Marantz SA-10 arriving Monday!

Use a better Power chord than the stock one and you will notice a big difference. The Luxman Power Chord on EBAY which sells for around $175 comes highly recommended by several on the SA-10

Hi Anwar. That is pretty good. I will certainly try. But my USB stick is only 32GB. Can only download limited stuff. I will need to burn DVD blanks for DSDs and listen to them. Which is what I have been doing. But interesting that USB can also be done.

What max capacity pen drive do you think will stay under 5v 1A?

@cool_jeeves As long as you use USB stick or external/portable SSD (such as Samsung T5 rated 5V 0.8A), it will stay under 5V 1A. The limit specified by Marantz is:

This unit can display a file structure with up to 8 levels, up to 1,000 folders and up to 2,000 files in 1 folder.

My recommendation is to use USB storage below 500 GB, otherwise SA-10 struggles (takes too long) when reading the folder structure after SA-10 input switched to iPod/USB.

Please also note that Windows 8 or 10 cannot format large USB storage as FAT32, need to use third party tools.

Hi Anwar, I followed your advice. It plays beautifully from my 32GB memory stick. But I have plenty of other old music (80GB) which are from my mp3 collections which I will never really be able to get on my CD. I occasionally listen to this, though the sonics are not really of the standard that the SA-10 deserves. But still old music has its own charm. So I purchased a 128GB memory stick, which I had to use a different formatter to format as FAT32. Once this was done, I copied around 700 folders with less than a dozen files in every folder. I stuffed it into the SA-10 and it played everything flawlessly, and taking no more than 30 seconds to read the stick. But when later it went into standby and i restarted it, it would almost get frozen in "loading" mode and i became a bit worried. So I pulled the pen drive out and reformatted it, and again loaded the files, this time fewer files. The same thing happened. Initially loading took 30 seconds, I played a full day of music, and next morning when I restarted it, the SA-10 took more than 5min before i once more became worried and switched to a different input. Now I dont use PC audio anymore,  after getting the SA-10 and cant live without my old MP3 music either. So regular CDs and SACDs apart, how does one carry on with the 80GB of old mp3 music? thanks a ton for looking.

blueranger

any new sonic discoveries via your SA-10 ?

Happy Listening!

I have it hooked back up to my PS Audio P1000. It might be a little better than my direct line.

blueranger

Nice!  Any new discs or downloads ?

Happy Listening!

blueranger

How is the SA-10 doing in your room/system?
I recently picked up the SA-11S2 player for my collection. My 1st Marantz !!!

Happy Listening!

SA-10 is a stellar multi-talent player. This replaced an Esoteric K-01 which was great, but I don't miss it at all. I enjoyed my time with it. The Marantz needs a top-grade power cord, I found the Audioquest Blizzard and Thunder to bring out all the musical ability this player has, I heard it sound thin, all by switching a power cord, so this tells you how important a power cord is the 1st piece of gear that will feed the rest of your system. The power supply is larger and you can tell because the chassis becomes very warm, while past players like the SA7s1 did not. My Esoteric got very warm also in fact much more, due to it having 4-transformers in the power supply. Well made CD players are like phono cartridges, each gives you a different balance of sound, Esoteric was upfront, dynamic taking no prisoners, the Marantz is about balance, elegance, more laid, back but more natural sounding, it does not throw music at you it presents it to you so you feel like your listening to a performance in from of you. It can rock, the bottom end can shake your room if your speakers are up to it, yet the midrange and highs sound just right, open, airy, with vocals having body and weight to them to sound real. A very nice player, grab one while you can, sounds best using XLR outputs.  

Phillyb you are right on the money, the SA compete with my analog set up, The dynamic of the SA 10 is unlimited.using good pc will give you more.  I read a review of the SA 10, the reviewer said, He thinks it’s the best sacd player regardless of price? Of course not, But it will keep you sitting on your chair longer than you plan. 

You better be prepare to buy quality cabling to enjoy the SA 10, the better the cabling , the better this unit perform.

I find mine sounds best pluggedright into the dedicated outlet in my wall. The power regenerater did not bring out its best

blueranger

Thank You for the update. Power conditioner/regenerator(s) can limit dynamics.

Happy Listening!

Are there power cord recommendations other than Audioquest? I have noticed that with the wrong cable the sound can quickly become thin. I did not expect that from a player described as warm and full-bodied.
I thought a fast and dynamic cable would be great, it may also sound a bit "thin". That doesn't bother in the combination. Man was I wrong.

I'm surprised that they're still making them after 6 years or more.

@stereo-one , my SA 10 was a "factory refurb" from MD, so I really do not know what its previous history was prior to me buying it.  In other words, it may have already experienced its breakin period.

What struck me first and foremost was that with the SA10 my system had way more gain than with my previous CDP and I believe that this was due to using the balanced outputs of the SA10 into the balanced inputs of my preamp.  I originally thought the sound of my system with the Sa10 was more "aggressive" (if that's the correct term), but I do not have a golden ear and what I am describing as "aggressive" may be my perceptions due to the extra gain of my system with the SA10, or it may be possible that my "factory refurb" did actually need some break in time.  Regardless, it now strikes me as a smooth presentation and I  find most SACDs to be a step up from most red books.  I have read that the "SA 10 presentation" is "laid back," but, again, "laid back" may mean different things to different listeners.

Personally, with a good disc (be it red book or SACD) I do not find my system to sound edgy with the SA 10 in place; however, I do hear a lot more detail now.  But the detail I am now hearing I think may be more due to a recent preamp upgrade I made (SLP 05) than the SA 10.  

I am generally pleased with the sonic presentation of my system with the SA 10 in place, but perhaps I should not be used as a barometer as my standards are probably not as high as those of others due to, as I stated previously, my lack of the golden ear.

 

Stereo5 I have SA10for almost 4yrs now,. Wait maybe 30 hrs to settle. The SA10 is not edgy, it depends if your system is on the bright side it might show some detail.It depends on what ic you are using. 

The SA 10 with good power cord and ic it will even sound better if match to your system.I used High Fidelity reveal pc and tellurium silver diamond ic.Dont get impatience its truly a very good sacd player especially on balance.

Thank you jayctoy,

That's encouraging, the burning time I had was about 24 hours on red book CD side and 24 hours on the SACD side.  I had an SA 11S3 that was a very sweet sounding player that played all my CD's very nicely.   But it just wasn't engaging one dimensional as opposing to three dimensional.  So I ended up playing vinyl 95% of the time.  A third of my collection is CDs and that's why I wanted to get the SA 10.  I'm hoping the SA-10 is as sweet as the SA 11s3.  But with more three-dimensional characteristics.  After the SA-10 is broken in is that what you're experiencing?  My system is a BAT VK preamp with a Macintoch MC152 Amp and Tara lab speaker cables with audio quest Ruby interconnects.

Stereo5 thank you posting your gear,The Sa 10 will give you more 3D using balance, if I were you to get the most out of SA 10 get a nice power cable and ic . The SA 10 responds to cables.Find a tornado Audioquest source pc and used Columbia Audioquest balance ic.If you have the budget go for used Tellurium black diamond balance ic.Iam using tornado pc on my Ruby with good result. I know you mentioned except aq pc but that’s what I used . I can’t help it , it works. Puron tweak eliminates edgy.

@jayctoy , how do you have your phase switch on your SA10 set?  Do you set it to "Inverted" or to "Normal"?

The instructions in the manual have me a bit confused on that subject.

 

Iamatthewj.i just put it on normal phase.. 

Stereo-one Let it settle for at least six days.Then play good sacd recording . Don’t expect too much yet.. Just keep on playing it. I bought this player open box as well af MD.Remember it is still your job to synchronize it to your system , and make it sound musically good. This is truly a very very good sacd player .Every time you add something on the system sounds changes.The SA 10 competes with esoteric sacd players. I still believe for 5k it’s a bargain, it’s a well design player.Esoteriic are amazing but you have to pay premium price.Do I miss my esoteric sacd player? Not at all.

 

Iamatthewj.i just put it on normal phase.

@jayctoy , here's my question about that:

The manual explains that the USA system is pin 2 is cold, pin 3 is hot; versus the European system which is pin 2 hot, pin 3 cold; on both systems pin 1 is ground.

The manual states that "This unit employs the European system."

Then it goes on to state that "If a product that employs the USA system is connected with this unit [the SA10] via a balanced cable [which I am using], the signal may be phase-inverted. To correct the inversion, set the "Phase" to "Inverted" at the menu setting."

My SA10 is connected to my preamp, which is a Cary SLP 05, via balanced cable, and Cary is not saying in their manual whether they are employing the European system or the USA system so I am ASSUMING that they went with the USA system.

So as I understand the SA10 manual, I should be setting the Phase on my SA10 to ’Inverted’? Since my preamp is using the USA system?

 

Iammatthewj, Sharri can answer your question.He is very knowledgeable. He posted on my thread SA10 needed repair.

Iammatthewj, I will try the inverted  phase on my SA10 see what happen.My Krell krc3  can be inverted as well, I think.

Iammatthewj, I will try the inverted  phase on my SA10 see what happen.My Krell krc3  can be inverted as well, I think.

@jayctoy , it seems to me that as far as phase goes, there can only be one way that is right and then that the other way must be wrong.  When I first got my SA10, I did try it both ways, and my ears are not good enough to discern the difference.  However, with that last typed, even though I consciously am not hearing the difference, it still may be that my subconscious would find one way more pleasing.  (That subconscious/conscious thing gets a bit deep, but I do believe in it.)   Anyway, you are right, @sharri is quite knowledgeable on this stuff, and I reached out to him in your SA10 thread.

It’s always better to have the right phase. I do have XLO test cd where they demonstrated in phase and out of phase. That’s very informative.Post here what Sharri thinks.

@jayctoy , I have a couple of test CDs (at least a couple) with the in phase/out of phase track on it. I don’t have a real good grasp of this stuff, but the more I think about it, I do not think that this is quite the same thing.

I believe that the test track we are talking about would identify if one speaker was hooked up red to + black to - and the other speaker was hooked up red to - and black to +.

However, I THINK that what the inverted/normal switch on the SA10 does would be to essentially change the signal from red to +/black to - on BOTH speakers to red to -/black to + on BOTH speakers. In other words REVERSING the way the phase was supposed to be set up. I THINK that this may be known as absolute phase, but I am not sure because as I typed previously, I do not have a tight grasp on this.

In other words, what I THINK is that although you could hook your speakers up red to - and black to + on BOTH speakers, the system would pass the in phase/out of phase test track and would not sound all over the place when they performed the "in phase" announcement on the CD. However, I THINK that by hooking up the speakers as I just described, that would still have them out of absolute phase. At least this is what I THINK.

On another audio forum I once asked a question about a preamp I was kind of interested in that I had read the specs on (I seem to remember it being a modded Cary SLP98) and I remember reading that it was wired internally with the phase reversed. (Once again, I THINK that this would have been absolute phase.) My question was why would a manufacturer intentionally do this, and I do not remember the answer, but the solution was suggested to be, when using that preamp, to hook BOTH speakers up red to -/black to +. And that is what I am THINKING happens by switching around the INVERTED/NORMAL switch on the SA10.

Referring back to my original question on this subject, does "the European model of the wiring the balanced outputs on the SA10" mean that it is out of phase with equipment with the balanced inputs wired to the "USA model" and therefore, ideally, should the phase be inverted?

Yes you are right Iamatthewj, the inverted phase is totally different.Hopefully Sharri will post ? 

blueranger

Good to see the SA-10 still in your System.

 

Happy Listening!