2. digital
  3. 1145347491

Marantz SA8260

I own a slightly older, cheaper Marantz DVD player. It was recommended to me by a dealer who pointed out the special way they handle the output stage, it's called HDAM, or something like that.
I listen primarily to redbook CD's so my next player would need to perform well with regard to regular CD's.
For the money, the SA8260 seems to be a great player for the money. But does it's strength lie primarily in SACD playback, or does CD's sound equally as good through this player?
For those of you with some experience with this Marantz player, and other high quality digital sources, should I counsider buying one. I can't demo the unit. I have no local dealer. I'm primarily a speaker oriented guy. I've built some in the past with mixed success. When it comes to reaping the rewards of upgrading audio gear, speakers, in my experience, yield the most noticeable improvements.
With that said, I'd like to upgrade my digital source. I've already bought a Rogue 99 pre amp mated with a Parasound A21. I like the mix of tubed pre and SS power. Yes, I realise that my amp really isn't in the same league as my pre amp.
Thinking of the future though, what the kids are listening to these days is downloadable music, MP3. The future of hi-rez digital is compromised by this fact, since record companies won't produce much more hi-rez software if the money/demand isn't there.
So, with Stereophile's granting the 8290 a class A, and good reviews elsewhere, I'm thinking that this unit might be the best bang for the buck. What do you guys who've listened to this player with CD's think?
sjhebert0374

Showing 1 response by audphile1

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
4,348 posts
 
Stereophile rating was based on its primary playback medium, which is SACD. I heard this player in my friend's system for a long enough time to judge it. Its redbook performace, although not that bad, is very far from class A performance. I would recommend you keep your dvd player and use it as a transport for a dac such as Bel Canto DAC2, which sounds smoother and way less digital than the SA8260. Another point to mention, which was already said in this and other posts, is that the player frequently encounters reading problems. It does not read some CD-Rs and less than perfect condition originals.
An external dac should give you more bang for your buck.
If you are determined to go with a single box player, consider Meredian 508.24 or Audio Research CD2. These are in a totally different league than the SA8260 sonically. Their redbook performance probably even exceeds SA8260 SACD performance. Good luck.
More to discover