Tired of Swapping CDs?

You have amassed quite a CD collection over the years. Unfortunately, those 500 CDs do take up a bit of space. And finding the one you want is sometimes a challenge unless you have them all exquisitely organized. While you enjoy the full uncompressed sound quality of CDs, you will admit that the convenience of calling up almost any track on Spotify or Apple Music and streaming it to a wireless speaker is just easier — even if it’s not the last word in audio quality.

Perhaps you are wondering if there is a way to have the convenience of streaming and digital files along with the pleasure of playing that live concert or jazz CD that is difficult to find on Spotify. And you are picky about audio quality, not wanting to sacrifice the aural experience for convenience.

Well, you are in luck. There are such products that combine the convenience of digital sources with superb sound quality. One such product comes from Marantz, a storied audio brand that is perhaps best known these days for their exemplary AV receivers, which we recommend for home theater installations. But Marantz has also continued to make audiophile-grade two-channel stereo components, from affordable lines to the Reference line that competes with the best in high-end audio.

One of Marantz’s best all-around products is the ND8006 music player. If you need a complete digital upgrade to your two-channel audio rig in Portland, this unit does it all. Read on to learn more.

SEE ALSO: Vinyl: The Last Bastion of Pure Analog Audio Bliss

Keep the CDs

First, the ND8006 is capable of playing all your old CDs, including any you may have recorded on your computer of your son’s 7^th-grade band. So, there’s no need to ditch the CDs, especially if part of your collection is music or other audio that you don’t find online. But this player is so much more — it can be the hub for all your digital music sources.

Let’s start with the connectivity. On the wireless front, it features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Apple Airplay2. Bluetooth lets you stream music from practically any mobile device’s audio, and Airplay2 enables you stream any almost any audio source from an Apple device. Airplay2 adds synchronization with other Airplay devices to form a whole home system. But the whole-home capabilities don’t stop there; the ND8006 adds support for HEOS multiroom audio, which is supported by Marantz, Denon, and HEOS branded soundbars and wireless speakers.

For physical connections, the player has multiple functions. It has optical, coaxial, and USB inputs, so that other digital sources can use its superior is built-in digital to analog converter (DAC). It even has fixed and variable analog outputs. The variable output is a unique feature, and it allows the player to be used with a pair of quality amplified speakers without the need for a separate preamplifier and amplifier.

All these connections provide for many capabilities. It can play stored music files either from an attached drive or over your home network. It can handle the latest high-resolution audio files with its advanced DAC. Through its HEOS capability, it can stream from services like Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more. If you like to occasionally listen with headphones, a discrete, high-quality headphone amp is also included. With all the connectivity, all your audio will sound better through this player.

High-End Build Quality

What makes this player special is not just the features, but the audiophile quality components and build quality. The ESS 9016 DAC is one that is commonly used in other high-end audio components. The toroidal power supply is the type that is found in the best amplifiers and components, providing a stable and clean power supply. The 17-lb. heft tells you that this unit has a solid, resonance-free chassis and is no inexpensive piece of electronics.

Pure Convenience

Aside from a comprehensive smartphone control app and the HEOS wireless capability, the ND8006 is also controllable via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. You can tell Alexa or Google to turn the volume up or down, or skip a track, and more. As the voice agents improve and add more features, even more hands-free control will be possible.

Are you ready to upgrade your two-channel audio in Portland?  Reach out to our team today; we’d love to show you all the options.