I have the S3 for several weeks now. It is planed as a source for the third and smallest stereo set up. Just out of curiosity I paced it on the number 2 set up. The is S3 is an incredibly good player, no matter weather it plays CD, SACD (SACD sounds wonderful and with this player you actually see the superiority of SACD over CD as a format) and hi-res files over the USB-B port. Anyone who is interested into buying a digital player even double the budget of the S3, should take it into consideration. It has perfect depth and layering of the music, you really get a sense of an endless stage. Usually I read that Marantz player do not have many details...not this player. It has so money details, that I can actually hear the mistakes in some productions that slipped the producers. The key thing in serving all those details is extreme musicality. You can continue to listen to it for hours and hours without the slightest sense of fatigue. The sound is rich & full. You instantly get the meaning of the term “holographic presentation”...it is almost visible how each instrument and voice is positioned and presented.
The biggest problem of this player is actually the brand. I have many friends that look down on Marantz as a brand, but believe me the S3 is truly a high-end device that under another brand will cost at least double the budget. Explaining how some component sounds is a very personal thing and sometimes very hard to do. That is why if you have a chance to audition this source, especially in your system, do not miss it! This goes even for those who aim much higher with their budgets.
