Marantz DR6000 (2000)
The Marantz DR6000 was a Century Series CD recorder released in June 2000 at ¥74,800. It was a single-tray machine, and Marantz said it was designed to go after sound quality as well as recording function. It handled both CD-R and CD-RW discs. The mechanism used a die-cast vibration-control structure to counter the resonances that can affect recording and playback.
On the recording side, the DR6000 was well equipped for its era. A sampling rate converter automatically translated digital signals from sources running at 32-48 kHz (CS/BS broadcasts, DAT, and the like) down to CD's 44.1 kHz. A digital direct recording path bypassed that converter entirely for 44.1 kHz sources, which Marantz noted allowed HDCD and DTS CDs to be recorded. A MAKE CD function handled a whole-disc dub from start through finalization automatically. An auto track increment feature assigned track numbers as you recorded. CD text input, erasure, and editing were built in, storing album and artist names alongside the music. SCMS copy protection was supported, and finalization took 2-4 minutes.
Sonically, Marantz used its usual parts bin. Each of the left and right output amplifiers used the company's high-speed HDAM voltage amplification modules, shielded against heat, vibration, and electromagnetic interference. The D/A converter was a Philips TDA1305 bit-stream DAC, run in differential, L/R-independent configuration for channel separation and reduced harmonic distortion. The power transformer was an EI type wound with oxygen-free copper wire, and all input/output terminals were gold-plated. Digital level control spanned -63 dB to +6 dB, with balance adjustable in 100 steps per channel. Specs as published: frequency response 20 Hz-20 kHz; S/N 108 dB (digital recording/playback) and 95 dB (analog); dynamic range 100 dB and 92 dB respectively; dimensions 440 × 87 × 317 mm; weight 4.6 kg; power consumption 24W.
The service manual covers the DR6000 under the DR6050 series designation. The DR6050 was the dual-tray sibling. The CD-R module is the MAR775, documented separately. The manual includes faultfinding trees for CD-R recording, CD-RW erasing, and disc playback issues. A user review quoted on a dealer site praised the DR6000's playback quality and called it astonishing, but the same reviewer wished it were as reliable as its brand and price suggested. The remote control was described as big and extensive, and it made the recording features easier to reach than the front-panel buttons.
*Source: Audio Database (June 2000).*
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