Marantz SA-1 or Krell 300cd for redbook playback?

The Marantz SA-1 is the best designed & built sacd/cd player ever by Marantz and possibly by any other manufacturer.

If you ever see the schematics and design layout inside of a Marantz SA-1 it's like a complicated Patek Phillipe watch.

As for the Marantz SA-7S1, well it's a nice machine but not in the same league as a Marantz SA-1.

The Marantz Sa-1 will be the machine that collectors will be after in the , not the SA-7S1. The SA-1 is a true statement that Marantz was making to the industry.

Here is a link & more info on the Marantz SA-1.

http://www.marantzphilips.nl/marantz_sa1_stereo_sacd_player/

I have not heard Krell 300cd but I have compared directly my SA-1 with new Accuphase DP-500, DP-65, Levinson 390S, Esoteric DV-60, several Arcam players etc. and none of these have bettered SA-1 for redbook. I would say that SA-1 sounds as refined and beautiful as it looks. I have seen several SA-1 owners selling their new SA-7S1 after comparison and keeping SA-1.
So if you can find a decent SA-1 you may save a lot of money and get very high class machine.

I have an SA-1.

All of the SACD players I have compared all sounded the same on $1k to $8k machines. I have read similar comments... As one person said "speaks well of the technology".

The SA-1 makes redbook sound better than SACD's by several levels. Even the SA-14 redbook sounds better than SACD.

So, I would concentrate on which redbook play you prefer.