Should i upgrade to cd17Ki?

Ive spotted a gold Marantz cd17 Ki signature mkI for £450 which is quite affordable, it doesnt say ex dem or 2nd hand but i will ring the dealer to check, is that a good price and most importantly will it sound alot better than my cd6000Ki? Has anyone compared the 2 or upgraded from 6000 to 17? I just remember listening to the more recent cd17m/sa17m non Ki combo and was very underwhelmed. I am happy with my system at the moment even if there is a serious inbalance(speakers cost the most by far) So should i go for cd17Ki? Also is it true that the mkI is suppose to be the best cd17??

cheers
Ultra

 

I'd personally be looking at changing the amp first.

And a CD17KI for £450 isn't that amazing a deal. I got my CD16 (model up from CD17) for rather less than that.

 

yeah, I'd say amp too.

500 quid will get you an excellent integrated on the second hand market IMO.

Got to give those funky new speakers a bit of quality juice!

 

Sorry to be boring but my nos DAC made a massive improvement to my 6000KI for quite abit less that 17 you've seen, Id be very surprised if the 17 was as good as it from what Ive heard.

 

The Marantz drives the new speakers surprisingly well! Whats the cream of the £500 integrateds crop, new or 2nd hand? The JM labs are quite sensitive and arent too power hungry.

cheers
Ultra

 

I havent heard the 6000k1,though i do possess the 6000 ose limited edition.From what ive read the k1 is better ,though not breath takingingly better , than the LE.For £450 ,Im just wondering whther youd thought of a different make cd player alltogether?Sometimes a different make can "add" to yor enjoyment.Perhaps i have unusual taste but my old nad 521 bee player (dont have it any more) sounded better to me (through a marantz pm7200) than the marantz player which was much more expensive.I then upgraded to a nad c542 and that blew the both of them away.Compared to the nad ,the marantz player sounds very tame and almost compressed to my ears.I still use it upstairs but it isnt "anything special".Just a thought anyway.
ellison

 

at 500 pounds I'd personally say there are so many options and choices - its all a matter of taste really.

You could look at a valve kit (pre-made or new) or a used valve integrated, or a new valve amp.

You could go for a solid state powerhouse, or an older Naim pre-power. Also in budget would be dearer integrateds.

It all depends what kind of sound you want.

Hard to reccomend.

 

I have had the ki 6000, the ki 63 and the cd17ki at some times.

I didn't have the ki17 and 63 at the same time, but here is my thoughts.

the 63 was the bubbliest and livliest of the bunch, hifichoice described it perfectly as warm smooth and open to a fault.
It has punchy slight bloated bass, forward mid and creamy top, very impressive.

the 6000 is much more refined and sedate, I preferred the 63, more lively

the ki17 mk 1 was boring as hell, really, I hated it. I would avoid personally, tho nice build. Its a taste thing, but I found it objectively no better at the time, my ears and tastes may have changed tho

If you fancy it, give it a go, you may be different.

you takes yer pick.

 

IMO the 17KI doesn't come alive until you reclock it (talk about a stuck record). I wouldn't buy it personally but then I wouldn't spend anything on a cd player atm, too many changes going on in digital. I'd get a valve amp

 

Oh yes, a valve amp most def

 

If I Were You...

I'd use the £500 to buy the best pre/power amp. you can find second hand. IMHO, look for Exposure Electronics, late '80s onwards.
I recently bought a IV power amp, IX power supply and XI pre-amp for not much more than you're looking at.
This was top of the range stuff, in 1989 or so... and it sounds excellent!

 

£500 would buy an s/h marantz battleship (CD10, CD16, etc) and a DAC. Then later reclock it or DOB it...

 

this, obviously https://www.audio-forums.com/as-rediect/showthread.php?t=7999


but the pm7200 does seem to drive the JM labs well mate. As i said, speaker wire is the most important thing to replace if i were you- that SA really is a bit bright and unrefined

 

I think Rory meant this......!

https://www.audio-forums.com/as-rediect/showthread.php?t=8098

(I had a 63KI, if 6000KI is similar, definitely upgrade amp first). Try S/H Sugden a21 or a NADS300 or a Chinese import valve/ss amp.
see this thread for a chinese. (Might want another one a couple of hours later though)

https://www.audio-forums.com/as-rediect/showthread.php?t=8124


Liam.

 

If you want Sugden, theres some at the emporium

SUGDEN A21a new in stock, home dem available
SUGDEN A21aP power amp only 425 in soon
SUGDEN C51/A51 pre power orig model 400
SUGDEN C128/P128 pre/power combo 120 watts per channel 350

I believe the A51 was supposed to be the grown up version of the A21.

 

The Rotel 1062 has been reviewed favourably and on home audition I can confirm that it excellent.

 

Buy a Rotel CD player (solid build) and a NOS DAC. It will easily out-perform a Marantz CD17KI.

 

I'd vote for a Sugden A21a.

 

just noticed marantz cd17 ki mk1 for £389 on
http://www.adverts.hififorsale.com/latest.asp

RRP: £1200

Description * *
Marantz CD17ki mk1 in gold finish.

Location:
hants
UK

but probably not flavour any more *
* * *
Advert No: 52132

 

well guys here's my twopenneth,i bought a bog standard cd63 ki and got it modded,many capacitor and voltage regulator changes,also to include a trichord clock4 and never connected psu,i compared it to a marantz cd10 which had a trichord clock2,and it blew it away,i previously had a naim cd5x,this was also blown away by the modded cd63ki,(even when connected to a flatcap2 psu)i've just upgraded amps from a sugden a21a int to michell altec monoblocks with an audiolab 8000 pre and that makes even greater difference,you can check out the guy who modded mine,a must for a high end cd player on a budget,he sells on ebay..http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3272&item=7507885929&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW