New Marantz SA11S2?

Photon46 - Well said!

I have three different SACD players - the Ayre C5xe-MP, the Mcintosh MCD500, and the Marantz SA11S2. And I have moved them back and forth amongst my three systems just to hear the differences. And the differences are not always subtle. System compatibility often if not always is a huge factor in this hobby!

I am very pleased with all three players. The Ayre is the best of the three; the Mcintosh and Marantz are very close in quality and do not lag the Ayre by all that much (to my ears and in my systems!).

I have not had the opportunity to audition the Ayre. I would agree to the statement made by 4musica regarding the McIntosh and the Marantz. Very simalar and both are very good players.

He may have had an impedance mismatch as the few Marantz players I've owned were anything but thin.

i guess i have not

hi samzsx:

tyhe western electric cords were fabricated about 6 weeks ago. i have no other information about these cords other than the iec and plug which contain copper.

here's an interesting situation:

granted the preamp and amp attenuate the treble and granted the foam and room tunes also attenuate the treble, what might explain my perception of thinness regarding the marantz player.

incidentally my friend has auditioned 2 marantz players, and his system consists of a cary tube preamp, classe ss amp and wood walls. he sold both players, one was the marantz sa11s2.

so, it would seem that one man's smoothness is another man's brighhtness.

we'll agree to disagree.

it's like zeverything else in life which is subjective.

4musica, I'm sure you enjoy the fine sound from the Ayre, but do you like having paid $6,000 for a cheap, flimsy drive that they provide? A friend has one, and I couldn't believe using a $25 transport in a $6,000 machine. Things like that I find totally unforgiveable and so typical of the greed the designers who think they are so special they can make the maximum money with cutting corners. It is to Marantz' credit that they provide a top notch transport. You should use the Marantz as a transport connected to the Ayre, and that should open your eyes.