Review on Marantz M-CR612 Network CD Receiver (2019 Model) - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Heos Connectivity for Unlimited Music Streaming - AM/FM Tuner, CD Player, Alexa Compatible - Black by Christopher Todd

Just upgraded from CR611 to M-CR612 and I can safely say this device is amazing. It looks like Marantz is taking its time and improving this fantastic line both aesthetically and sonically. I paired my old CR611 with Paradigm MilleniaOne 2.0 speakers and they performed great in my small room (280 square feet). Although the Millenia bass is good I felt I needed more power so I went back and bought a Paradigm Seismic 110 subwoofer. Small package, big sound! However, something was always missing. So I later changed Millenia and paired the CR611 with a Paradigm Signature S1 with beryllium tweeters with no subwoofer and the amp sounded much better. The CR612 takes the soundstage to the next level with the new Parallel BTL and a higher damping factor. Even right out of the box and with no cracking, the 612 has a buttery smoother and sweeter soundstage, with more pronounced bass and sharper detail. Marantz may have taken some design cues from their top-of-the-line HD AMP1 circuitry and filters, but whatever they do, the 612 sounds better than the 611, enough for you to notice. They also kept the subwoofer cutoff settings: Flat, Response 1, Response 2, Response 3, and Response 4. I know they don't have intuitive names, but Response 1-4 correspond to 40Hz, 60Hz, and 80Hz 100 Hz. Reductions or. There are now selectable headphone gain levels (low, medium and high). There is also a new speaker configuration mode called Parallel BTL. If you recall, both the 611 and 612 have amplifiers with four separate channels. You can drive two sets of speakers (A+B) at the same time, or one set in bi-amp mode. What they did with Parallel BTL is that each channel is driven by four amplifiers to increase the damping factor. A higher damping factor allows the speaker to start and stop faster without delay, which improves the sound. In addition to all that, Marantz has also changed the feature set of this device quite a bit. In terms of features, Marantz removed the secure Wi-Fi setting and iOS buttons from the back of the 612 and no longer supports NFC. for Bluetooth. The USB port on the front panel has also been removed. It also doesn't show up in the Marantz Hi-Fi Remote app and you have to use the HEOS app. What they did is add support for Wireless-N 5Ghz Band, AirPlay2, Revain Alexa and Siri, Napster, SoundCloud, Tidal and many more streaming services like iHeart Radio. I don't recall if the 611 automatically changed the source to TV when an optical input was detected, but the 612 includes an autoplay feature for digital inputs. The software is also more responsive and AirPlay 2 works perfectly and smoothly with no issues or lags. It gets artist and song names almost instantly, possibly due to its use of the 5GHz WiFi band. Aesthetically, while the CR611 had a rounded belly of sorts on the sides, the CR612 is completely flat, making it more streamlined and easier on the eye. This also gives the impression that it's smaller than the 611. The front panel is now two-tone, with the center dark gray and the sides black. It's not made of metal, but some sort of reflective acrylic material, so it's prone to scratches. However, the two-tone color gives the 612 a more professional look, although the OLED display is now just a black slip that doesn't really blend in. I think there are compromises everywhere, but overall I like the new look. Verdict: This CR612 is an update of the CR611 both aesthetically and in terms of sound quality, and it seems like Marantz has spent time improving the design over the past three years. There are also enough new features that make the upgrade worthwhile. If you research this block, this is a good quality piece. Combine it with a pair of good bookshelf speakers and you will enjoy a new sound character. I also have a NAD D3020v2 in my New York studio and am replacing it with another CR612. Thanks for reading and good luck. —— CR612 instead of CR611 ——* Wireless-N 5 GHz* BTL speakers parallel configuration* Selectable headphone gain levels (low, medium, high)* New streaming services such as iHeartRadio and Napster* AirPlay 2* HEOS app* Dual Tone bezel * Best software * Best slim body - - What CR612 lost - - * NFC * Front USB port * iOS & Secure Wi-Fi setup buttons - - CR611 instead of CR610 - - * Four accent colors (White, Green, Blue, Orange on and off)* 2 GHz Wireless-N support* Wi-Fi Multimedia* Bluetooth (with NFC but without aptX)