Alex P79
Established Member
Hi. I know that some of you on here own Marantz SACD players and I am seeking your advice/experience on the different models. To cut a long story short I am thinking of getting one for my 81 year old father as a gift. It would not be new (unless there is a fantastic deal going) but I would like as good a machine as possible. He has a 25 year old Sony CDP-XE300 (made in France) which, other than needing a new draw belt, has been utterly reliable. I have considered a used Sony but they are all getting quite old now, the good ones are really expensive and I question repairs/support as the net is full of stories of laser failure/lack of parts etc.
Unfortunately my father has very poor eyesight and it not 'computer literate' so a universal player which could cause confusion is out - no Oppos etc. My father listens to classical music on vinyl (has a Rega dec) and CD. I know SACD is a very limited format but there does seem to be a lot of classical music available in the format - he already owns a few hybrid discs. I did consider foregoing SACD and getting a Rega Apollo but his eyes would not let him cope with the toploading system - my mum puts his records on for him but he likes using the CD player himself.
So with all that in mind, what do owners/former owners think of the Japanese made models? I am thinking SA8004, SA8005 and the SA-11 etc. TBH the model numbers for the high end models are a little confusing - is a 15 higher or lower than a 10? As well as sound quality, what are usability/reliability/parts availability/service backup like? Are there any major issues to be aware of? What sort of prices do the 8004/8005 fetch used? Would circa £500 get a good one bearing in mind they were less than £1,000 new?
The rest of his system is an Arcam Alpha 7 amp and Tannoy Mercury M2 speakers - all owned from new, in great condition and he won't be changing them. TBH the SA8004/8005 will probably be more than enough. Other options I am looking at are Arcam CD37 and Denon DCD-1600NE if I can find one, though the Marantz and the Arcam might suit his ears/system more from what I have read. The later Arcams aren't really of interest as streaming is not an option.
Any thoughts/experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Alex
Unfortunately my father has very poor eyesight and it not 'computer literate' so a universal player which could cause confusion is out - no Oppos etc. My father listens to classical music on vinyl (has a Rega dec) and CD. I know SACD is a very limited format but there does seem to be a lot of classical music available in the format - he already owns a few hybrid discs. I did consider foregoing SACD and getting a Rega Apollo but his eyes would not let him cope with the toploading system - my mum puts his records on for him but he likes using the CD player himself.
So with all that in mind, what do owners/former owners think of the Japanese made models? I am thinking SA8004, SA8005 and the SA-11 etc. TBH the model numbers for the high end models are a little confusing - is a 15 higher or lower than a 10? As well as sound quality, what are usability/reliability/parts availability/service backup like? Are there any major issues to be aware of? What sort of prices do the 8004/8005 fetch used? Would circa £500 get a good one bearing in mind they were less than £1,000 new?
The rest of his system is an Arcam Alpha 7 amp and Tannoy Mercury M2 speakers - all owned from new, in great condition and he won't be changing them. TBH the SA8004/8005 will probably be more than enough. Other options I am looking at are Arcam CD37 and Denon DCD-1600NE if I can find one, though the Marantz and the Arcam might suit his ears/system more from what I have read. The later Arcams aren't really of interest as streaming is not an option.
Any thoughts/experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Alex