What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 11 SEP 2007

Marantz DV6001

£ 300 5

* * * * *

If sound quality is key for you, and you’ll use this player as a music machine, this could be the one

For
Smart styling and comprehensive spec; superb sound quality and insightful images
Against
Picture not as sharp or crisp as the very best

Note the price of this Marantz player, and you know that it must be doing something right to be holding its own in its class. Strangely, while the picture is more than competent, it’s the quality of the sound that really sets this player apart from the growing crowd.

Audio quality is very impressive
In test, it’s the sound quality that first catches our attention. Even playing 28 Days Later through a TV set, you notice the player’s ability to offer scale and dynamism.

However, connected to our reference surround system, the DV6001 really sings. It’s capable of playing DVD-A and SACD discs too, making this a musical all-rounder.

Bright and dark scenes handled well
Again, we’re largely impressed by the picture quality delivered. 28 Days Later – upscaled to 1080p – shows strong contrast levels, delivering plenty of detail in even the gloomiest of scenes. Switch to Sunshine, and the Marantz can do bright, exuberant colours, too.

Faults? Well, it can’t quite manage to render pictures as sharply as some rivals. Edges aren’t drawn as solidly and, while motion is smooth, the image doesn’t have quite the same crispness. Nevertheless, the sonic abilities of this player go a long way towards compensating for that.