Streaming may dominate music listening, but Marantz apparently did not get the memo that compact discs are supposed to be dead. You see, the company has introduced the Marantz CD 70, a new dedicated CD player designed for people who still own physical music collections.
Even better, this is not some novelty product built only to cash in on nostalgia. Marantz is treating the CD 70 as a proper hi-fi component, complete with a high-performance digital-to-analog converter, upgraded internal hardware, and support for high-resolution audio files.
You know what? I really love this.
There is something wonderfully retro about a company launching a brand-new CD player in 2026. Vinyl has enjoyed a major comeback, but CDs have remained stuck in a strange middle ground. They are too new to feel ancient, yet old enough that younger listeners may have barely used them.
That is starting to change, however. Gen Z listeners are surprisingly helping revive the CD, attracted by affordable prices, physical ownership, collectible artwork, and a break from streaming subscriptions. CD revenue was reportedly up 9 percent year over year earlier in 2026, with April posting an 18 percent increase. It would not be surprising if that renewed interest helped convince Marantz that now was a good time to launch a new player.
To younger buyers who grew up with Spotify and Apple Music, inserting a disc and owning an album forever may actually feel new. That is pretty funny for those of us who remember carrying giant binders of CDs around, but it also makes sense.
Used CDs are often inexpensive, they do not require an internet connection, and nobody can remove an album from your shelf because a licensing agreement expired. You insert the disc, press play, and listen. There are no recommendations, notifications, subscription tiers, or advertisements interrupting the experience.
The CD 70 builds on the Marantz CD6007, but adopts the company’s newer industrial design. It features a full-width chassis, a clean front panel, and the circular display associated with more expensive Marantz components. It looks like a serious piece of audio equipment rather than an afterthought included to fill space in an entertainment center.
Inside, Marantz uses a high-performance DAC alongside its proprietary HDAM circuitry. The company says this combination helps the player deliver detailed and expressive playback while preserving the musical character associated with the Marantz brand.
The construction has also received attention. The CD 70 includes an upgraded power supply, a double-layer chassis base, rigid isolation feet, and copper hardware placed throughout the unit. These features are intended to reduce vibration, electrical noise, and interference that could affect playback.
Whether most listeners could identify every one of those improvements in a blind test is another question. Still, buyers shopping for a $750 CD player will probably appreciate that Marantz has put effort into more than the exterior design.
The CD 70 is not limited to compact discs, either. A front-mounted USB-A port supports high-resolution music files, including FLAC HD, ALAC, AIFF, and DSD. That makes the player useful for anyone who keeps a local digital music collection on USB storage rather than relying entirely on streaming services.
Marantz has also included a fully discrete headphone amplifier with HDAM technology. It offers adjustable gain and automatic headphone detection, allowing the CD 70 to function as a personal listening system without requiring a separate headphone amplifier.
Of course, $750 is a lot of money for a CD player, especially when inexpensive DVD and Blu-ray players can handle CDs. This product is clearly aimed at audio enthusiasts who care about component quality, design, and the ritual of playing physical media.
Still, the fact that Marantz is launching a dedicated CD player at all feels refreshing. Technology does not always need to replace everything that came before it. Sometimes an older format remains useful simply because it works.
The Marantz CD 70 will be available beginning August 15, 2026. It will cost $750 in the United States, $999 in Canada, €600 in Europe, and £499 in the United Kingdom.
Look, folks, I am not ready to abandon streaming. However, the CD 70 makes me want to dig through some used music stores and rebuild the CD collection I foolishly gave up years ago. Maybe the compact disc is not dead after all. Maybe Gen Z is helping give it another spin.
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