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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.
paulfolbrecht OP
603 posts
 
4music, what type of music are you talking about, in what ways was the Ayre superior, and what were the systems like? Thanks.
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