TRL Marantz Sa-14

I just received an email from Paul stating the so far he has not found a good sounding Universal Player that he likes. However, he did not rule out the possibility of applying his mod to the Marantz 9500.

The question is does this player even need a mod. I love the Crystal DACs and the early reports say that this player sounds very analog.

I have about 120 hours on my Marantz 9500 (its been playing 24hrs/day since I got it) and should have an answer for you in 2 weeks when I am closer to 500 hours. I am burning in both the analog and digital outputs and will evaluate both.

At the 100 hour mark the 9500 had a noticeably smoother top end than it did when new but I still hear glare and the midrange is not as fleshed out as I would like (even with a tube dac noted for a full midrange). The speakers don't yet disappear either. It is making progress, though, and I expect to hear better at the 300/500 hour mark.

That said, to be realistic about expectations, I would not hope for the broken-in 9500 to sound world-class, though I do think it will sound smooth and enjoyable. A simple mod like a SuperClock 3 may make a significant impact.

Hello Oldpet,

I fully understand what you are saying about Paul and his crew's committment to the customer. My player was returned with some of the best packaging that I've ever encountered. They must have used $15 to $25 worth of bubble wrap on my player to make sure that it didn't get Fed Upped. Even the remote was wrapped in bubble wrap!

I'd really appreciate your impressions when you get it back. Is your SA-14 a Version 1 or a Version 2?

Best wishes,
Jack

Hi Jess45

Yep! Paul really gets it. He believes he's "just doing his job" though. He even called my house and left a message (I wasn't home at the moment) telling me that the unit shipped on Wednesday. I expect to get it on the 19th. I'm glad to hear you say that TRL packs them up properly. Mine has to get to NJ!

I think my SA-14 is a version 1. I bought it here on Agon, and had it shipped driectly to Paul for mods. Paul seemed to be very positive about the SA-14. When I get it, I'm going to just plug it in and put a disc in, on repeat play, for a week and forget about it. Then I'll give it a first listen. I'll be glad to give my impressions. You be sure to do the same.

I'll email you privately if you wish.

Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope these machines are as good as the other TRL machines.

Paul

Hey Guys,

An exciting update. Although the TRL Sony 2000es has only 35 hours of playing time I am reporting what I heard. A tube preamp was introduced to me today. I have never heard a preamp fill the soundstage like this unit has. It has just been released and I consider myself one of the lucky few to have one. It was a no brainer since it only cost me $2,000.
The combination of this preamp and the TRL for the asking price ($2,850) will seriously challenge more expensive digital front ends and IMHO convert analog lovers to digital. Its a magical combination that I had to have.

The preamps name is "Full Image". Magical in of itself but unheard of at this price.