best SACD player

I upgraded to a Marantz KI Ruby from a Marantz SA8005 (I had an SA8001 before that). I wanted to buy my "last" SACD player and Music Direct was closing them out for $3k. The sound is very close between the two but I think I can hear a little better soundstage with the Ruby. One of the reasons I got this player is that Marantz designs and manufactures the drive. It is one of the best drives you can buy and I'm counting on Marantz to have spares if it ever fails. I've had three Marantz players and never had a drive fail. On the other hand I bought a $4k PS Audio Transport and the cheap-ass computer grade drive they put in has failed three times. Pure junk.

It looks like you can still buy a KI Ruby from other vendors for 3 grand even though Music Direct is sold out. That is my recommendation.

Another vote for the Marantz KI Ruby. My only legitimate comparison is to a Marantz 8005, like 8th-note above, that I upgraded from.. The Ruby does a much better job on the high end on my system, clearly delivering content with a clarity and presence not present with the 8005. I particularly noticed the difference early on when playing John McLaughlin’s East Indian group Shakti’s "Natural Elements" redbook CD. L. Shankar’s violin work sounded so wonderful on the Ruby, it alone made me quite happy with the cost of the upgrade before the Ruby even had any hours on it to fully break in.

How it compares to other CD/SACD players is beyond my scope. There was a bit more pricey Yamaha CD player in the running at the time of purchase, but I don’t remember the model number.

Mike

@onebean unfortunately the Marantz 30n and McIntosh MCT500 are in totally separate systems so I have not done an AB with them. The MCT500 will of course be highly dependent on the DAC you use. I have a Mac C52 and the results are superb. Interesting point about the MCT500 is the proprietary MCT output, which I believe is superior to coax and optical (I have all three connected and AB them frequently). But you preamp has to be a modern enough Mac to accept the MCT. 
 

Does the Mac provide better value? For most, I think the answer is no, due to cost. McIntosh gear has a high entry price. The 30n contains a DAC and allows streaming operation through the HEOS app. I love these features in a secondary system. But I’m fortunate to be able to invest more in my primary in search of better performance and I love the MCT500 for that. If you have a solid DAC available, I like the idea of saving for the MCT500. 
 

I’m intrigued by the KI Ruby as well but do not own one. 

Hey, what about the Samsung DVD-HD841?  Affordable, elegant and nice.

Ayre C-5xeMP ! I regret selling mine.