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Network Audio Player - need some basic advice

I am a bit of a Marantz fanboy and currently listen to mostly vinyl and cd's.  I have over 500 of each and never seem to be short of listening options. I use a Marantz PM-11S3 integrated amp and an SA-8004 SACD player.

This weekend my boys pressed me on why I cannot access music online.  Being an old fart, I had no response other than to offer to play them some of my vinyl.

Shamed by my spawn, I tried to read up on what was offered by Marantz in this category.  With at least  four products (NA-6005; NA-8005; NA-11S1; HD DAC-1) spanning in price from $649 to $3,499, I quickly realized I had no idea what the basic selection criteria should be - there are so many formats I am unfamiliar with as well as a variety of input connections.  In addition, I am quite concerned about the obsolescence factor given how rapidly these formats seem to change.  I also do not understand why some have wireless connectivity and some do not and whether this is a big deal or not as my system is on a different floor than my incoming service.

 My SA-8004 has a USB port on the front and coax and optical inputs /outputs on the rear, plus an input labeled "USB DAC" which is an unusual shaped input unlike the usb on the front panel. The PM-11S3 only has RCA inputs.

Can someone give me ( or point me to) a basic primer on this topic? What are the essential features to look for?  I am a complete luddite, so it needs to be REALLY basic, i.e. the more acronyms used, the more my ears begin to bleed.

I love my other Marantz gear, and start with a bias towards the brand , but are they offering a good product line for this, or are they behind the curve.  If not Marantz, then what does more for the same money?  If I cannot plug directly into my internet connection, is there a device I can buy to make a wireless connection?

Given my preference for vinyl and cd's, I do not want to spend a ton of money for another piece of gear, especially if it will be obsolete in a year or two.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide.

sjtm
sjtm OP
92 posts
 
I appreciate all the feedback.  Much like most other audiophile topics, opinions vary based on perspective.  

Given that I have spent about $6K for my entire system, I prefer at the moment to take a more modest approach to the budget for this so long as there is good value / $$$.  From the above, it would seem the Auralic Aries Mini is a good place to start.

jond - can you elaborate a little more on what the benefit of the upgraded power supply?  Also, can you give a more specific suggestion as to a brand / model of a "good outboard DAC"?  Not sure what the combined cost of the mini +sbooster+DAC adds up to, but would like to be  cost conscious. I assume there is no "all in one" piece that gives you the benefits of the above at a similar price point.

samac's avatar
samac
499 posts
 
Another great option you may want to look into is the Bluesound Node 2. It goes for $500, sounds great, the BluOS is outstanding, build quality is great and it looks good. I really enjoy mine and it's the main source in my system. You can pick it from Bluesound or many other online retailers and try it for 30-60 days and if you don't love it, return it. I picked mine up at Best Buy knowing if I didn't like it I could return it with no hassles. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

Scott
stewart0722
184 posts
 
SJTM:

Auralic sells an upgraded linear power supply for around 300.00......
It just provides less noise, better regulation, which is important
when you're talking about clocked data.......it's just a nice way to 
go if you can.....but certainly not mandatory.....

As to a DAC, you already have a DAC.....inside your SA8004
It will do up to 24/192 resolution if you feed it through the coax
connection which you can do with the Aries mini....
stewart0722
184 posts
 
If you want an ALL IN ONE BOX solution, the Auralic Altair is it.....
it includes the DAC and streamer and also supports wireless.....
It's around 1700 

I'd still do the mini, and use the good DAC in your SA8004 SACD Player,
since you have it......
jond's avatar
jond
6,063 posts
 
@sjtm the sbooster sells for $370 and the Aries Mini is $499 so that's $870 but the good news is if thats too big an investment you can do it in stages. Also the other posters are right just use the DAC in your SA8004 you already own it and obviously like the sound. As far as DAC's go spend some time reading the threads here there are tons of them. My personal DAC experience is limited I have been very fortunate to come across a Yamamoto YDA-1 on here a few years ago and never looked back.
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