After hearing a few different CD players, I finally decided on the Marantz, basically because I really wanted a 5 disc player. I was going down the street to Cambridge Soundworks, but I figured I would try out the accessories4less refurbs. I have had the unit for 2 days and so far, no problems. The only issue is that the player is quite noisy when opening, closing or switching discs. Anyone else have the issue?
Both, I switch between them sometimes just to see if I can hear the difference, usually very subtle difference.
Jeffrey-WNY
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I'm sorry to jump in with a negative comment here, but I feel I should post this feedback about my personal experience dealing with accessories4less. They mailed me a broken Marantz cc 4300 CD changer. The only option they gave me was to send the broken unit to the Marantz service center, and wait an indeterminate period of time to see what Marantz decided to do about it. It's somewhat of a risk to buy electronics over the Internet and also somewhat of a risk to buy refurbed electronics -- I guess I shouldn't be totally surprised that it didn't work out, but I am extremely displeased with accessories4less, especially compared to the customer service I expect from a reputable on-line retailer (like, e.g., Amazon) .... Here's what I wrote to accessories4less (to which they haven't deemed fit to respond):
"I would like you to refund the shipping I paid to return a *defective* item to you. It was your responsibility to send me a functional Marantz CD changer. When I received one that was broken, a reputable on-line merchant would have sent me a FedEx or UPS mailing label to return it to post-paid for return or exchange, but you didn't.
"I don't want to deal with the Marantz service center. I bought a CD changer from accessories4less and it was your responsibility to provide me with a working unit out of the box. If it broke after I used it, then I would agree to be relegated to the Marantz warranty, but not when the item arrived broken from your store. I didn't return it to you because I changed my mind, but because you sent me a broken unit. It's your responsibility to deal with your distributor, not mine.
"I learned about accessories4less on an Internet audiophile forum and everyone who posted there agreed that you had a good reputation. I'm only asking that you refund the postage one-way, not both ways. I think I'm being entirely fair. You haven't offered me any acceptable options and I'm very disappointed in this transaction."
Thanks for the info Jeffrey and I'm sorry your experience was negative. I hope it inevitably gets resolved to your satisfaction. I've owned one refurb and it was a bad experience for me so I will never do it again.
That's certainly a very sobering post, thanks for sharing it though.
If I were you I'd also post it on the resellerratings.com site, as well as whatever local BBB where accessories4less.com are located. Also on as many audio forums as possible, sometimes this negative publicity MAY force the seller to settle with a disgruntled customer.
Jeffrey-WNY
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Thanks for the advice; you guys are cool! I'm not quite sure what I want to do next about the CD player, if anything. At first, I was using a Toshiba DVD SD 3980 with a Panasonic SA XR55 receiver, and it sounded pretty *terrible* through the digital coax connection, blurry and muffled, like I was listening to music with cotton in my ears. I switched to a Panasonic F 87 DVD-CD changer, and the improvement was truly amazing, really powerful and detailed, crystal clear sound. (But only through the digital coax connection ... the analog connection sounded about like the Toshiba.) The changer mechanism on the Panasonic works smoothly and quietly, and the remote lets you turn off the video functionality. Then I bought the Marantz CC 4300 CD changer, thinking that I should keep upgrading since I got such a good result from the first step up, but now I'm thinking that maybe the two Panasonic products work well together because they have similar circuitry (e.g., the "multi-remaster" function is the same) and that the Panny CD changer is as good as I'm going to get -- that is, it isn't the weak link in the chain -- unless I want to rise to a different level on the receiver and speakers too. Put differently, I'm wondering if the way the components match-up (CD player to amp, amp to speakers) isn't as important as the quality of the components themselves.
In audio the buzz word is "synergy", and yes it really is as important as the individual components that you choose. We audio folks have a bad tendency to hear our systems sounding good and wondering what it would sound like if only we added ------- to it. Then ofcourse it sounds out of balance and we need to upgrade something else and the cycle goes on and on. If you enjoy it with the Panasonic components perhaps that synergy is there and you may want to stop for awhile until you are ready for a total upgrade. Now if only I listen to my own advice...lol. Enjoy.
Yes indeed Art, too true. If I add this, oh now if i replace that...looking for the best for ourselves. Of course the audio industry knows this, thus changing out formats and products with high fibre regularity.
This is what i call 'The Audio Self Eating Watermellon', or the ASSEW
Feel free, no patents, unlike BMOMN, I think it was.