Need help on a new CD/SACD player

I want to spend less than $1200. I can get the Arcam for $1100.

Yes, and has some basic streaming capabilities.

I strongly suspect there is a laser transport assembly out there.  Are you certain that is even the problem?  How old is the unit?

SACD is not a deal breaker. Was wondering how the Cambridge CX player and DAC sound as there are very few reviews.

The local shop sent it to Marantz. They said no parts available.  I would love for them to be wrong.

those damn marantz sacd units have left many a customer stranded with their unreliable lasers... ugh

i noticed this nice one surfing the ads...

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649717685-naim-audio-cd5si-mint/

Whatever you like, don't buy unless you can also purchase a replacement laser assembly at the same time.

I am sure Marantz does not have the parts.  Golly, keeping an inventory of parts might cost money!

But I have found parts at sites that specialize in laser assemblies in the past.  Wish I could recall the name.  A shame to dump a nice player like that.

I came across this but can’t vouch for it:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000831433545.html


Enco deals in spare parts and drives for Philips but the latest version they carry is the CD Pro-2 and it goes for around $800. They may know where to source one. https://encosystems.net/

All the best,
Nonoise

I've owned a number of Cambridge CD players. The 851 is a very good player if you can swing that. 

If SACD (and Blu Ray) was important-you said it wasn't, but if you have a change of heart--I would get a Sony Universal Player( generally $3-400) and consider adding a good DAC for around a $1000. If the DAC has a usb input, and you want to dip your toe into streaming, you can use a desktop or laptop ,as the streaming services all have apps that work with computers.  You can then add a dedicated streamer later if you wish

Oppo 105 with upgraded power supply section. I did this to mine. HUGE improvement.


You might find one already "hotroded", if not ebay sells the parts. It'd a fairly simple DIY. One of the providers includes lots of how to photos as a part of their listing

hth

Rotel rcd -1572

Pioneer elite UDP-lx500

I had a first generation Cambridge Audio CXC transport. I used it with a Parasound Halo Integrated. I purchased it from Spearit Sound and the first two that were sent to me skipped something awful. The third one worked fine but I wasn’t that crazy about it. I don’t remember exactly but the display wouldn’t show either the total time, time left on each track or total time left. Not sure which one as it was back in 2016. I also thought the transport could be noisy at times.


The problems I had may be fixed on the newer generation. I will say it had a good build quality and was better than the cheap players a lot of people use with a DAC.

When my Marantz CD/SACD player went belly up after a couple of years (I can't remember exactly why but it was probably its SACD capability), I replaced it with a Sony XA5400ES. It's now several years on, and the Sony hasn't missed a beat.  And yes I like it a lot. It's taken me out of the market.

Never ever had a laser fail. But I've never owned a Marantz disk player. Sounds like get another brand.

Second OPPO. I have their ultra-high-end BLU-RAY player. It’s fantastic!

The laser in my SA8005 died a few months ago (seems a recurring theme with Marantz), I now use it's DAC with an Audiolab CD transport. Not sure your Marantz has that capabilty but it was a good solution for me.

we should start a ’my marantz sacd player became a brick’ club

I think I am going with a used Naim player and a Bluesound node.

Thank you to everyone on the forum for the great suggestions (as always).

if I can find a transport for the Marantz, it will be for sale here soon.

I am an owner of a Marantz SA8001, and I am very interested in Arcam CDS50, do you know if this unit works only as CD/SACD transport?

jjss49

 

Did you find a replacement Laser for your Marantz ?

If so, where did you purchase ?

 

Happy Listening!