ARC CD 3 Mk. II & Marantz S11S2 -- sonic contrast?


All, a good friend of mine is seeking reports on audible sonic differences between redbook playback performance for two well respected players:

* the ARC CD 3 Mk. II,

* the Marantz S11S2.

As I have never heard CD 3 Mk. II, and am only acquainted with S11S2's predecessor, and obviously I have not heard the two devices in the same system, I am asking fellow audiogoner's to chime in. If you have had meaningful experience with BOTH of these players, post your comparitive listening findings here. How do the 2 devices differ sonically and musically? Which one do you prefer, and why? Be detailed and descriptive.

Things to avoid:

* Posts in the simple form" X is better than Y" are not noticeably helpful. "better" is a relative term, and is purely a value judgement. . . it does not define/describe sound.

* Technology issues are no concern here: SACD vs redbook only, choice of DAC modules, oversampling, uberclocking,, ... etc... are not in discussion.

* Alternate suggestions, including different model variants, are out of topic... The 'topic du jour' is purely the sound and relative sonic differences between ARC CD 3 Mk. II and Marantz SA11S2.

Saluti,

Guido
guidocorona
The problem is that you're asking for a comparison. I've owned the ARC CD-3, but have never heard any of the Marantz players. 
Thank you Bob... But this far there have been 150 viewings of this thread... and no opinions given yet (grins). Guido
Well, it looks like no one has compared ARC CD 3 Mk. II with Marantz SA11S2... So, let's broaden the comparison just a little:

ARC CD 3 Mk. II contrasted with Marantz SSA11S1, SA11S2, or SA7S1.

Best, Guido