SACD/CD Drive Mechanism Replacement

I do it all.  CDs, SACDs, Streaming.  Not big on vinyl but I do have an analog rig that I use for LPs no longer digitally available or where I prefer the lp mastering to the digital rendition.

  SACDs when done right can be breathtaking in their realism.  Since you don’t own any SACDs, my practical suggestion is that if you buy a player, new or used, it isn’t going to get a lot of wear and tear for a while.  If I was in your shoes I would buy the used Esoteric, because they are as good as it gets in SACD.  Don’t waste money on an extra drive that you may not be able to install due to the reasons that the OP has identified.  If it goes, decide at that time if SACD is something that you really need in your life.  If it is, there will still be manufacturers.  SACD is valued a lot more in the Far East than in the West so someone will be making them for at least the next quarter century 

Don I have two good analog set up as well.I fell in love with vynil. But sacd with good sacp player is very close. I play sacd when I like convenience.Nowadays is the best time to collect sacd there is so much to choose from.

You can buy Ruby marantz open box at Music Direct and see if you have a tech who can install the lens just in case. The parts is available . If your player broke under warranty MD more like replace it. Because Marantz has horrible support when your player is out of warranty.The Ruby is equal to my SA10 in rca mode. They only differ on xlr.

I found what the Joseph Audio/Doshi room was using at the AXPONA shows for their digital streaming....

• Aurender N30A 8TB Music Server $25,000
• Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Reference 3 $28,000
• Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB $2,275

For that kind of money, it darn well sound pretty good, am I right??? Well, it did and it impressed the heck out of me!

So, my initial thought was to buy a very nice, but used SACD/CD player so that I could take advantage of my admittedly small cd collection of roughly 100 cd's.  I would then slowly but surely add to that as well as begin my SACD collecting.  It's good to hear that "now" is the best time to start collecting SACD's.

However, if I go the route of streaming, then I can't use my existing CD's, but it would eliminate the worry of a transport mechanism dying.  I just don't understand how the process of streaming works, etc.  I guess I'm showing my age, lol!

I guess another thought would be to get the used SACD/CD player and when the transport finally dies, then get a streamer and plug it into the DAC section of the player via USB, AES/EBU, Coaxial, or TOS Inputs.

Best wishes,

Don

Streaming is just like analog… the more you invest the better it sounds (subject to choosing wisely). Analog and digital sound and cost the same on my system. That can be accomplished at different price levels. See my systems.

A SACD player is a one box: transport, streamer (dedicated to the transport) and a DAC.

To stream, you need a Streamer and DAC. I own and recommend Aurrender streamers The lowest level sounds great and each higher tier sounds better. I have their flagship (recently discontinued, W20SE) and have had the Berkely DAC of which you heard… although surprisingly I prefer the sound of the Audio Research Reference DAC 9.

Once you have equivalent sound quality on streaming your world of music will change. Suddenly your library has over ten million albums. On Qobuz over half a million are high resolution. The world of music opens up. I have a collection of 2,000 albums and a great $45K analog end that I never listen to now.