Mc, I have really enjoyed the sa11-1. I have used it with Pathos integrated mono-blocked and Cremora M speakers. Ive gotten to the point in my old age whee I really enjoy things a little smooth and the Marantz is certainly that. But it is still detailed enough for me. I did upgrade the fuses and I thought that made a big difference in its sound. Since I did that awhile back I've really enjoyed the player. The reason I'm interested in the 3 is its USB connection. The one caveat on the 1 is that I have been having trouble playing SACDs and have the player in for repairs. We'll see how that plays out.