I went down to my local dealer last Saturday to buy an 8260, they had a demo and they were selling it for $799, what a deal I thought to myself. I listened to Dylans Blood on the Tracks in red book and then on SACD. I could'nt tell the difference and I have to agree with Kjl it sounded soupy. Like there was a blanket over the musicians. The salesman basically talked me out of the deal, which was'nt to hard after what I heard. He told me that Sony was no longer making SACD transports and he thought the format would be dead in 2 to 3 years. He felt sticking with what I had and buying well produced red book CD's was the way to go. I agree... so much for "A" ratings being bought with out a demo listen.
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?
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?