Biggest soundstage in a CD Player ?

ps. Check my previous threads for reasons why the Marantz
SA-1 is possibly the world's best natural sounding player.

The Marantz SA-1 SACD/CD player. A clear cut winner over Wadia product and Levinson.

Lev335, whatever you say. The Marantz SA-1 is just another Marantz CD player. Levinson can only wish they can package a player like SA-1. Sure they can copy the Marantz SA-1 for about $15K. I had the Levisnon 39 in my system for 6 months from my dealer friend and the Wadia 27 set up. And having about a dozen audiophile friends listen and compare A/B the Marantz SA-1 is superior to the Levinson 39 in CD playback and another world in the SACD playback. This SA/1 is not your stock run of the mill Philips CD player. E-mail John Atkinson aka Stereophile who is a personal friend of mine.
Just compare parts between the two. You are paying atleast another $2K for the name Levinson. The Marantz SA-1 is a statement piece by the Japanese- meaning they use the best of everything and is hand crafted. They do not make money on pieces like the SA-1 because of the limited production. Marantz makes money on the volume pieces, then you can say what you said in your previous statement. I should know, I had spent +10 years as an in-house counselor for a Japanese consumer electronic firm.

9fold- you are exacto-correcto sir, and I commend you.

People have to realize that without companies like Marantz and Sony, to do the R & D, the hi-end industry (especially digital) would suffer. I don't want to put down the small
US hi-end companies, but open up there boxes (CD players). It's mostly Japanese technology and repackaged for a lot more money. As of today the Marantz SA-1 & Sony SCD-1 are the best and everyone else will follow. The Accuphase 2-pc system SACD player is nice if you have $28K. Accuphase is flat out over priced and make money on there statement pieces. Marantz & Sony statement audio pieces are simply to show what they can do which is usually the best.
I say let people like Lev335 have his views. His loss is our gain. And if he read my previous forum, he may understand the gist of it.

I had the Levinson 39 in my system for 6 months on loaner from a dealer friend ( I do all of his legal work in barter). The Marantz SA-1 as a "CD" player was head and shoulders in everything you want to hear verse the Levisnon 39. In the SACD mode, the Marantz was in 5th gear cruising verse the Levisnon 39 was sluggish sounding stuck in 2nd gear.

So the Marantz SA-1 is not just for SACD playback but a world class CD player. By the way... the Marantz A+ in Stereophile recommenation is correct on there rating.