Digital Drive: REVIEW: Heart CD6000 CD Player/Recorder by Metatron

Model:	CD6000
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$749.00
Description:	Marantz CD6000 player with tube output stage & tweaking by Heart
Manufacturer URL:	Heart
Model Picture:	View

Review by Metatron on September 25, 2001 at 13:34:42
IP Address: 12.10.10.222

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for the CD6000

My previous cd player was a Sony CDP-31 so the difference between the two players is huge, but I have compared my friends Yamaha multi-disc player with DAC w/tube output (California Labs, I believe) to the Heart CD6000 and it held the edge. The unit I have also has a superclock installed. I'm not a seasoned pro on hifi matters, but this cd player sounds amazing to me. I listen to just about everything (see my system profile) and the CD6000 always performs effortlessly. I can now hear more decay on notes and little sounds that I've never heard before, such as the bedsheet being torn under the lyics of 'One Of My Turns' by Pink floyd off 'The Wall'. There is absolutely no digital glare with this player and it has a nice-even-full-detailed sound.
When I first recieved this player, the superclock was defective in which Heart replaced it free of charge and included a set of RCA goldpin 6922's for my trouble - very profesional. This is probably one of the best values for price-performance ratios out there. The Heart unit does not put the tubes in series with the opamp; it completely replaces the opamp with the tubestage.
Overall, this is the best purchase I've made in an attempt to have analog sound from a digital source.
Cheers

Product Weakness: Spilled beer intolerant
Product Strengths: Tube sound galore

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Jolida 302b (stock w/Sovtek & Ei)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Heart CD6000
Speakers:	MMG & HSU VTF-2
Cables/Interconnects:	MIT Terminator 2 (speakers, cd, tuner, minidisc). Bettercables XLR for shortwave audio
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Just about everything. Uli Jon Roth-Miles Davis-Antonio Vivaldi-Junior Brown-HF Pirate Radio broadcasts etc...
Room Size (LxWxH):	15 x 15 x 20
Room Comments/Treatments:	Room has slanted ceiling starting at 10 ft.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	4 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Tice Solo A/V
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	So far, so good

Product Weakness:	Spilled beer intolerant
Product Strengths:	Tube sound galore