TRL Marantz Sa-14
Hi Gang, I heard a Marantz SA-14 version 1 that a friend had sent off for mods. Stock the unit sounded okay, but had a narrow and shallow sound stage. Frequency extension stock wasn't bad, there was suitable bass and highs. It wasn't so much what the stock unit did 'wrong" for my friend, but rather how much better it could be once modified that determined his purchase of a $550 TRL mod. First impressions after modification; Dan's SA-14 had a wider and deeper stage, it lost the digital glare, edge or whatever you want to call it, and it also had tighter bass. The unit had around 150 to 170 hours on it the last time I'd heard it and it definitely had broken in and relaxed a little further. Detail and micro dynamics are much improved, allowing you to hear 'into" the recording a little more. Dynamics also greatly improved. Dan mentioned to me that he has heard many minute details on his favorite recordings that he had not heard before, which concurs with my impressions. I am waiting for the Marantz SA-11's to hit port and will have TRL modify one after a short break in period (remaining stock), so I'll really know what the TRL mod offered. In as far as comparisons to the TRL $30K player/DAC, the TRL is unmatched. I have NEVER heard anything close, however the TRL mods offer a great taste and has the same 'house sound' as others have mentioned. I can't afford the $30K TRL combo. I can afford their $550 mod. I don't understand how Paul's making reference to the player should be seen as anything other than it is ... HIS reference, just as the huge $140k GT-800's are HIS refernce amps too. Folks need to remember that Paul isn't some guy that quit his day job and cleaned out his garage to become a modifier. He is an established manufacturer of 15 years known for building some of the finest and best sounding amplifiers in the World, of which I am proud to say that I own. As far as the SA-14 versus the SA-11, I'll have to wait and hear for myself. The new SA-11's are going to be within 2 to 4 weeks?, who knows? I'll share my opinion, for what it is worth, once I hear the 2 side by side. |
Hello Oldpet, I fully understand what you are saying about Paul and his crew's committment to the customer. My player was returned with some of the best packaging that I've ever encountered. They must have used $15 to $25 worth of bubble wrap on my player to make sure that it didn't get Fed Upped. Even the remote was wrapped in bubble wrap! I'd really appreciate your impressions when you get it back. Is your SA-14 a Version 1 or a Version 2? Best wishes, Jack |
Hello Oldpet, Paul has 3 main personnel that work on the units, himself, his brother Brian (of Record Research Lab) and Brian's BIL, Joel Sherman. Brian and Paul are also partners in their new company "Transistor Research Labs" and have a new amplifier which will debut within a few weeks. Please tell me your thoughts about your SA-14 after it breaks in a little. My friends unit really started sounding great after 100 hours. |
La45 says, "I can't get over the fact that I am using a 5-disc changer for my high end system. This player is a get up and sit down time saver especially since I am using a remoteless preamp. I just can't get over how good the TRL sound is on this Sony 2000es." That's my experience, too. I'm relatively new to the multi-disc players, but have to admit that i love the convenience of having 5 discs to pick and chose from before having to move from the sweet spot. And, I don't feel as though I'm sacrificing sound quality for that convenience. I'm moving ahead to a TRL/SA-11 and then will find out just how convenient the 5 disc player really is ... Sigh, isn't our hobby fun? |
Oldpet: Thanks for your kind words. I'm not unhappy with my TRL/Sony players; I just made the mistake of hearing my friends TRL/SA-14 and all I can do is think about how much better it is. (Once again, I'm losing sleep with my TRL/Sony, so it's not that I'm unhappy). The TRL SA-14 is pretty special, as you can attest. Jsala: You are in for a treat. I suppose I'll keep waiting on Marantz USA for the 11. Anticipation ... anticipation (sing along everybody!). Jack |
I've got to admit, I'm starting to get a little impatient with Marantz USA. I'm still going to try to wait it out ... How can the US distributor allow themselves to completely run out of stock? If I do lose my patience, I know the TRL/SA-14 is a winner as Oldpet can attest. I could be happy for some time with the TRL/SA-14. Damn Marantz USA ... |
Oldpet: A friend has the TRL SA-14 V1 and I completely understand your excitement, it is a wonderful player. His only complaint is that he stays up too late listening ... (perhaps his Wifes complaint too?) Lkdog: at least you are one step ahead of me. I'm still waiting on the new 11's. If Oldpet keeps posting, I'll be looking for a 14 ASAP. :} Jack |
Dracule1: I'm included in an order of 25 players that TRL ordered from Marantz USA about 3 weeks ago. I could get one from another source, but at added expense. This said, i can wait ... I think. Regardless of where I purchase, it will definitely go to TRL for modifications. I've heard the stock versus TRL modified SA-14 ... La45: The TRL SA-14 just does everything better; Better dynamics (micro and macro), higher resolution, tighter focus, blacker dark area around each instrument, deeper lower bass extension, and deeper and wider soundstage. Don't get me wron, the TRL/Sony 2000 is an incredible player, one that I could be happy with for years. Everything that the TRL 2000 does well, the TRL SA-14 does better. If I hadn't heard the difference, (if I did not hear it for myself), it's likely that I would not be buying a Marantz player. (The TRL 2000 is no disappointment) But, don't take it from me, ask Oldpet. He has had the pleasure of having a TRL SA-14 in his system for several hundred hours. My friend who is nearby, with the TRL SA-14, brought the player over to try it out in my system for a few hours. We found that the SA-14 likes the Stillpoints/HRS Nimbus combination with the balls upward to the SA-14 bottom cover, at least in my system. We used the single ended outputs with FIM Gold interconnects and FIM Gold power cord. The TRL SA-14 integrated very well into my system. I can only imagine after the cables had sufficient time to relax ... Soon Jsala and Lkdog will have theirs. I'm sure that they'll be helpful. Best wishes, Jack |
La45: I completely understand. I strongly advise you not to hear a TRL SA-14 until you are ready to purchase. I've found that the TRL/Sony C2000ES is very receptive to isolation devices as well. I've tried just about everything, but settled on Stillpoints with one HRS Nimbus disc (only) underneath. This offered the most natural tone, dynamics and soundstage for me, although this will differ from system to system. I will try the blu-tac under the tray, too. Have you had any problems with the tray opening? It seems like the blu-tac could fall down and screw with the door/tray opening mechanism? Best, Jack |
Benb: I use 3 Stillpoints sitting on top of one HRS Nimbus disc (rubber portion only). This combo has worked best in my system. I repeat, it works best in my system. When I take my player over to my friend's system, the TRL/Sony 2000 liked the Stillpoints only, which is a little too harsh in my system, thus the Nimbus underneath to tone the harshness away. Experiment in your system to find what works best for you. Regarding the isolation device location, there is adequate space on either (inner) side of the front stock plastic feet and one towards the center in the back. It's not a perfect triangle, but don't worry, it still works fine. La45: You said, " Alot of folks out there are struggling to get a particular sound out of their system. I have the opinion that having expensive gear does not neccessarily translate into synergy. For some reason the TRL player makes this effort easier to accomplish." Exactly. I've had numberous expensive digital front ends in my system over the last couple of years. I had a budget sufficient to afford everything that I'd tried, yet I own a $850 (after TRL mods) Sony 2000. Wonder why? I don't ... Enjoy your player, La45. If it's keeping you up late at night, it's doing something right! |
Jsala: Why not talk to Paul about a power cord? He might have a solution for you. My friend bought a power cord from Paul for his SA-14. I use a FIM Gold on my TRL/Sonny 2000. It's funny using a $1300 power cord on a $850 player, but I had it around anyway and it is incredible. It makes sense though, Paul designed the FIM Gold cable, so maybe it's an integration thing. Regarding isloation, I recommend that you try every possible combination so you find what works best in your personal system. Try as many combinations as you have to find what works best. You'd be surprised how much performance is lost when folks fail to spend the time finding the best isolation for their player. Remember that isolation device material will determine the voicing of the unit. Don't be afraid to try 1-1/4 inch maple blocks or brass cones, too. Softer materials may have a tendency to soften the sound, (dynamics, too). Harder materials may have the tendency to harden the sound. Experiment! Have fun! I love our hobby! Paul (Oldpet): I've decided to buy a used SA-14 and enjoy it until for a while. That is after TRL gets done with it! My friend's TRL/SA-14 had around 400 (?) hours on it the last time I'd heard it and it was incredible. We played a couple of Paul's live recording CD's and his Fidelis Cello SACD and I sat with my jaw dropped for an hour. But, I don't need to tell you that, do I? You have one ... These guys also have a new amplifier company, Transistor Research Labs. I've heard the proto-type over at Brian's house and it is insane! I've sold my Tube Research amps and will take delivery on their new ST-225 integrated within a few weeks. It's 225 conservative watts/channel, has 3 pairs of inputs, and has a seperate 48 stepped attenuator for each channel. Price is $5500. (The amps I sold went for 2 to 3 times that amount). They also have a 500 watt mono for $9K, but it isn't out yet. Best wishes, Jack |
Lkdog: Thanks for your praise, but I'm no expert. Quick Silver is an amazing product, period. The only downfall of the prodcut is that in audio applications, the sound will suck (bad) for the first 24 to 36 hours. I just let my player run on repeat for 36 hours, came back and shook my head, the sound improved so much! I've found that you want to use the least amount possible ... that too much can become a problem. (This can probably be said for the other silver conductive pastes, too.) I'd be happy to answer any question regarding Quick Silver from my experience. Either here or at my e-mail jack_seaton@yahoo.com . Brian Kyle (the manufacturer) answered all of my questions, so he might be a more logical source than me ... I don't make the stuff! In short, it works. I have a customer testimony at the XtremeAV.com web site for those seeking more detail. http://xtremeav.com/TestimonialsQSPage1.htm BTW, I'm very interested in your and Jsala's opinion of the TRL/SA-14. Is it everything you expected? Jack |
La45: Hey cousin, did you run a ground strap to the anti-static sheet, or just lay it on top without? I have a friend who "builds" computers that has boxes full of the sheets that you mention. Any specific size or material (color?) that I should ask for? I'm really excited about this tweak, even though I can't imagine my bass being much more "solid". Thanks, Jack |
La45: Thanks Cousin for your insight. I'll try your tweak later this week and will get back to you over the weekend. I use anti-static spray on my cables from time to time, which seems to really help, so it makes sense that there may be some magic in your tweak. By the way, how did you come up with the idea? It's a good idea ... Everyone: On a side note, I got my SA-14 V2 a few days ago and will run it at home for a few days to get a feel for it. I plan on sending it to the TRL crew within a week or two for their wonderful mod. More on that later. (Can't wait for the mod). Lkdog: So, you have 260 hours on your SA-14. That means you are about half way there. My friend didn't keep close enough tabs on the hours, but I'm guessing that he has around 700 hours on his now. It sure is a nice analog sounding player. I can't wait. |
Lou: I tried to get in touch with my computer tech friend over the weekend, but he was probably out enjoying the sun somewhere. What you're describing sounds like something that should interest us all, even those outside the "TRL Family". I've seen various colors used for anti-static bags, maybe I'll try a few different colors and see if that does, and will try a "grounding strap" of sorts to the baggie, too, to see if there's anything there. Who knows? Like I said before, this is something that benefits us all, and is an incredibly inexpensive tweak. Thanks Lou! |
La45: Hi Lou. I've been out of town on sales calls since Monday, but did get a chance to try a few different anti-static bags. So far, there has been no change. I'm sure that there is something there, but I haven't found the same material as you have. If we consider the rotating mass of a polycarbonate disc with several electric fields below it, it just makes sense that static could be an issue. I've found that my discs sound better after cleaning them with Record Research Labs Shine Ola (made by Brian Weitzel who helps with the TRL mods) even when they were previously cleaned with the same product. I'm assuming this is because the water in the solution is breaking down the static charge. I think that you are onto something, Lou. Unfortunately, I haven't found the same material that you have. I have a few more bags to try over the weekend. I'll let you know. Hchi: I did get to hear your 9500, Howard, as I stopped by to see the guys at TRL on my return trip. The TRL SA-14 is the best that I've heard so far, so I'll make comparisons to it, directly. Unfortunately, my last experience with the TRL SA-14 is one that is almost fully broken in, so my comparisons aren't really fair in some regard. In my opinion, the 9500 audio is very good. It has a sound very similar to the SA-14, very wide and deep stage, full frequency extension on each end and very analog sounding. It lacks a little detail and resolution, but then again, this will refine upon break in, with my experience of 8 TRL mods. Yours is a very nice looking unit, with a Gold face plate and the nicest gold like paint finish on the top cover. I wish that my black SA-14 looked as nice. I think that over time, once it breaks in, it will sound very close to the SA-14. Paul told me that he was confident that it would have that same TRL/Marantz sound once it is broken in. I didn't have a chance to check out the video quality, so I can't make remarks on that. I haven't heard of a universal player yet that does everything perfectly. Let me know if the 9500 has great video, too. I'd really like to know. By the way, Paul said that your's is a special unit made for the orient. It sure is beautiful. TRL Family: My SA-14 is going to TRL next week. Brian told me that they have 4 confirmed (with shipping tracking confirmation info) SA-14's coming next week, too. Hopefully, they'll have time to fit me in. I'll let everyone know my initial impressions, once I get it back. I got to hear the Transistor Research Labs ST-225 which is going to the Northwest Audio Mafia Club meeting at Cain and Cain Loudspeakers, in Walla Walla, Washington tomorrow. There will be a reporter from the Robb Report flying in from Los Angeles for the event. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend. Keep an eye on the various forums, maybe a fellow audiophile who does attend will be so nice as to share info about the event? TRL makes State of the Art amps and pre-amps, both tube and solid state (Tube Research Labs and Transistor Research Labs). Hybrid SACD's and cd's (Fidelis Records and Diversity Records). High end cables (FIM and Cable Research Labs). Software cleaning products (Record Research Labs). And of course wonderful and affordable digital mods. Geez, what's next? |
Audioezra: Thank you for your observations. Since my first TRL mod (a Sony 775) I, too, have quit playing back my 2 track production masters, which I used to consider the "absolute" sound. Since your system is not listed, could you please list your system components? I whole heartedly agree with your assessment of the integrity of the TRL team. And considering that their price for all of their mods are just $550, I feel they are providing the best bargain in audio, ever. La45: Hey Cuz. I hope that you are able to track down the source. Thanks Lou, for your efforts. Jsala: I've owned Paul's FIM/CRL Gold and Silver power cords in the past and they do require some break in time. There is a lot of mass there to break in, be patient. BTW, what is the rest of your system? Solid state or tube? Speakers? Just wondering ... |
Hchi: Please let us know what you think. Reb1208: I wouldn't call it warm, then again, I've been listening to my 595 which is what I'd consider neutral. The bass is a little shy and less tight, compared to the modified units. And the stock unit is a little harsh, (digital edge/glare). Dynamics (once again stock) leave me wanting more. Micro dynamics and detail also leave me wanting more. Listener fatigue is an issue (stock). Usually, isolation devices can be used to tame one extreme or another, but the stock SA-14 has too many things to tame. Use Stillpoints by themselves and the digital glare is over pronounced, but the bottom end tightens up. Use a softer isolation device by itself, such as the HRS Nimbus Discs, and the bottom end gets too sloppy, but the digital glare is tamed. I even tried Maple blocks, brass cones and aluminum cones to no avail. Simply put, I wouldn't want to spend much time at one sitting, listening to a stock SA-14. Then again, I have heard the modified SA-14, which has everything that I'm looking for. The modified unit will integrate very well with my system. Best wishes, Jack |
Figures, the SA-11's become available after I buy a used SA-14 ... must be my luck. Reb1208: Please share your first impressions when you get the unit. I'm very interested in knowing how they compare. I might have to make the 150 mile journey to hear it while it's in the shop ... Lkdog: Heard you may spend a little time with the ST-225. Keep us informed. La45: Hey Cuz, any luck with the anti-static material source? Jack |
Hchi: That's too bad. My units have always been delivered with 3 to 4 inches of bubble wrap around them. Fed Upped must have really abused your player to cause that type of damage. Paul has told me stories of damaged amp crates from shipping abuse. His amplifier crates are made of 5/8" Birch plywood with 2 inch thick styrofoam surrounding the entire amp. The handle ends are double wall to allow carrying handles. He has had fork lift forks puncture through the 5/8" plywood and damage the amps inside. Once, they damaged the crate so badly that the shipping carrier repackaged the amp in a cardboard box with newspaper ... yeah, like that will work on a 100 pound GT-100 mono block! Good luck with your Fed Up claim. Deb: I prefer the TRL SA-14 over the TRL DV50S for sound. It just does everything better. The video on the DV50S is very good. If I was more "into" video, I probably would have bought a DV50S. From the sound of your posts, you seem to be more into video. This said, you should be happy with your purchase. Lkdog: I haven't talked to the guys about their trip down to the Central Washington Audio Mafia Club meeting, although I'm sure that it was well recieved. Soundlabs are a difficult speaker to drive. Let us know how that works out. Jack |
Howard: I pray for the best on your vacation. (No lost or damaged luggage, etc). And for a speedy claim with Fed Upped. I think that Yahoo allows free photo uploads with their free yahoo e-mail accounts. Might be worth looking into? Deb: The Marantz does not do video. I like the looks of both players ... the SA-14 just fit closer to my needs for the audio system, that's all. Jack |
TRL Family: I just installed my SA-14 after the TRL mod and gave it a quick hour listen. The guys left my player on a redbook CD on repeat with a load on the outputs for around 4 days before I picked it up. So, it is still very fresh, if you know what I mean. Initial impressions are very impressive. The dynamics jump right out at you. The background is very black and tightly focused. I should stop myself first and let you all know that Paul, Brian and Joel have came up with some new mods for the SA-14. Brian and Paul are e-mailing past TRL SA-14 owners informing them of the latest mods and letting them know that they will install the updated mods for TRL SA-14 owners FREE OF CHARGE, you only pay shipping each way. Tony Riordan, our very own Lkdog, was the first to have this update done. I waited and had their entire mod done at once, this last week, when I was gone on vacation. I should note that the TRL SA-14 mod is still only $550, even with the "new areas addressed". I have heard the TRL SA-14 without and with the latest mods. The latest mod really improves the dynamics, has a little more low midrange/high bass warmth and has better soundstaging. Focus is improved too, which is probably tied in with the lowered background noise. To me this was already an incredible bargain. They aren't charging a premium for the recent updates and are doing the mods free for past TRL SA-14 owners. This speaks volumes about TRL as a company and about the Weitzel's in general. This type of customer service is unheard of anymore, regardless of the Industry. I'm going to get back to my new toy ... it's calling for me. Best, Jack |
Oldpet: I understand your concerns, I use the CRL Gold cable on my SA-14, which is significantly larger than the Silver. I've found that the cable takes about 2 to 3 minutes of bending to get it configured to where it will stay put. The good news is that once it is bent, it stays where it should. All: My SA-14 is still very fresh and even though I know that it is going through its' dirty stage of break in, I find it hard to leave the listening room. This player is so dynamic! Back to the new toy. Jack |
All: Yeah, Brian got banged up pretty badly. Considering he drove in the median and his car traveled downward and landed on a lower highway, I can't believe he survived. Someone up there is watching out for him ... I'm happy that he is okay. Oldpet: Have you got your SA-14 back yet? I very interested in your first impressions. Cousin (La45): I hate to sound like a "broken record", but have you found the source to the anti-static sheets? I realize it is nearly impossible to source, just hoping that you have lucked out ... All: My SA-14 is sounding incredible. I am embarrassed to say how much better it is now ... I'm very happy. (I'm only 1/2 of the way to fully broken in, so it keeps getting better. You TRL mod owners know what I'm saying). Jack |
Sbayne: I've owned various Tube Research Labs amps and preamps since the early 90's. Every one of them has taken a while to break in, so it is common for their products. TVAD: Most folks don't have memory lapses that prohibit them from remembering how a component sounded a few weeks back. Then again, maybe some guys "experimented" too much with mind altering drugs ... :) Jack |
TVAD: For me, I have several test discs that I know very well, having been present during the actual event. (Although being there is not a criteria, in my opinion, to knowing a disc well). I hear how the player distinguishes minute details and store them away in my memory. For example, Lkdog has mentioned to me (and I concur) that since he has his SA-14 back from TRL (with their free updates) that he is hearing details that went un-noticed before ... that he is re-listening to his entire library of music, finding new details that were previously masked or blurred. As I stated above, I'm experiencing the same thing. Even old discs like Trio Jeepy have startling new details that I've never heard before and have a spooky realistic feel (and sound) to them. This said, there is something to what we are both noticing and it has to do with our memory of these discs, some that we've been familiar with over a decade. I don't see Lkdog or I as "Supermen", nor am I directly questioning your cognitive powers or hearing acuity. I do know what I hear and what I remember, and I don't mind sharing my first hand experience to those here ... in the TRL SA-14 thread. |
Oldpet (Paul): They make us all feel that way. I'm now enjoying their new ST-225 amp along with the SA-14 ... If you like the sound of the SA-14 with the latest updates, you'll thoroughly enjoy their amp. It definitely has the TRL sound. (Dynamics, black back ground, tight focus, incrdible detail, wide deep stage, full rich sound) Back to the music! Jack |
Oldpet: I bought the third ST-225 to leave the shop. Brian let me borrow the proto-type for a week after hearing it in his system. I called them the next day to set up/confirm my order. I have around 500 hours on the integrated now and yes, it went through the break in similar to how their player mods do ... they improve along the entire break in period. There is incredible synergy in my system with the Magicos, the SA-14 and FIM Gold cabling. I plan on spooling a reel master later tonight, just to see how it does with TRUE analog. I should probably stop here and just write a review for the amp. Best, Jack |
Hchi: First let me share my sorrow that it has taken nearly 2 months to settle your claim. Considering the incredible packaging by the TRL guys, your player no doubt was severely dropped and/or abused. I am going to write a complete review of the new Transistor Research Labs ST-225 in the very near future. I've wanted to for the past several weeks, so that I don't distract from the TRL SA-14, which is a remarkable reference quality player in my experience. To give you a taste, Howard, the ST-225 integrates VERY well in my system. My last reference amp was the Tube Research GT-200's, and I'd planned on buying a pair of Tube Research GT-400's ($85K new). I no longer need to have the GT-400's. To be fair to this thead, I promise to write a review of the ST-225 very soon. At $5500, it is a steal! Best, Jack |
Ozzy: I don't really understand. It appears that Howard is pleased with the fact that both he and Mr. Weitzel worked together to resolve the issue. In other words, Mr. Weitzel DID deal with the problem, along with Howard. I can understand your concern for your fellow audiophiles. I've recieved e-mails from several audiophiles about unethical business practices ... about one guy in particular. According to the e-mails, there is one mod shop guy that has had units for well over a year and refuses to reply to phone calls and e-mails. (Care to take a guess, anyone?) I've heard stories that will make your stomach ache. OVER A YEAR! To those who have shared such stories with me, I've suggested that they contact the California State Attorney General to help them resolve the issue. It's a real shame that we have guys like this out there ruining it for the good, ethical modifiers out there. TRL has shipped over 550 units in the last 9 months of doing mods and has had three that were damaged, despite their over-protective packaging. (Not bad odds, considering the threads you see both here and at Audio Asylum about shipping problems). They have been in business for over 15 years, selling a majority of their product overseas. (Shipping up to 1200 pound units). Mods are just a small portion of their business. Best wishes :), Jack |
Jsala and Clio09: Extreme AV's Quick Silver conductive paste doesn't sound very good initially. Initially, it will sound bright and edgy. The good news is, it does break in and settles down. I'm a huge proponent of Quick Silver, which can be seen on their Quick Silver testimonials pages http://www.xtremeavllc.com/PDFs/QuickSilverTestimonials.pdf After it was thoroughly broken in, I noticed a lower noise floor, improved dynamics (micro and macro), much tighter focus, and improved resolution (like being able to distinguish that there were 2 backing vocals instead of what sounded before like just one). Huge improvements on video, too! I've had to lower my white level, brightness level and contrast 3 times while the Quick Silver broke in. Image resolution greatly improved. Quick silver alone gave me a larger improvement than my last line doubler up-grade. (And for a fraction of the price). Best, Jack Seaton |
Remember guys that cables must integrate into a system, there is no "one" cable that will work best for every system. Cabling plays an important role in system synergy. For an example, if you had a Krell based system, your cable choices would be different than someone with a SET based system. Lkdog: Your cable choices would be different now, with your TRL modified Musical Fidelity A300, then before the mod ... right? Prior to the mod, your A300 was a little edgy. At that time, I would have recommended Cardas to help tame your amp. After the TRL mod, I would recommend a more neutral cable like the FIM/CRL. (Sorry for singling you out ... it is a valid point and I hope that you don't mind me using it as an example) TRL Family: We can not assume that there is one perfect cable that will integrate well with every system. It is important to know the characteristics of various cables so that we can optimize the synergy to make our systems the best they can be. LA45: Hey Cuz, how have you been? I haven't heard the SA-11 yet, but will soon, as TRL got verification of shipment from Marantz USA yesterday. I'm making a special trip to hear the first one out the door (Tom Moore's), and will happily report back my findings. The TRL/SA-11 will have to be a "very, very special player" in order to make me want one. My TRL/SA-14 has set a pretty high standard in which to beat. (Just ask Oldpet and Lkdog) Jsala: Send it back. The difference is more significant than the original mod. Best, Jack Seaton |
Hello all, I've been away for a while, trying to fully understand Audiogon's moderation. You can't keep a big mouth like me away for long ... Bob: You'll enjoy the TRL/SA-14. It is a very involving player as Paul (Oldpet) stated. You'll find yourself staying up later than you'd planned. :) Jay: Your player will change dramatically, after you send it back for the free updates. It will be the best $300 (for the shipping) that you've spent in audio. Just ask the guys who had the SA-14 before and after the updates. Tony (Clio09): Nice to hear a report back from you. It has been a while. You must have been enjoying the music. FYI, it takes the CRL digital cable a while to fully break in ... ah Hell, the same can be said for the TRL mod. Enjoy! Howard: I hope that you can find a nice, clean SA-14. Bob (Baranyi mentioned, "I do know of another version one in Chicago if anyone is looking". Maybe you 2 should e-mail each other? Good luck ... you deserve it. :) Lithojoe: Are you the guy that bought Jerry Taylor's TRL phono stage? Best, Jack Seaton |
Jay: Good to hear. You'll be pleased with the update. Ask Oldpet, it is night and day. I've tried bybees in the past. They didn't stay long ... Great to hear from you again. Tony, aka dog: Sorry I left you out above. Sounds like you're just enjoying the music ... that's what it is all about. Howard: I have tried Roller blocks, and Stillpoints under my 14, but prefer the Wagner A/V mounting pad. The Mapleshade Isoblocks are nothing more than the "Wagner AV Mounting Pad", available at any Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning contractor supply house. Heating contractors use them under underneathe heating and cooling systems. Check your yellow pages. Pierre (Mapleshade) claims that they are his proprietary design, "I evolved the IsoBlock specifically for our maple platforms" (LOL). http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/tweaks/isoblocks.php Anyway, they have worked best under my 14, in my system. I've said this before: Isolation devices can be used to tune a system to help system integration. For example, some systems may need a little more tightness in the mids and highs. The Stillpoints may be a good choice for this application. I've even used a combination of various isolation devices in my past, like using the HRS Nimbus didsc/pucks underneathe Stillpoints to tone down the Stillpoints. Experiment. Have fun. See what works best for your system. Once you have the 14, drop me an e-mail and tell me what you hear. I have many of the countless isolation devices out there and know the 'sound' of each one. I'd be happy to suggest which isolation device might suit your needs. Best, Jack Seaton jack_seaton@yahoo.com |
