I recently purchased the Marantz SA11-S1 new and strongly discounted to the bottom of your price range, and have found it to be a very, very good redbook player as well as being excellent at SACD playback. Images are projected in a punpoint manner in front of the speakers and the sound is smooth and very detailed without being etched, and the soundstage is past wall to wall. Fopr me it also had the added advantage of balanced outputs. I have no regrets at all on this purchase and at several hundred hours now it continues to get better.
CD player in the $2,500 to $5,000 range
I sold my old system (Bryston, MG 3.6r, Oracle Delphi, Parasound CD player) and have been working on putting together a simpler and smaller system. With advice from others on Audiogon, I bought a lovely pair of Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors, and a Cary SLI-80 Signature. Now I need to pick a CD player.
I listen to primarily piano music, opera, and chamber music (plus a smattering of jazz, from time-to-time). I don't give a darn about the "hi-fi experience." Grain free, no fatigue, timber accuracy, is what I value.
I'm thinking:
Ayre CX-7e
Meridian G08
AR CD3
Marantz SA 11s1
Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
MMC
I listen to primarily piano music, opera, and chamber music (plus a smattering of jazz, from time-to-time). I don't give a darn about the "hi-fi experience." Grain free, no fatigue, timber accuracy, is what I value.
I'm thinking:
Ayre CX-7e
Meridian G08
AR CD3
Marantz SA 11s1
Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
MMC