ARC CD 3 Mk. II & Marantz S11S2 -- sonic contrast?

All, a good friend of mine is seeking reports on audible sonic differences between redbook playback performance for two well respected players:

* the ARC CD 3 Mk. II,

* the Marantz S11S2.

As I have never heard CD 3 Mk. II, and am only acquainted with S11S2's predecessor, and obviously I have not heard the two devices in the same system, I am asking fellow audiogoner's to chime in. If you have had meaningful experience with BOTH of these players, post your comparitive listening findings here. How do the 2 devices differ sonically and musically? Which one do you prefer, and why? Be detailed and descriptive.

Things to avoid:

* Posts in the simple form" X is better than Y" are not noticeably helpful. "better" is a relative term, and is purely a value judgement. . . it does not define/describe sound.

* Technology issues are no concern here: SACD vs redbook only, choice of DAC modules, oversampling, uberclocking,, ... etc... are not in discussion.

* Alternate suggestions, including different model variants, are out of topic... The 'topic du jour' is purely the sound and relative sonic differences between ARC CD 3 Mk. II and Marantz SA11S2.

Saluti,

Guido