Multi Channel SACD

phantom center if don't have a matching center speaker. The problem with typical center speakers is they sit horizontal position rather than stand and they usually have dual speakers. They are designed for movie theater (won't block the drop off screen) usage. A true center should be a identical to L/R and stand vertical with height at your ear level. Of course, no one will sell you a single speaker. The rear is not that critical because we tend to listen forward. So at min a L/C/R setup is essential for a music listen room and add rear ambient would be ideal.

Hi dpphd,

I have been using a stock 5400ES for several weeks while the seller of this MW version player was waiting on his new MW Marantz SA-8005 to arrive from MW.

I don’t think that the MW improvements affect the HDMI output other than providing much better AC quality to the circuitry. MW is all about improving AC quality and adding tubes/clocks/etc, feeling like the chipsets and digital circuitry are already near-SOTA in this level of gear. This one does have the TOTL Audio Magic Gen Vx clock and also the Bybee DC rails.

The MW actually just arrived a few hours ago and is barely warmed up as I write. It is starting to sound very promising with about 2 hours of warm up. Fast, dynamic, and detailed like the stocker but much smoother and harmonically richer with a good dose of tube magic clearly audible.

I will let you know later whether or not the MW version sounds different/better than the stocker through the HDMI output.

Best to you dpphd,
Dave