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The Ultimate SACD Machine

I'm considering getting an SACD player again. I have a number of SACDs but abandoned the format a couple years ago in favor of vinyl.

I am considering mainly the EMM Labs CDSAse or a Marantz SA11S2 or SA7.

Critical information:

- I'm concerned really only with jazz. 40s-60s jazz. (All the new titles on the format has me interested again.)

- As per above, my priorities are truth in timbre and tone and total lack of HF grain or glare. "Analog-like" may have become a cliche but it's what I'm after: though vinyl as a medium is shirley flawed (yes, I meant to call you Shirley), for me it has always given the best sound - meaning the most natural, realistic, and fatigue-free sound.

I expect that the EMM Labs machine has a gap over the Marantz in these qualities. It should, for the price. How large is the gap, for those who have heard both extensively?

Is there another machine I should consider? ($5K used would be absolute top budget and a bit of a stretch.)
paulfolbrecht
hooper
396 posts
 
I heard both the SA-7S1 and CDSA in my system while auditioning SACD players. The EMM had the SLIGHT edge in overall inner detail, but the Marantz had that magical ability to weave a lot of detail in with a natural warmth and smoothness that was utterly beguiling. The Meitner by comparison seemed a little dry and clinical. I ultimately went with the SA-7 after hearing a LOT of different players. All things being relative, it offers tremendous value, given its level of performance. Just be aware that it requires a TON of burn-in—in my case, in the neighborhood of 400-500 hours.
paulfolbrecht OP
603 posts
 
Thanks for the response. I neglected to mention that redbook performance is another factor. I would sort of like to be able to have a single digital source, getting rid of my (fabulous) Audio Note DAC. The EMM might make that possible but I doubt the SA7 would - my previous SACD player was an SA11S1 and I thought it stunk on RB. It was definitely much inferior to the AN DAC.
4musica44107
520 posts
 
I have 3 different SACD players in 3 different systems and have A/B'd them against each other in each of the 3 systems. Always with the same result - the Ayre C5xeMP is the best, and considerably better than the Mcintosh MCD500 and Marantz SA11S2. The MCD500 and the SA11S2 are very close, but I prefer the MCD500. My impressions were the same for both SACD and redbook.
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