Marantz fans now have a more affordable way to blend their love of CD audio with the versatility of network playback and HDMI connectivity with the newly announced Marantz CD 50n and its matching stereo amplifier, the Marantz Model 50. The units come in your choice of black. Or silver/gold and cost $1,800 each. They are available from October 24th at Marantz.com and select retailers.
Until now, if you wanted a Marantz component that combined disc-based playback with network streaming, you had to buy the Marantz SACD 30n, priced at $2,999. That player is compatible with both CDs and SACDs, which may be overwhelming for those who have never expanded their collection of discs to include the high-resolution audio SACD format.
Other than the absence of SACD playback, the CD 50n shares a ton of the capabilities of the SACD 30n and it uses the same design language that Marantz has been using on all of its recent products.
In addition to CD playback, the CD50n can be used with AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming from Apple devices and can be accessed directly from the Tidal, Spotify, and Deezer apps. With Denon’s HEOS streaming software, you can also access Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and Soundcloud. The only notable absence is Apple Music.
Despite the lack of SACD support, you can still use the CD50n to play high-resolution audio. It is compatible with both FLAC (up to 24-bit/192kHz) and DSD audio 2.8, 5.6 and 11.2 MHz formats, which can be played from a USB storage device or network music library. In fact, the CD50n can be used as a central control for all your digital audio thanks to its optical and coaxial digital inputs and HDMI-ARC port.
These digital signals are run through the component’s 32-bit ESS Saber DAC – with optional Marantz Music digital filters – and then output via fixed or variable analog outputs.
At that point, you can connect the CD 50n to a set of powered speakers or to your own amp, but naturally, Marantz recommends that you pair the CD 50n with its Model 50 integrated stereo amplifier. Visually, they match perfectly. The Model 50 has six analog inputs (including a moving-magnet phono stage) which it can distribute to either four speakers at 8 ohms/70 watts, or two speakers at 4 ohms/100 watts.
