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Marantz - SA-15S2B or Yamaha CD-S2000 or iPod

Hi All,
The rest of the system: Vandersteen 2Ce Sig2, (don't laugh, it is an excellent piece) JVC A-X55 integrated amp from your student years and a Denon tuner.

Room is about 400 sq feet. Classical music, e.g. Bach's partitas by Mullova or WTK by S. Richter - so clarity/serenity is appreciated. Classy jazz on a rare occasion is enjoyed too.
I can get Yam for $1500 new, there is an open box Marantz for about the same price.. And a friend promised to loan his CD8004 as a reference point for comparison, tells me this is all I need. I am more into music, so if the CD8004 is 'enough', I will settle on that and save some money. That is why I ask the collective wisdom before I start 'buying' and returning stuff.

Sometimes I think that an iPod may be able to deliver the same at a lower cost. Correct me, if necessary.

Thank you,
George
apdxyk
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,762 posts
 
I love the iPod/iPad/iPhone devices, I think I own seven of them, but have never understand the use of them as the basis for a high-quality home system. Everything about their design is optimized for portability and convenience. That inevitably involves compromises in audio quality.

By the time you spend the hundreds of dollars required to bypass the amp and DAC-on-a-chip in the iPod you're left with a very small hard drive with very limited capacity and a nice interface.

My recommendation would be to either get a CD player that works well for you or set up a computer-based music server and use the iPod for what it was designed for.
apdxyk OP
20 posts
 
Thank you all for your contributions. The dinky iPod is out then :) Now, I have to decide which case of creative marketing is loaded with heavier burden of creativity. Marantz is a Mid-Fi Co that has an edge in this dept. Like Teshigahara-sensei was in the neigbourhood and brought his latest ikebana to Ishikawa-san and that thing inspired Ken to use his divine touch here and there and 10 thousand flowers betrayed Chairman Mao and are blossoming in your den now. They are all masters of metaphor repackaging. Like those toro transformers, copper plates, etc. [October Copper futures are at 3.0755 right now. Something Mr Atkinson never used in his reviews. As relevant, of course] Why not, if you can sell the same product more times? Yamaha has an interesting tray and ostensibly more modern DAC chip, but it is a function of implementation, of course.
Yes, I like to spin them, and my collection is growing despite my attempts to rip and donate the CDs to my local library.
I guess, I need to give a listen to an apparatus or two. There is no other way otherwise. Shall report back in a few..
larrybigbird26's avatar
larrybigbird26
25 posts
 
I have to agree with nonoise,the marantz 15S2B is one heck of machine and i owned the Marantz SA-8004 for about a year and 15S2B is a keeper for me also. Marantz signature sound for sure and is a little more detailed sounding then the 8004. I also spin mostly stereo cds and have a couple of SACDS. Have had my 15s2b since May of this year. You wont go wrong with this cd player,I highly recommend this player,check it out.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,907 posts
 
Larrybigbird26,

Happy to hear you're enjoying the Marantz SA-15S2b. It's truly a wonderful player and easily rivals the sounds I heard at the last Newport Audio show. It may have been different, but in no way lacking. The way it resurrects and rescues older CDs is amazing.

The CD format has a long life ahead of it thanks to players like the Marantz.

All the best,
Nonoise
zd542
5,339 posts
 
Nonoise,

"The way it resurrects and rescues older CDs is amazing."

What exactly do you mean by that? Does it take poor recordings and smooth them over, or do you mean something else?
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