering the cdr 1500, cd jukeboxes, and the Olive and sonos and squeezebox duet I think it was called-- havent looked at them for a while. But wasnt sure which route to go, wireless or whatnot. So I figured, well, I'll probably want a plain old changer too, right? And when I started looking into getting a cd changer, I realized it was just as "easy" har, har, or no less hard, to find a universal dvd changer that does it all: cds, mp3, dvds, sacd, cd text.
As for the CD text, I tried a bunch of cds in my car, and sure enough, fewer than I thought had cd text. What's weird, is one original cd had no text, and neither did the cd quality lossless copy I made for a friend, but the mp3 disc I burned for the car had the text that the original cd lacked! Which made me wonder if it somehow updated itself over the internet when I ripped it, or ???. And another original disc had the text but the lossless copy didn't.

Hi,
To anyone still interested in the Marantz dvd changer (or any other Marantz product for that matter), contact marc@avscience.com.
His price, plus shipping,, beat the other two lowest authorized dealers by ten bucks. You'd be supporting this forum, plus, saving some coin, enough for a six pack of imported suds to celebrate the purchase.

Cheers, Ray

Hi,
To anyone still interested in the Marantz dvd changer (or any other Marantz product for that matter), contact marc@avscience.com.
His price, plus shipping,, beat the other two lowest authorized dealers by ten bucks. You'd be supporting this forum, plus, saving some coin, enough for a six pack of imported suds to celebrate the purchase.

Cheers, Ray
avscience rocks!

So Rayboy did you order the Yammie uni-player?

frenchmon

So Rayboy did you order the Yammie uni-player?

frenchmon


I checked all the authorized dealers, plus a few others that some had suggested, like Magnolia etc. Best deal at the moment is Vanns, 380 with free shipping, but out of stock. They'll email me when it gets in. We'll see how long it takes. It's 400 at audioadvisor, amazon, abt, and one other, some w/free shipping, some not.
Btw, avs doesnt sell Yamaha.
Ray

I checked all the authorized dealers, plus a few others that some had suggested, like Magnolia etc. Best deal at the moment is Vanns, 380 with free shipping, but out of stock. They'll email me when it gets in. We'll see how long it takes. It's 400 at audioadvisor, amazon, abt, and one other, some w/free shipping, some not.
Btw, avs doesnt sell Yamaha.
Ray

if you wana check, before returning back to marantz!Abt will be it!They pay for returns! and i assume $$$ is not issue here, you just want to be happy and satisfied with what you desire! Good luck!

BTW Marantz came out before this Yamaha! Once I got Marantz, never looked back. Same for my Denon 3808CI receiver:D

if you wana check, before returning back to marantz!Abt will be it!They pay for returns! and i assume $$$ is not issue here, you just want to be happy and satisfied with what you desire! Good luck!

BTW Marantz came out before this Yamaha! Once I got Marantz, never looked back. Same for my Denon 3808CI receiver:D


So how is your Marantz when it up converts? DOes it have a great picture? How much do you like it? How is it in superaudio mode and DVD-A through HDMI? I have yet to connect to a HDTV, thats why I ask. NOt much in reviews out there on the net.


frenchmon

So how is your Marantz when it up converts? DOes it have a great picture? How much do you like it? How is it in superaudio mode and DVD-A through HDMI? I have yet to connect to a HDTV, thats why I ask. NOt much in reviews out there on the net.


frenchmon

I love it! I use it for upscaling connected to HDTV, Audio/Video is awesome.

There is a thread @ home theater forum, I'll link it here for review

I love it! I use it for upscaling connected to HDTV, Audio/Video is awesome.

There is a thread @ home theater forum, I'll link it here for review

Wheres the link?

I did read one that ended in 07...It also had BigC in it. NO one talked about the audio/video...only about the simularities between it and the Yammie. Is that the same link you are talking about?

frenchmon

Wheres the link?

I did read one that ended in 07...It also had BigC in it. NO one talked about the audio/video...only about the simularities between it and the Yammie. Is that the same link you are talking about?

frenchmon


let me check, but if I remember there were European reviews that I read at the time of purchase!

But again, to me it does not make much difference , Marantz or High End Yamaha! I absolutely did not like Denon. May be next replacement will be with Reon and HDMI 1.3

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/audio-video-sources/252898-new-universal-changer-market-marantz-vc6001.html

Some like yamaha, other Marantz..I love Marantz!

let me check, but if I remember there were European reviews that I read at the time of purchase!

But again, to me it does not make much difference , Marantz or High End Yamaha! I absolutely did not like Denon. May be next replacement will be with Reon and HDMI 1.3

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/audio-video-sources/252898-new-universal-changer-market-marantz-vc6001.html

Some like yamaha, other Marantz..I love Marantz!

Yes thats the same site I've already seen. I'm with you...I love Marnatz products aswell...but this player is not truly Marnatz. But its still a keeper.

frenchmon

Yes thats the same site I've already seen. I'm with you...I love Marnatz products aswell...but this player is not truly Marnatz. But its still a keeper.

frenchmon

that is the bottom line! neither do yamahas are yammies! They all originate as Philips and grow up in different cultures!:D

You may also want to consider the Denon DVM-2845CI, although it lists for $499. I also considered this one, but could not really find much information.

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3420.asp

Also, I may have been wrong about the 961 advancing to the next DVD automatically. My boss has one, and he says his goes back to the main menu at the end of a disc, just like the Matrantz did. Maybe our players had different firmware, or I am mistaken. This issue is only with DVD's, in case I didn't mention that. It always advanced with CD's or SACD's, so did the Marantz.

Was the unit in the 'ALL DISC' repeat mode when trying this?

Well, while waiting for the Yamaha to be in stock, I found out that though Yamaha says this unit supports CD text, you have to TURN ON YOUR FREAKIN' TV to see it. This per Yamaha support, true for any of their dvd players. In my case, I'd have to turn on the projector, lower the screen. And oh, wait for it to get dark out, too. That'll happen.
Btw, for anyone looking for a multidisc CD changer, the Yamaha cdc 697 displays cd text, don't know how many characters.
Anyway, I'm rethinking things.
1) First, it looks like I should try a Logitech squeezebox or a Sonos (stream wav or flac music files from my computer to my living room. Access the files from the remote and read CD text on the remote too)
2) Next get the bluray, which, hey, I want anyway. With display or without?-- depends on how the squeezebox pans out. But preferably one that plays as many disc types as possible, to make step three easier.
3) For when I just want to throw a bunch of discs on, without having to rip them first, get a cd or cd/dvd changer. A simple cd changer might suffice, depends on the first two.

Ok after having the VC6001 for about a month now the verdict is in. This is a very good player. The sight and sound is just amazing.I love the SACD and DVD-A multi cahnnel sound. And regular CD's are just as clear. No coloration whatsoever. It does have CD text that you can see on the player. I know the loading of disk is a little slow, and you can't change a disk while playing a disk, but if its not a big deal, this is a very good player.

While its basically the same as the Yammie, Marantz claims that it still has been designed, engineered and over seen by Marantz so that its a genuine Marantz product. It still has that warm Marantz sound that Marantz is famous for. I would recommend this to any one who wants a universal player at this price point.

frenchmon

Ok after having the VC6001 for about a month now the verdict is in. This is a very good player. The sight and sound is just amazing.I love the SACD and DVD-A multi cahnnel sound. And regular CD's are just as clear. No coloration whatsoever. It does have CD text that you can see on the player. I know the loading of disk is a little slow, and you can't change a disk while playing a disk, but if its not a big deal, this is a very good player.

While its basically the same as the Yammie, Marantz claims that it still has been designed, engineered and over seen by Marantz so that its a genuine Marantz product. It still has that warm Marantz sound that Marantz is famous for. I would recommend this to any one who wants a universal player at this price point.

frenchmon
I agree! I declare you a believer now!lol:D

Ok after having the VC6001 for about a month now the verdict is in. This is a very good player. The sight and sound is just amazing.I love the SACD and DVD-A multi cahnnel sound. And regular CD's are just as clear. No coloration whatsoever. It does have CD text that you can see on the player. I know the loading of disk is a little slow, and you can't change a disk while playing a disk, but if its not a big deal, this is a very good player.

While its basically the same as the Yammie, Marantz claims that it still has been designed, engineered and over seen by Marantz so that its a genuine Marantz product. It still has that warm Marantz sound that Marantz is famous for. I would recommend this to any one who wants a universal player at this price point.

frenchmon

Thanks for your input, sir. That's interesting about the cd text. I know that's not a priority with most folks, but it is for me. Maybe there's more differences between the two than we'd thought (the Yamaha doesnt show cd text on its display, just on a tv, or in my case, projector screen.) Q's for you, Frenchmon: does it show the whole song title, and does it show the artist's name and/or album name? Reason I ask, the display on my new Prius is great, lots of room for titles and extras. But on the other car, the display is limited to only 8 characters, counting spaces, which is more annoying than useful. A song like say, "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" (by XTC), comes out looking like this: I'm The

Not too helpful, huh?

Thanks for your input, sir. That's interesting about the cd text. I know that's not a priority with most folks, but it is for me. Maybe there's more differences between the two than we'd thought (the Yamaha doesnt show cd text on its display, just on a tv, or in my case, projector screen.) Q's for you, Frenchmon: does it show the whole song title, and does it show the artist's name and/or album name? Reason I ask, the display on my new Prius is great, lots of room for titles and extras. But on the other car, the display is limited to only 8 characters, counting spaces, which is more annoying than useful. A song like say, "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" (by XTC), comes out looking like this: I'm The

Not too helpful, huh?


On my Diana Krall CD it showed the whole name of the CD, the whole artist and the whole song every time it played a song on that CD. It also did it on a Miles Davis CD (Night at the Black Hawk in San Fransico) that was recorded for me. But mind you, it does not do it for every disc seeing this informantion has to be coded into the disc its self.

I have also a Marantz reciever that says on the back that it was Engineered, designed, and produced totally by Marantz. On the back of the VC6001 it says it was design, produced and engineering under supervision by the Marantz Brand Company which leads me to understand that its still a Marantz but it shares some of the physical parts with another company and possibly put together at another company. This thing is still Marantz at the core. My guess is that Marantz desinged this player as a Marantz player but used a shell and some other internal physical parts by another company. I know the Marantz sound being a loyal Marantz lover for over 25 years, and this thing is Marantz sound....Yammies are usually a bit brighter.

frenchmon

On my Diana Krall CD it showed the whole name of the CD, the whole artist and the whole song every time it played a song on that CD. It also did it on a Miles Davis CD (Night at the Black Hawk in San Fransico) that was recorded for me. But mind you, it does not do it for every disc seeing this informantion has to be coded into the disc its self.


The Marantz has an 11 character display, how could it possibly display "Night at the Black Hawk in San Fransico", or even "Night at the Black Hawk"?

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, people here rely on facts to help them make purchasing decisions.

Ever heard of scrolling text?

The Marantz has an 11 character display, how could it possibly display "Night at the Black Hawk in San Fransico", or even "Night at the Black Hawk"?

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, people here rely on facts to help them make purchasing decisions.


William...the title just rolls across the display. I thought you owned the Marantz at one time? Then why don't you get the facts correct? Its a very good player.

frenchmon

I realize it scrolls, I thought Rayboy was asking if it displayed the whole title at once, from his example:

A song like say, "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" (by XTC), comes out looking like this: I'm The

Not too helpful, huh?

My mistake.

Hello! This is my first posting here in the AVS-Forum. I am living in Germany and I am owning the VC-6001. This Player is not beeing sold in whole Europe (no concern sells actually DVD-chargers in Europe). I use the charger for a PAL TV-System. I know, that Marantz published a new firmware for the VC-6001. This software should correct the output signal for PAL Systems from 60hz down to 50hz (60hz is being used for NTSC Systems, PAL Systems need 50hz for a good picture). I contacted Marantz USA and asked for the new firmware. They told me, they do not give firmwares to the public. For an update I had to sent the player back to the USA. I told them, the shipping costs were horrible expensive. But I got back a "no" again.

Therefore, I have two questions:

1. Does anyone here have an idea, how I could get the actual firmware?
2. When I open the tray and push the "DISP."-button the following text is on my screen:

VC6001 V19 C601-37 1
SERVO:9424FF00 REG:0
FRONT:08 SD5.5:12

Is it the newest firmware?

Yours, Heiko from Germany

Hello! This is my first posting here in the AVS-Forum. I am living in Germany and I am owning the VC-6001. This Player is not beeing sold in whole Europe (no concern sells actually DVD-chargers in Europe). I use the charger for a PAL TV-System. I know, that Marantz published a new firmware for the VC-6001. This software should correct the output signal for PAL Systems from 60hz down to 50hz (60hz is being used for NTSC Systems, PAL Systems need 50hz for a good picture). I contacted Marantz USA and asked for the new firmware. They told me, they do not give firmwares to the public. For an update I had to sent the player back to the USA. I told them, the shipping costs were horrible expensive. But I got back a "no" again.

Therefore, I have two questions:

1. Does anyone here have an idea, how I could get the actual firmware?
2. When I open the tray and push the "DISP."-button the following text is on my screen:

VC6001 V19 C601-37 1
SERVO:9424FF00 REG:0
FRONT:08 SD5.5:12

Is it the newest firmware?

Yours, Heiko from Germany

Can you go back into the settings and change it?

frenchmon

Hi Frenchmon! Thanks for your answer. What shall I change? The Charger is already in the PAL output modus. But I am sure, the pictures are given out with 60 hz to the TV.

Hi Frenchmon! Thanks for your answer. What shall I change? The Charger is already in the PAL output modus. But I am sure, the pictures are given out with 60 hz to the TV.

What about the TV??? Have you changed it? IF there is nothing you can do, you may have to take it to the dealer where you bought it, or to a local service center. I'll check my book to see if anything else can be done. There are a few web sites that talk about certain codes, you may want to look into that. You may want to email a guy in this thread called BigC....He has such web information about abtaining certain codes.

frenchmon

Hi, thanks again. The TV is alright. It is a PAL System. This 60 hz effect on PAL systems can be recognized in pictures with slow movings. Now I am thinking about the question, to use the firmware of the DV 6001 on the VC 6001. The DV 6001 firmware is public in Germany and the players have the same video and audio section.

While the players do have the same video and audio section, I think you might lose all the players changer abilities if you load it with the DV6001 firmware.

I also contacted Marantz to try and get new firmware. They will not send it out, not even to dealers. The only option is to ship the unit to them.

The codes referred to above are to make the player region free, they won't affect 50/60 hz playback.

Think, you are right. Testing the DV 6001 firm is too dangerous. Secondly, sending the Player from Germany to USA and back, is too expensive (about 170 $). But what is with this info on my screen (tray open an pushing the button DISP.): "VC6001 V19 C601-37 1". I am sure, that is the firmware information. Can anyone with the new firmware test it and tell me, what he get?

Hello! This is my first posting here in the AVS-Forum. I am living in Germany and I am owning the VC-6001. This Player is not beeing sold in whole Europe (no concern sells actually DVD-chargers in Europe). I use the charger for a PAL TV-System. I know, that Marantz published a new firmware for the VC-6001. This software should correct the output signal for PAL Systems from 60hz down to 50hz (60hz is being used for NTSC Systems, PAL Systems need 50hz for a good picture). I contacted Marantz USA and asked for the new firmware. They told me, they do not give firmwares to the public. For an update I had to sent the player back to the USA. I told them, the shipping costs were horrible expensive. But I got back a "no" again.

Therefore, I have two questions:

1. Does anyone here have an idea, how I could get the actual firmware?
2. When I open the tray and push the "DISP."-button the following text is on my screen:

VC6001 V19 C601-37 1
SERVO:9424FF00 REG:0
FRONT:08 SD5.5:12

Is it the newest firmware?

Yours, Heiko from Germany


This is what was displayed on my player.

VC 6001 V19 C601-37 1

SERVO: 9424FF00 REG 1

FRONT: 08 SD5.5:12

Every line is the same all but the second.

frenchmon

We might have the same firmware. Did you get an update? Then it should be the newest.

The "0" in the second line is standing for regional code 0. You have "1", but you can chance it. It is easy to do.

Greetings, Heiko

It is not the newest. It is what mine shipped with, manufactured in February 2007. Marantz confirmed there were newer versions when I called. They could not tell what the new versions fixed though, lousy tech support. According to the German site, newer versions fix the 50/60hz issue that you want, so obviously you don't have the latest.

What annoyed me, was that the unit was shipped directly from Marantz to Audio Advisor on March 29th 2008. If the units need to be shipped for a firmware update, why don't they update them before shipping in the first place?

Damned! Why do they not give the firmware to the public like in Europe. That makes no sense. I definitely need the new firmware, to get a good picture. What can I do? I will not ship the unit from Germany back to the USA.

If you won't ship, there is nothing you can do.

It is not the newest. It is what mine shipped with, manufactured in February 2007. Marantz confirmed there were newer versions when I called. They could not tell what the new versions fixed though, lousy tech support. According to the German site, newer versions fix the 50/60hz issue that you want, so obviously you don't have the latest.

What annoyed me, was that the unit was shipped directly from Marantz to Audio Advisor on March 29th 2008. If the units need to be shipped for a firmware update, why don't they update them before shipping in the first place?

So what does this mean for me? Do I need to get an update in order to have a better picture? This thing already has a very good picture.

frenchmon

So what does this mean for me? Do I need to get an update in order to have a better picture? This thing already has a very good picture.

frenchmon

Do you have an NTSC, or PAL TV? I don't think you need the update, it is for PAL TV's.

Do you have an NTSC, or PAL TV? I don't think you need the update, it is for PAL TV's.

Thanks William.

frenchmon

It appears that this player is sounding better and better playing CD's and superaudio CD's. I think its just breaking in.

frenchmon

Thanks William.

frenchmon

It appears that this player is sounding better and better playing CD's and superaudio CD's. I think its just breaking in.

frenchmon

I told you so man! There are few things once I buy I do not look backwards or forwards for long time. For me it was Marantz VC 6001 changer, Denon 3808CI reciever and Ps3.

Btw vc6001 will do pal direct if you have pal tv. and pal to ntsc if you have ntsc tv. So you are covered both ways!

Does the Marantz VC6001 allow the region hack and does it do pal to ntsc like my Yamaha C750?

Does the Marantz VC6001 allow the region hack and does it do pal to ntsc like my Yamaha C750?

absolutely!

Bump of an old thread.

If you can live with the limitations of this unit, Music Direct is selling it for $249. Not a bad price for a region free changer that sounds great with SACD's and CD'd.

There is also a free shipping coupon if you call them on their 800 number.


http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73851

Bump of an old thread.

If you can live with the limitations of this unit, Music Direct is selling it for $249. Not a bad price for a region free changer that sounds great with SACD's and CD'd.

There is also a free shipping coupon if you call them on their 800 number.


http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73851

How does the video and audio of the Marantz compare to the C750 and C950 Yamaha's?
Any experience with HDCD's? My C750 didn't play HDCD properly.

And are these players somewhat free of the tray issues of the older C750 and C950 models?

Is there anything out now, or on the horizon that would top this player for overall format compatability and multi-channel audio capabilities?

Well, I picked up two of these. One for the home theatre and one for the bedroom or livingroom. My C750 will do in the other room until I get a Yamaha C961 now that I've read this thread.

Is the SACD over HDMI useful at all or not? If not, the only thing I would be disappointed with regarding the VC6001 is the lack of ability to change one disc while the other is playing. Not the end of the world, but kinda strange to omit. Also, the checking of the disc trays is weird too, but I don't know if that will bother me. I don't watch one dvd after another without accessing the menu...unless people are talking about DVD-Audio discs.

About the changing of discs. You don't have to wait for the player to check each slot. If you know the disc you want, and/or you know some are empty, just press the disc skip button as many times as it takes to get to the disc you want. Not a big deal. You simply press skip disc until the disc you want is lit on the 5 disc buttons on the front face. My biggest disappointment is not being able to change 4 while one disc is playing. It's too bad the X-change feature is not on the yamaha remote, because I wouldn't be surprised if you could have programmed a universal remote to do this function using a yamaha remote. I'm guessing the feature is not totally absent in the players chips, it's simply not accessable. You could always obtain a second top of the players case and build yourself a lid that opens up like the early technics 5 disc carousels. Of course, you'd need the unit to have top access like a turntable. Just a weird idea, but it would work.

How do you folks like the DAC's?

cpc,

Are you enjoying your Marantz? Any issues? At the price from musicdirect, I believe I'm going to pick up one of these for use during parties. It seems like a better player than the comprable Denon from what I've been able to read.

Thanks for any feedback,

James

I used to be Big C. However, due to login difficulty, I had to change to ValjeanPhantom. Anyway ... I still have my Yamaha DVD-C750 and 950 changers. I did get the Pioneer Elite DV-58AV. I am a CRT S-video user. After some time, I came to the realization that my Pioneer has better analog sound for CDs and SACDs, yet my Yamahas have better picture quality for movies. For some reason, if you stack heavy components on top of the 750, the tray jams a lot, unless the heavy components are small in depth and you place them twards the back. Yet the 950 doesn't have a problem when you stack heavy stuff on it. I now have my 950, 58AV, and cable box stacked in my livingroom, while my 750 has a Bose Acoustic Wave Music System and 8.5" portable DVD player on top of it in my bedroom. Now all my stuff is getting more use out of it, rather than just wasting shelfspace and collecting dust.

cpc,

Are you enjoying your Marantz? Any issues? At the price from musicdirect, I believe I'm going to pick up one of these for use during parties. It seems like a better player than the comprable Denon from what I've been able to read.

Thanks for any feedback,

James

I used it a bit, but not too much. I bought two. I have one for sale. I haven't used either of them much lately. The one I had working was decent. Very similar to the Yam C750 I own. It did a funky with the discs and drawer once. Kinda bummed about that. Otherwise it's been ok. I'll use it some more once my theatre is back together.