Marantz CD5001 (2005)

The Marantz CD5001 came out in September 2005 at an original price of ¥28,000. It is reasonably well documented thanks to the Japanese audio-database.com record. It was a single-disc CD player built around the Cirrus Logic CS4392 DAC, a 192 kHz/24-bit chip, with a KSS-213C laser mechanism. It played CD-R and CD-RW discs and showed CD text on its dot matrix display. The front panel was extruded aluminum, made to match the PM4001 integrated amplifier from the same period.

The specs are respectable. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dynamic range is 100 dB or better, signal-to-noise ratio is 110 dB, and harmonic distortion is 0.0025% at 1 kHz. Analog output is unbalanced at 2.0 Vrms. Digital outputs are coaxial (0.5 Vp-p/75 Ω) and optical. The analog and coaxial digital outputs use gold-plated terminals. The headphone output (18 mW into 32 Ω) gets its own input buffer circuit, meant to isolate it from the main audio path. Power consumption is a modest 14W (0.8W standby), and the unit measures 440 × 87 × 283 mm at 4.0 kg.

The CD5001 was not a bare-bones budget machine. It had a quick replay function (playback from 10 seconds before with one touch), pitch control adjustable up to ±12% in 1% steps, 30-song programming, random play, A-B repeat, AMS, peak search, and a 20-song music calendar. There was also a display-off function. The included remote was the RC5400CD. The RC001CD, RC002CD, and RC-63CD are all compatible alternatives.

The "OSE" designation appears on some listings and manuals. The CD5001 OSE was a variant "based on the CD5001" with customized components for improved sound quality, but the standard model's documentation doesn't confirm it as an official Marantz lineup position. Stuff.tv observed at the time that Marantz, "once a dominant force in the sub-£500 arena, looks to be back from the wilderness with the CD5001" - a standalone player selling for under £200.

The used market suggests the player has held up well. Russian Avito listings from recent years show units selling between roughly 11,000 and 18,000 ₽, with sellers consistently describing reliable disc reading and good cosmetic condition. One St. Petersburg seller offered a unit with original documents, brought from Germany with 220V power. A YouTube video title references a common issue where the player "will not play discs," but the archive's files document no details on the failure or fix.

Known specs, summarized:

- **DAC:** Cirrus Logic CS4392 (192 kHz/24-bit)

- **Mechanism:** Sony KSS-213C

- **Disc support:** CD, CD-R, CD-RW (no MP3, no HDCD)

- **Frequency response:** 20 Hz–20 kHz

- **Dynamic range:** 100 dB or more

- **S/N ratio:** 110 dB

- **THD:** 0.0025% (1 kHz)

- **Analog output:** 2.0 Vrms unbalanced

- **Digital outputs:** Coaxial (0.5 Vp-p/75 Ω), optical

- **Headphone output:** 18 mW/32 Ω

- **Dimensions:** 440 × 87 × 283 mm