marantz cdr500 recorder/playback quality

I've just had a CDR500 for about a week now, and I agree with the above posts in that it makes excellent CD copies-- that's what I got it for. But is only mediocre as a transport. I haven't actually tried it direct to pre-amp, but run coax out to my 360S DAC. I'll have to try it direct to pre-amp. Cheers. Craig

The straight CD playback quality of this machine is unexceptional, and doesn't qualify as high-end, IMHO. See my in-depth review titled "CD Burners: Marantz vs. HHB" in the archives. Unfortunately, the search engine won't recover this thread directly from contained keywords for some reason. You must search on "Zaikesman", then find the thread title in the returns and click on it there. I should note that although I own and like the HHB machine used as a burner, on Jimmymac's question I would give the same opinion about it as the Marantz - and ditto when used as a transport for an outboard DAC. You can't have it all!

Thanks for your input. I didn't think the playback would be great. I was just trying to get an idea if it was decent. I just sold my higher end player (Arcam 92) and I've wanted to get a recorder so I thought about getting the CDR500 and using it as my playback until I decide which way to go on the high end front.

I have owned the CDR 500 for nearly a year; and have to
say that I have found the playback to be pretty decent.
However, I am using it in a professional media duplication
studio - and to be perfectly honest - I am much more
concerned with the CD recording quality it produces. And I
suspect most people who own this CD recorder pay a lot
more attention to the quality of the CD it records than
the playback quality.
I do have to say that this unit has performed very
well for me. I can play CD-Rs recorded on this unit in just
about every CD player I know of - and they sound very good.
I suspect there are better audiophile type CD players out
there that have better sounding playback - but as mentioned,
that is not the reason most people buy the CDR 500.