Improving sound of Marantz SA-8260 SACD PLAYER


I purchased the Marantz SA-8260 either in 2005 or 2006.   The sound has always been underwhelming, but the transport portion works fine. Was thinking of bypassing the DAC portion of the unit and purchasing a $200.00-$400.00 DAC which should improve the sound tremendously. I looked at the Schitt Fulla 2  $99.00,
or the Schitt model for $399.00, the Herus DAC for $350.00, or the Herus plus for $425.00.  You see where I am going with this.  Can I for $100.00-$400.00 turn this poor sounding SACD player, into a much better performer
as DACS have come a very long way in the past few years.
Thanks for your thoughts.
128x128kjl1065
if you have Always found it "Underwhelming" and would sell it and start fresh...
It will cost you a bit more, but I use a Bryston 3 DAC, which takes the DSD feed from an SACD player over HDMI (don’t know if your player does this):  sounds great
@hifiman5: No, I don't "invest" in audio gear! II just decry the belief that too many have that 4 figure (and up!) price tags are a justification for spending more for a miniscule improvement!
@roberjerman Does the law of diminishing returns kick in at some point? Of course! The issue of how much money to spend on your rig is a personal one. We all justify different expenditures in different ways. Depending on the state of your system, 4 figures may indeed be out of line. It just depends on where you are with your system and what your priorities are regarding allocating your disposable income.💵