Love at first sight
Cor
Cor de Rooij’s life is all about music: He bought his first HiFi amplifier way back in 1977. Even though high-quality sound was not something he grew up with. ‘My parents did not listen to music seriously. The radio was often on – but that’s not really the way it should be.”
Cor found an ally in his brother. They looked into a music store and agreed quickly that the Marantz PM1030 amplifier was the way to go. “That was no preconceived plan, but more by accident. The symmetrical front design appealed to us. I’d even say it was love at first sight,” says Cor. “When my brother got rid of his own LP collection and equipment a few years ago, that hurt: as if it was saying farewell to a loved one.”
Blood is thicker than water
It could have been the start of a long and loving relationship with Marantz, but life doesn’t always work out as planned – not even for Cor. He fell chronically ill and was unable to work for a long time. “Music was something I just didn’t get around to. Only at the end of the ’90s did I decide to pick up where I left off, with a Denon CD player and amplifier,” says Cor. But blood is thicker than water and within a couple of years he was back at his music store looking for new Marantz equipment. “It’s funny how it goes, but before I knew it I left the store with a few boxes that I unpacked as soon as I got home. For the first time in years, I really enjoyed music again.”
Die-hard stereophile
Cor had no room for a listening area at home, but that wasn’t a problem. “I wouldn’t call myself an audiophile any more, even though I have a firm preference for stereo sound. I’m a die-hard stereophile for the dead-simple reason that I’ve been given two ears to listen with,” he says, laughing. “But where some people swear by a certain ‘sweetspot’, I can enjoy the sweet sound of music wherever I am in the room. Through the speakers, but just as easily through the HiFi headphones that I connect to my amplifier.”
From progressive rock to classical music
What kind of music to do you listen to? “A bit of everything – from classical pieces to prog rock and Americana. You can wake me up in the middle of the night for The Eagles, Genesis or King Crimson. All you need is the right equipment and media to replay the music properly. That’s why I swear by CDs: I’ll not switch to streaming so long as CDs are still on sale.”
Terrific sound
Cor follows every development at Marantz, mainly online. “I’ve been a member of the Marantz forum since 2010. That felt like a hot bath: I’ve met a large number of fans and we trade tips and ideas.” For budgetary reasons, he’s not always able to buy the very latest – but for Cor that’s not the most important thing. “I’ve discovered for myself that it’s not absolutely necessary. What I really like to do is choose the top model from the previous line. If I save carefully and don’t replace simply for the sake of replacing but only when it’s really necessary, I’m able to create high-quality sound with Marantz!”
