Marantz Melody Stream M-Cr510 Review (Part 1)

Marantz Melody Stream M-Cr510 Review (Part 1)

If you were one of the few people who bought a style system during the last decade you probably risked derision from your cleaner, never mind your tech-savvy mates unable to fathom why you’d accept all of the compromises of such a purchase.

Now style systems appear to be enjoying a revival. This is partly fuelled by an austerity-induced nostalgia for simpler times. Then there is the need for better quality sound when watching TV on a skinny flatscreen, plus the evolution of contemporary audio delivery mechanisms such as internet radio, hi-res audio, home networking and wireless streaming from smartphones and tablets. Style systems can satisfy all of these needs. Strictly speaking the Melody Stream (or M-CR510) is a network receiver rather than a system as it doesn’t come with speakers, although Marantz recommends partnering it with its own LS502 speakers.

Marantz Melody Stream M – CR510

Functionality includes compatibility with hi-res 24-bit/192kHz FLAC and WAV fi les, while ALAC playback maxes out at 24/96. Obviously, you can’t stream hi-res fi les over the airwaves, but the unit features AirPlay support making it easy to listen to standard (CD) resolution fi les from Apple products. With DLNA on board it’s possible to stream music from computers and non-Apple portables via wi-fi but Bluetooth has been shunned, which is a shame as aptX has shown how good Bluetooth can be when listening to down-sampled hi-res audio.

To enjoy the pleasures of hi-res you need to use either the Ethernet on the rear or the front-mounted USB. Spotify and Last.fm clients are built-in, as is a vTuner internet radio.

The socketry selection should meet most expectations, with front and rear USBs, a headphone jack, digital optical audio input, subwoofer output, stereo phono in and banana plug-compatible screw speaker terminals. A digital coaxial input would have been nice, but at least having a digital optical input offers compatibility with decks and with most TVs allowing the Melody Stream to be used as a soundbar (with speakers added). USBs provide iPod playback, but also handily offer iOS device charging. An alarm/ timer feature secures the unit’s right to be used in a bedroom.

Style-wise, the Melody Stream cuts a terrific dash. At 30cm wide and 8cm tall, it’s small enough to sit tidily on a table top or bookshelf and its high-gloss, all-black or black and white design with curved edges gives it an elegant and contemporary feel. The front-mounted USB is the blot on the landscape of an otherwise attractive fascia, but when the unit is viewed from across a room it can hardly be seen. Connectivity on the rear is recessed, a nice touch that helps keep the various plugs and cables from sight when seen from above. The white text on black LED display is impressive, with a range of letter sizes and icons, and a smooth scrolling action. The unit comes with a large, utilitarian-looking remote control, although its generous proportions ensure all of the buttons are spaciously laid out and ergonomically it’s easy to get to grips with. Additionally, a fair number of controls are embedded into the two circular buttons either side of the central display.

Marantz Melody Stream M – CR510 Behind

There’s also a new Marantz iOS and Android app for smartphones and tablets, which is more enjoyable to use with slick icons and a handy qwerty keyboard making text entry quicker. While the iOS app is happy to stream M4A, MP3 and 16-bit/44.1kHz AIFF fi les, hi-res fi les are precluded from playback on Apple portable devices. You can access FLAC fi les using the Music Server or directly on a fl ash drive or portable hard drive using the USB connection.

A full manual is provided in PDF form on a CD-ROM, but a printed quick start guide is included with four network setup options, the simplest of which (Ethernet cable aside) is to plug in an iOS device to the rear USB and press very briefly the adjacent red Wi-Fi Connect button. This generates a message on the screen asking for permission to share wi-fi settings – accept the request and you’re all networked up, simple as that.

As with all recent Denon and Marantz wi-fi network systems and wireless speakers you have to press the Wi-Fi Connect button very briefly. Any longer than a quick press and the unit goes into WPS search mode as if you had pressed and held the button for the full three seconds. Taking the router option to setting up is also trouble-free, with the Melody Stream simply scanning for my network and inviting me to enter a password or connect via WPS. Text input is about as painless as it can get, even using a remote control and the single line display rather than the dedicated iOS app.

Marantz Melody Stream M – CR510

Output is easy to tweak, using either the app or the remote and LED display. In terms of tonal tweaking, the Melody Stream offers simple bass and treble adjustment and dynamic bass boost. Additionally, there are four presets for boosting and/or cutting lower and higher frequencies to match your speakers. The app lets you select from eight sources, including the music library stored on the portable device and the iOS app doesn’t exclude DLNA server integration.

When you land on an internet radio station the app handily lists all available podcasts as well as the live stream option and you can save stations as favourites for speedy access. The info button on the handset reveals the codec and bit-rate on the LED screen. Tuning in to a radio station requires a bit of patience as it takes a good 10 to 15 seconds before it connects to the stream and anything can be heard.