Marantz SA7S1

Has anyone compared it to the Marantz SA-11? I own the SA-11 and was wondering what the extra $3000 buys you in terms of sound. Sometimes $3000 buys you a lot and sometimes it doesn't. Also, did anyone else notice the picture in the TAS review is not of the player but of a Marantz preamp?

The Absolute Sound article was totally worthless, as Tpk123 stated. The multiple filter settings that were the focus of the "review" are old hat for Marantz (same as SA-11) and barely warrant a side note. It was as if an article needed to be published to warrant the Marantz ad that refers to "the review in this issue" - I suspect its a clever move by Marantz - we'll pay you for the ad if you run a blurb on our player (no matter how shallow). The incorrect photo of the pre-amp (SC-7 I believe) supports that this was a total rush job to get something in print at the last moment.

If the SA-7 is simply a modest improvement over the SA-11, it's not worth it for me. A comparison review would be great!

The PF review is also just about worthless IMO. The reviewer did not reference any of the specific recordings he used in his "review" and all the listening was done via headphones. The evaluation was focused on how the Marantz compared to the modded Sony and not how the player reproduces real acoustic instruments. The review did not help me at all understand if this Marantz is a good player. Please read it for yourself and see what you think.

Hamr,

Just for clarity, could you be more specific on how the Marantz compared with the Ayre? Was it the C-5xe?

Thank you!

Yes. The Ayre was good, but not in the Marantz's league.