Marantz 8260 SACD player


Anyone out there have the above player?

Two questions:
-What is your impression on "regular-redbook" CD?
-What do you think about the drawer not fully opening? If you view this player from the top, with the drawer open and a CD in the well, all you see is about 7/8ths of the CD which necessitates your slanting the CD out of the draw when changing CD's. I find this to be a weird ergonomic design and I'm having trouble figuring out why it is built this way. Any thoughts??????
lindisfarne
The Marantz is warmer, and slightly smoother, but it does have some bass problem that has been discussed over at the HiRez Asylum. I think Dan Wright is modding the HDRAM analog output sections to deal with that. Reference Audiomods has a mod (about $1100) where they completely replace the analog section with transformers.

The Sony is slightly drier, but more detailed and and greater impact because it doesn't have the Marantz bass issue. SACDmods.com offers a mod to the 775 for about $325. I'll bet that really turns that machine into a killer.

I could easily live with either machine unmodded. Both are very clean and musical. Differences between the two are not great, unless you're really into minor differences, and even then I would not automatically assume you would find the Marantz better. However, don't get me wrong, the Marantz is a great machine, and it would be my choice if I had to choose between the two, which I'll probably have to do eventually.

All my comments here and in my last post relate to redbook. I've been so fascinated with the redbook performance of both machines, I haven't been too interested in buying SACD discs and trying them out. My SACD disc collection stands at a grand total of 2 (1 for each player I guess).

At this point, who knows about the future of SACD. I bought both machines to play with SACD, but found the redbook performance of both machines so good, I'm considering selling my current reference front end and having either the Sony or Marantz modded to use as my redbook source. Eventually, I make take a more serious look at SACD, but right now I'm looking at both machines as very good CD players, that just happen to have SACD and MC capabilities. I'm not set up for MC, so that's not a consideration for me.
Pctower,
How does the marantz differ from the Sony? How is the Sony with Redbook CD's?
As background, I have a $10,000 plus vinyl front end and a $10,000 plus transport/DAC front end. I also have and 8260 (back for repair) and a Sony CE775. I have done 95% of my listening on both the Marantz and the Sony. Here's what I have to say.

Anyone today who spends more money for a source than it would cost to buy an 8260 is crazy, and the CE775 is almost as good. Get either one, and if you just have to spend more money get it modified.

I have no problem with the way the door on the 8260 opens.