Marantz Professional PMD-526C | CD/Media/Bluetooth Player with RS-232 Control

I'm just loving this CD player. The "pro audio" design is just really nice. It only does what you ask it to do. Unlike home (consumer) audio, it doesn't try to do anything extra when you push a button. It doesn't start playing just because you load a CD. It doesn't just change inputs because you plug something into the USB port. It just does exactly what you ask it to do. The sound quality is fantastic. Bluetooth works perfectly. Love that there is no tray to slide in & out (and have my kids or cats break). It's just a great piece of gear for a reasonable price.

So far, so good. This replaced a three year old Onkyo that gave way under light to moderate use. Sound quality is good, as most CD players are. I like the front loading mechanism that functions like a car player. It's faster than waiting for a drawer to open, and it displays song title as long as it's imbedded into the CD. A plus is the 3.5mm jack in front that allows a diect connection to an MP3 player or phone, even though you have to boost the volume to a higher level. A minus is the remote control interface which is not the most user friendly. It does have a nice compact size however which fits easily into a pocket. Looks nice sitting atop my Yamaha receiver. I added some adhesive boots to the bottom for ventilation. The unit arrives without the rack brackets attached. I'm very pleased with the purchase after one month. Hope it lasts longer than my last player. An optional warranty is always a good idea when buying modern electronics.

8/24/2018 - first impression: just got it last night. only played and enjoyed 2 cd' so far. for a $159 price tag, I really cannot complain. the unit itself is built soild, it has a weight to it, and same thing with the remote. I am no where near as a audiophile, but my ears are pretty sharp (I play musical instruments and often time I need to figure out chords by ears). I will not spend $499 for a high-end cd player. So this pmd-526c fits my needs: low price, good quality, basic cd player, with rca outputs (I don't really care about the xlr on this unit, and I don't really have speakers with optical connection besides tv soundbars. one thing you have to consider before you buy: you cannot turn off the unit with the remote; you need to press the on/off button on the unit itself (which I am ok since it's placed next to my bed with my alarm clock speakers). I have not explored all the functions yet such as playing mp3's from a usb stick or sd card, bluetooth, etc., but I don't think it will change my first impression much as I have a lot of other devices that can play mp3's and connect to bluetooth, so I don't really need this machine to outperform others.

This is a great compliment for your sound system. I like the fact it does two things extremely well; (a) Plays from CD, SD card or USB devices any audio format and (b) Provides bluetooth streaming from IOS and Android devices. It works flawlessly. Only gripe I have is the system cannot be turned on remotely. You have to physically go to the box and press the on/off button. Would have been nice to automate this so I could add it to my voice control home accessories. Only way to do this is to buy a Wi-Fi controlled AC outlet, plug the CD player into it and leave the power switch depressed.

Installed it last Sunday and worked perfectly, great sound, try to turn it on today, it won’t turn on, at all.Amazon chat simply recommended me to contact the manufacturer.Let’s see what Marantz has to say…Update: sent message to Marantz 4 days ago… no answer.It’s been several weeks now and no answered from Marantz.

This CD/media player is simple and compact - who needs a carousel? It's designed for gettin' the best sound out of your media. It has XLR outputs which I will hook up to my Behringer 3,500W active PA outfit with XLR cables this weekend, as well as my Yamaha 100W amp to the JBL Studio Series tower speakers, which I've been blasting for a week now - yeah, I have two sound systems in my living room. HA This unit features BT, and will be handy when my sons bring their music on their cel fones. It's the best CD player I have ever owned. You will be impressed, too. Hope this helps potential buyers.

This audio component plays music CDs, any MP3/4 etc I load on a USB stick or SD card; and the 3.5mm jack allows use of smartphone and iPad music. It fits securely and fits well into a standard 19-inch audio rack; and the two XLR outputs ensure dynamic sound through my audio mixer to the speakers. Almost forgot to mention that the Bluetooth connection to smartphones, pads and laptops is flawless - provides a high fidelity sound.

Like everything about this unit. Sounds very good and used primarily to convert through the auxiliary for my Google cast receiver. I use old school 1980 Harmon Kardon receiver and separate amp and this unit is my mothership for CD/USB/Aux. Couldn't be happier!