TRL Marantz Sa-14



After speaking to Paul at TRL I am very curious to hear from those who own this unit what improvements do you hear with the player before and after the mod.

The SA-14 sounds weak in the bass and has no dynamics in comparison to some players like the Sony Scd-1 in stock form. Has anyone compared the TRL Sa-14 to the Sony Scd-1?
la45
LKdog-

Thanks. I look forward to hearing from others who may have the Marantz SA-11. I might give Paul a call on this and
see.

Jack, have you heard this player?
Jay -

Yes, send it back. I marvel at the midrange resolution every time I play a CD.
You will not be disappointed.
Remember guys that cables must integrate into a system, there is no "one" cable that will work best for every system. Cabling plays an important role in system synergy. For an example, if you had a Krell based system, your cable choices would be different than someone with a SET based system.

Lkdog: Your cable choices would be different now, with your TRL modified Musical Fidelity A300, then before the mod ... right? Prior to the mod, your A300 was a little edgy. At that time, I would have recommended Cardas to help tame your amp. After the TRL mod, I would recommend a more neutral cable like the FIM/CRL. (Sorry for singling you out ... it is a valid point and I hope that you don't mind me using it as an example)

TRL Family: We can not assume that there is one perfect cable that will integrate well with every system. It is important to know the characteristics of various cables so that we can optimize the synergy to make our systems the best they can be.

LA45: Hey Cuz, how have you been? I haven't heard the SA-11 yet, but will soon, as TRL got verification of shipment from Marantz USA yesterday. I'm making a special trip to hear the first one out the door (Tom Moore's), and will happily report back my findings. The TRL/SA-11 will have to be a "very, very special player" in order to make me want one. My TRL/SA-14 has set a pretty high standard in which to beat. (Just ask Oldpet and Lkdog)

Jsala: Send it back. The difference is more significant than the original mod.

Best,

Jack Seaton
Jack is correct. The TRL SA14 is a very fine machine. Especially since the mod upgrade, which has been very acurately described in the above posts. Even Brian Weitzel said, in emails back and forth, that this is a "very special" machine.
I simply don't have the desire to "upgrade" my source. That says alot - you guys all know how this hobby is. :-)

best
paul
Jes45-

Yes, I wonder now about the power cords on my TRL modded MF A300 integrated amp, and my TRL Marantz SA14 as well as speaker cables, and IC's I am using now that I have a more transparent and resolving overall system.

You are correct that synergy is critical.
I have always taken the approach of not using cables as tone controls so I think I have pretty neutral stuff, but am always wanting to hear what others have tried with good results.