I had one for about 5 years, i used him as a streamer (not with roon) and occasionally as an internet radio. In my opinion it only brings shame to Marantz house, booth sonically and especially software wise (regardless the bugs, it feels and acts medieval with the network protocol implementation the worse I saw). The sound was absolutely flat and lifeless. Obviously my experience it’s subjective, but I had the occasion to compare the sound with different gear along the way. If the DAC in KI Pearl is the same then I would stay very far away from that one too…
Where I’m mostly interested in the Marantz NA7004 is as a Transport not as a DAC (although I am sure the DAC is quite good enough). As I’ve mentioned before IIRC the transport quality is superb and this is the main and sole reason why it is back on the hi-fi rack.
The software is appalling yes - no doubt about it - this is not the reason why the NA7004 is back with me.
I’ve just literally put it back on the rack 1 hour ago - so this Weekend I will see if it performs (in the context as a transport) as formidable as I recall. Pitting it against the likes of a Node 2i.
I have a Marantz NA7004 which I use in a bedroom system. My NA7004 does not have Airplay support, but I use in conjunction with Roon using Chromecast Audio and an HDMI to optical SPDIF converter. I hadn’t expected this to work particularly well, but it actually works pretty much flawlessly.
Chromecast Audio is no longer available to purchase new, but you can get resolution up to 24bit/96mHz using a standard Chromecast device.
As you mentioned, the Marantz UI is pretty hopeless - Roon is infinitely better.
Sounds like a nice little setup. Conveniently this NA7004 does have Airplay - which means I can have the NA7004 directly as a ROON endpoint (and I’m quite happy with Airplay’s CD quality limitation). This is important because I want the NA7004 to be the rendering transport rather than use a connected device.
Or I could simply BubbleUPnP Tidal from an Android device.
Either way, there are a few ways to skin this cat…
Well I did recall correctly - as a transport it’s awesome - the old Arcam BB1 relishes the quality upstream. What I did not expect however, or recall for some reason, is just how good the NA7004 is as a DAC! Not the reason I bought it so this is a bonus. It’s acting as a DAC in the context of a Bluesound Node 2i feeding it via coax - then out the Marantz, next to an NVA P50sa (passive stepped attenuator pre) to a Croft valve / mosfet 7P power amp, finishing at Role Audio Enterprise loudspeakers.
The Marantz NA7004 as a DAC sounds solid, sweet, detailed with great treble definition, no blurring or muddling of the sound, with great body and presence.
I’m going to keep it for now as a DAC and transport reference.
Yes - when I first decided to move into streaming, I demoed the Marantz NA7004 against the much more expensive Linn Majik DS and Naim ND5 XS. It perhaps wasn’t quite so good as these, but it was very nearly as good (to my ears). I ended up buying an ND5 XS and an NA7004 for my bedroom system.
I still have the NA7004 in my bedroom system, but the ND5 XS in my 2nd (AV) system is long gone - replaced by a Sonore microRendu/Chord Hugo set up (the Hugo has now been replaced by a Mytek Brooklyn+ DAC). It didn’t take me long to move completely from CDs to local and external (Tidal) streaming and I also purchased a Linn Klimax DS/1 for my main system.
The Marantz is obviously not in the same class as my other 2 set-ups, but it is pretty exceptional value for money - particularly so now that the cheap and nasty Marantz UI has been replaced by Roon.
After all this time have you ever thought about just putting back the NA7004 in your main rig and seeing how close it can sound-wise get with your elite hardware?
I know the NA7004 isn’t sexy but it certainly sound very good.
I haven’t tried putting the NA7004 into my main rig, but I did for a brief period put it into my 2nd (AV) system when I had a problem with the Chord Hugo which required a battery replacement. It was pretty decent, but still some way off the sound quality of the microRendu/Hugo (or the Mytek Brooklyn+). The KLimax DS/1 is quite a bit better than the microRendu/Brooklyn+ in my very ‘revealing’ main system, so I won’t be trying out the NA7004 in that system.
Undoubtedly though, from a value for money perspective the NA7004 is tops.
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