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USB DAC CDP: EAR Acute MkIII or Marantz SA11S3

Both of these look like great units and it's hard to decide on one vs. the other as a CDP. I also use my player as a USB DAC a lot and wonder if any one has tried either or, better yet, both! I have a Lampizator L4/G4 in the house and it sounds great, warm and inviting, but I can't wrap my brain around going back to a separate transport and DAC. My AMR CDP77.1 was damaged in shipping and I am trying to work out a replacement....

I would appreciate any insights or suggestions.

Thanks and enjoy the tunes!
budburma
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,312 posts
 
Hey Bud, no problem...good luck with the EAR. Looked at your system, by the way,....very nice. Too bad there's not a way to upload hi res/hi fidelity samples of the various system posted on A'gon. Would love to hear it.
budburma OP
345 posts
 
Thanks G-house. You're right, that would be a good time! Environments count for a lot and even what you bring to the table when you sit down. My system sounds really nice to me...a little warm, lots of dynamics, detail and swing, And a huge soundstage. Really holographic stuff. That might be hard to transmit....but it's a great time listening.
Where's yours?
joefama
60 posts
 
I am loving :) my Marantz SA11SA3 ! Super smooth and never bright sounding.

The Marantz is so quiet and efficient. When the Marantz SA11S3 is in the stanby mode not even .1 wattage registers on my line conditioner. Only 3 watts registers when in play mode. The Marantz SA11S3 is definitely the most efficient green energy player out there in the audio world.

The only complaint I have about the Marantz SA11S3 is I wish it had a stanby light because it's so quiet. I forget if it's on standby or powered down. "It's a small complaint to live with considering this great player.

Currently own several different one box SACD/CD players and my Marantz SA11S3 sounds the most natural in vocals and instruments. Comparing it to my Esoteric K01 I prefer the Marantz SA11S3 for long listening sessions. The K01 is a superb player but I find it to bee too bright and analytical at times. So I started swapping power cables on my players.

I swapped my BMI Oceanic Rhodium power cable on the Marantz SA11S3 and put it on the Esoteric K01 and waalaaah, pow, zzzzzoomm, instant tame on the K01 and now I can listen long sessions without fatigue. I put the BMI Oceanic Gold on the Marantz SA11S3 and instant more soundstage and dynamics.

To this day I can't believe on how much of a power cable impacts the sound of my equipment. That is why I love this hobby so much because you are always learning and amazed on what you hear with moving around a few power cables in my audio systems.
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