Marantz NA7004 Network Audio Player (Black)

I have had my eye on the NA7004 for quite some time. I purchased the NA7004 first and foremost to be used as a DAC (and second as a network audio player), and I am very pleased with it. The sounds is excellent...the DAC circuitry within the machine is from some of Marantz's much more expensive equipment which was limited edition and now sold out (KI Series). As another reviewer mentioned, break-in is important. I let it run with CD's on repeat and and amplifier off for 3 days straight.I have been using it as an external DAC for a CD transport, as an external DAC for a digital music server, and I also have it connected to my network to play stored digital music files. I rip my own CD's in FLAC format. It also sounds great with lower bandwidth material - 320 Kbit and even 256 still sound quite good. FLAC is excellent, however. For me, this component has changed my audio system very significantly. It features an "M-Dax" circuit, which I don't use. The sound without M-Dax is great so why mess it up with processing? In all, sound is very much three-dimensional, super quiet, very dynamic, and overall tonally balanced. It sounds very natural and blows away any other digital sources I've had attached to my system.The ability to play internet radio stations is a very pleasant surprise - there are some which broadcast in high bitrates and I am very impressed with the amount of content you can access and play back in very high quality with the NA7004. It is also great to be able to play Pandora through the NA7004. In all, this component is a terrific addition to my system and I sure wish I saw more good reviews for it.There is a nifty iPhone app ("Wizz App") - a free download from iTunes - which serves as a remote control. You can also control it from a computer on your network by hitting its IP address. Very handy.The only area in which I am disappointed is with its use as a media player with a UPNP Network Attached Storage (NAS) media server. The NA7004 seems to have a hard time "finding" the NAS on my network, and when it does, it is quite slow to switch tracks or search for different playlists. Since I mostly use the NA7004 as a DAC with a CD transport or with a hard disk based media server connected directly to the Marantz via coaxial digital cable, this is not a huge concern for me personally, but it could be a problem for others and I'd like to see it addressed with a firmware update (I am using the latest update as of this review). It could be my UPNP server is part of the problem - it is several years old and one based on newer technlogy may not challenge the NA7004 as much.In all, I am very happy with this Marantz and I am glad I bought it!

The unit would not stay on when the on button was used. The button would flash and the unit would immediately shut down. Had to return it. Was really disappointed. Amazon was great with the return.

ON EDIT: with a third unit Marantz finally allowed as how this box is incompatible with Time Warner's "Arris" brand cable modems. A tech switched me to a different brand cable modem and things are finally functioning normally.ORIGINAL REVIEW:This may be a wonderful unit: it should be, but in many western internet environments it will be hard or impossible to integrate into your systemI am now returning my second unit to the dealer, the first having been diagnosed as inoperative by Marantz after lengthy phone consultation. Neither unit was able to connect properly to the internet. After another LONG phone call with Marantz concerning the second NA7004, the case was escalated and I was told that the 7004 uses ports which are normally not active in USA internet setups: I was instructed to call Time Warner Cable and have "inbound and outbound ports 10443 and 5353 port-forwarded" to the IP address of the NA7004 (a dynamic address: the process would have to be repeated if the DHCP environment were reset, which happens every once in a while around here).Of course, if you know anything about Time Warner that process just burned up a lot MORE of my time and came to nothing. So I returned the 2nd the NA7004.Also, in both units the outboard Bluetooth adapter refused to accept audio from (it would pair with) my iPhone 5S. We never got to the stage where I could activate the AirPlay option.

I have owned the NA7004 since it first became available so I have as much experience in the setup & use of this product as just about anybody.Even though this product does a lot I will try to keep this review focused because, in the end, it does do what the manufacturer says it will do and it does it all fairly well. The initial buginess seems to have been resolved over time through firmware upgrades and it is pretty stable these days.I won't expound on its sonic capabilities -- some will think the DAC is fantastic and others will say it doesn't come close to other high-end audio componentry they own.Setup is simple and the Internet Radio functions are perfectly adequate.If you are considering this device, I will simply make you aware of what I feel are its 3 critical design flaws that affect my enjoyment in listening to server-based music:1) It cannot play songs gaplessly. This, of course, is chiefly an issue with live albums and songs that 'bleed' together. The gap between songs is short, but the negative impact on the listening experience is undeniable.2) You cannot FF/REW through files stored on a media server. Identification of this fact caused me to realize that this is the very first time I've owned a piece of hifi (or even low-fi for that matter) equipment that plays music of my own choice which is not capable of this most basic feature. Even my old 8-track player from the 70's had this capability. I mean c'mon, I can even get up and ballpark a FF/REW on a vinyl record. This is forward progress?!? I'm a musician who frequently enjoys replaying passages or phrases of a song without re-listening to the entire thing. Think this isn't a big deal? Go ahead and try living without it.3) Playback is limited to files of 96/24 resolution or below. This was the only one of these design limitations which I knew about before buying the product. I didn't consider it a showstopper (and I still don't) but the more I purchase HD music online, the more the lack of 192/24 capability bugs me.Overall I don't regret my purchase decision. This was the unit that got me to finally do away with a redbook cd player and there wasn't really anything better in the marketplace at this price point at the time. But it still bothers me that the product could've been so much more than it is. The NA7004 still lives in my 'serious' audiophile setup but it will soon be relegated to a secondary room where less critical listening takes place and therefore the issues outlined above will be less impactful. I probably would've given it 4 stars if it were half the price.