Marantz NA7004 Network Audio Player (Black)

by Marantz

Product Features

• DLNA version 1.5 certified digital media player
• Supports - WMA, MP3, MPEG-4 AAC, WAV, FLAC
• USB input with iPod digital interface, Internet radio
• Discrete Symmetric circuit architecture with HDAM 2
• D/A Converter Mode providing 3 digital inputs

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 17.3 x 4.3 inches ; 15 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 19 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B003R7KMU6
• Item model number: NA7004
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,582 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #70 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Multiroom Digital Music Systems
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 1, 2010

Product Description

Network Audio Player, DLNA ver. 1.5 certified DMP (Digital Media Player) & DMR (Digital Media Renderer), Internet Radio(v-Tuner), Online streaming service available: napster, PANDORA and Phapsody, Front USB(type A) input for music playback with iPod/iPhone digital connection or USB memory, Rear USB(Type B)/Optical/Coax digital inputs enable D/A converter mode for external music source, Rear inputs support high quality format files USB: up to 96kHz/24bit, Optiacl&Coaxial: up to 192kHz/24bit, Bluetooth capability with option RX101, Supporting WMA, MP3, MPEG-4 AAC, WAV and FLAC format files, iPhone/iPod Touch Apps Control, Discrete high quality analog audio circuits with marantz HDAM-SA2, Hand held remote controller, Compatible with Windows7, Supporting UPnP,

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent piece of equipment with 3 critical flaws... September 27, 2012

By Funkaholic

I have owned the NA7004 since it first became available so I have as much experience in the setup & use of this product as just about anybody.

Even though this product does a lot I will try to keep this review focused because, in the end, it does do what the manufacturer says it will do and it does it all fairly well. The initial buginess seems to have been resolved over time through firmware upgrades and it is pretty stable these days.

I won't expound on its sonic capabilities -- some will think the DAC is fantastic and others will say it doesn't come close to other high-end audio componentry they own.

Setup is simple and the Internet Radio functions are perfectly adequate.

If you are considering this device, I will simply make you aware of what I feel are its 3 critical design flaws that affect my enjoyment in listening to server-based music:
1) It cannot play songs gaplessly. This, of course, is chiefly an issue with live albums and songs that 'bleed' together. The gap between songs is short, but the negative impact on the listening experience is undeniable.
2) You cannot FF/REW through files stored on a media server. Identification of this fact caused me to realize that this is the very first time I've owned a piece of hifi (or even low-fi for that matter) equipment that plays music of my own choice which is not capable of this most basic feature. Even my old 8-track player from the 70's had this capability. I mean c'mon, I can even get up and ballpark a FF/REW on a vinyl record. This is forward progress?!? I'm a musician who frequently enjoys replaying passages or phrases of a song without re-listening to the entire thing. Think this isn't a big deal? Go ahead and try living without it....
3) Playback is limited to files of 96/24 resolution or below. This was the only one of these design limitations which I knew about before buying the product. I didn't consider it a showstopper (and I still don't) but the more I purchase HD music online, the more the lack of 192/24 capability bugs me.

Overall I don't regret my purchase decision. This was the unit that got me to finally do away with a redbook cd player and there wasn't really anything better in the marketplace at this price point at the time. But it still bothers me that the product could've been so much more than it is. The NA7004 still lives in my 'serious' audiophile setup but it will soon be relegated to a secondary room where less critical listening takes place and therefore the issues outlined above will be less impactful. I probably would've given it 4 stars if it were half the price. Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleased - Fantastic Sound April 15, 2011

By Marc P.

Amazon Verified Purchase

I have had my eye on the NA7004 for quite some time. I purchased the NA7004 first and foremost to be used as a DAC (and second as a network audio player), and I am very pleased with it. The sounds is excellent...the DAC circuitry within the machine is from some of Marantz's much more expensive equipment which was limited edition and now sold out (KI Series). As another reviewer mentioned, break-in is important. I let it run with CD's on repeat and and amplifier off for 3 days straight.

I have been using it as an external DAC for a CD transport, as an external DAC for a digital music server, and I also have it connected to my network to play stored digital music files. I rip my own CD's in FLAC format. It also sounds great with lower bandwidth material - 320 Kbit and even 256 still sound quite good. FLAC is excellent, however. For me, this component has changed my audio system very significantly. It features an "M-Dax" circuit, which I don't use. The sound without M-Dax is great so why mess it up with processing? In all, sound is very much three-dimensional, super quiet, very dynamic, and overall tonally balanced. It sounds very natural and blows away any other digital sources I've had attached to my system.

The ability to play internet radio stations is a very pleasant surprise - there are some which broadcast in high bitrates and I am very impressed with the amount of content you can access and play back in very high quality with the NA7004. It is also great to be able to play Pandora through the NA7004. In all, this component is a terrific addition to my system and I sure wish I saw more good reviews for it.

There is a nifty iPhone app ("Wizz App") - a free download from iTunes - which serves as a remote control.... You can also control it from a computer on your network by hitting its IP address. Very handy.

The only area in which I am disappointed is with its use as a media player with a UPNP Network Attached Storage (NAS) media server. The NA7004 seems to have a hard time "finding" the NAS on my network, and when it does, it is quite slow to switch tracks or search for different playlists. Since I mostly use the NA7004 as a DAC with a CD transport or with a hard disk based media server connected directly to the Marantz via coaxial digital cable, this is not a huge concern for me personally, but it could be a problem for others and I'd like to see it addressed with a firmware update (I am using the latest update as of this review). It could be my UPNP server is part of the problem - it is several years old and one based on newer technlogy may not challenge the NA7004 as much.

In all, I am very happy with this Marantz and I am glad I bought it! Read more ›

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Works Well April 1, 2011

By J. White

Amazon Verified Purchase

Have had this for 3 days now and am very happy with it. The first thing I did after setting up was to download the firmware update. Sound quality is very good using the optical output - especially if you use lossless material like FLAC. Through the optical output I would say sound coloration character is "neutral". I have read reviews elsewhere that say sound quality was uneven while using the analog outs. My past experience with Marantz leads me to believe that break in of at least a hundred hours is necessary for those type of analog output stages to "flatten up. I tested the unit with 320 AAC files, 24 bit 96 khz FLAC, and WAV files and very good sound was obtained. Internet radio is the best sounding of any unit I have ever used. I am foremost a fan of vinyl but I can truly say this unit makes digital files "listenable". Much better sound then I expected . I hear no evidence of fatique at all.

I went ahead and purchased the 50 buck firmware upgrade to enable airplay functionality with Apple Ipod, Itunes, iPad products and tested it all tonight. Very satisfying. I connected an iPod to the unit and that also worked very well.In conclusion I feel the unit is worth the price and recommend it.

So what are the "cons'? One I can think of is that it is outrageous that Marantz does not provide the Airplay firmware upgrade free of charge to people buying the product today. The other things I dislike is that the unit will not decode 24 bit 192Khz FLAC files or Apple Lossless ones. You are however able to play Apple Lossless files stored in Itunes on your computer or iOS devices via Airplay and sound quality is excellent.

Is this unit for the rabid audiophile with a 100k system? Probably not.... It produces great sound for a mid range system though and I feel a large portion of listeners will be very happy with it. Read more ›