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The Ultimate SACD Machine

I'm considering getting an SACD player again. I have a number of SACDs but abandoned the format a couple years ago in favor of vinyl.

I am considering mainly the EMM Labs CDSAse or a Marantz SA11S2 or SA7.

Critical information:

- I'm concerned really only with jazz. 40s-60s jazz. (All the new titles on the format has me interested again.)

- As per above, my priorities are truth in timbre and tone and total lack of HF grain or glare. "Analog-like" may have become a cliche but it's what I'm after: though vinyl as a medium is shirley flawed (yes, I meant to call you Shirley), for me it has always given the best sound - meaning the most natural, realistic, and fatigue-free sound.

I expect that the EMM Labs machine has a gap over the Marantz in these qualities. It should, for the price. How large is the gap, for those who have heard both extensively?

Is there another machine I should consider? ($5K used would be absolute top budget and a bit of a stretch.)
paulfolbrecht

Showing 1 response by hififile

hififile
236 posts
 
This is a great question,

I have auditioned or owned the Ayre, The McIntosh MCD-500 & MVP-861, the Linn Unidisc, a Marantz 11, And a Marantz 8260. And a Pioneer Elite DV 79.

The player that did the best SACD was & is the Sony SCD XA-5400ES. It sounded better in my system than all of the others mentioned above.

Just my 2 cents.
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