Customer Reviews

Marantz UD9004 Flagship Universal Player (Black)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This player was purchased from Amazon and A/B compared with an Oppo BDP83 Nuforce Edition. My comparisons apply only to 2 channel analog output operation. The 9004 is a beautiful piece and weighs nearly 50 lbs. The sound quality in most modes is excellent. In SACD operation I felt that the Oppo was a significant improvement. The music just sounded more alive with the Oppo. Keyboard and organ tracks that were clean and audible with the Oppo just seemed to disappear into the rest of the music with the Marantz. That specific disc is Jimmy D. Lane, It's Time. Two other people participated in the level matched test and all of us preferred the Oppo. With DVD-A and CD the difference was marginal. The 9004 is very good in those other formats. The system consists of B&W 802 Tower speakers powered by Aragon monoblocks and Soundstage Pre/pro. No crossover or delay was applied since the mains are full size and only stereo operation was used. I'd likely have been satisfied with the Marantz had the Oppo not been available for A/B comparison. Both units were burned in for 2 weeks playing continuously into load before any conclusions were reached.

Two other issues were slow loading and only 1 pair of L & R outputs. The problem with only one pair is that you cannot connect the unit for 2 channel stereo and 5.1 at the same time. That means cable swapping every time you switch between stereo and 5.1. My Sony SACD changer, Pioneer Elite DV-38A DVD-A player and the Oppo all have duplicate fronts to accommodate both modes without having to swap cables. Also, there were some Bluray titles that wouldn't load. I suspect a firmware update might correct that problem, but not the slow loading.

In the end, I returned this unit to Amazon since it's performance simply didn't measure up to its cost. If the roles were reversed and the $1300 Oppo sounded like the Marantz and vice versa, I wouldn't think twice about spending the extra thousands on the Marantz. I like the looks of the Marantz better, but the bottom line is always sound in this house.

I have had both the UD9004 and a Modwright modified Oppo BDP83se, which should be comparable if not superior to the Nuforce described above. I cannot argue with the objective comparisons -- the UD9004 is slower to load and the menu is harder to navigate. On the other hand, it plays quieter.

As for SACDs played through the analog audio outputs, to my ears (and those of my golden-eared wife, the UD9004 output through source direct is the winner. The modified Oppo is terrific, but the UD9004 is a revelation. We listen largely to classical music and the timbre and dynamics of the instruments are just right. Of course, these comparisons are subjective and may depend on the associated equipment -- we have Rockport speakers and Theta electronics. But in our system, we have found audio nirvana.

As for the video quality, Blu Rays look pretty much identical on both units. But the Blu-ray load time on the UD9004; well, it gives you enough time to pop the popcorn!