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Marantz SA8004 is fundamentally musical

I hate posting about equipment because what sounds good one day - usually changes the next - Of the long list of cd players that i have owned (in this price range - $500 to $2500) - over the last 20 years and even the ones i have had modified - this player sounds more musically involving than most that i have owned.

one of the few players that i have had where all i do is listen to music - rather than how much resolution there is, or soundstaging or how it does voices and cymbals and woodwinds, - how it images, etc - it doesn't matter - this player involves me with the music being played.

the old cliche - "everthing sounds cut from the same cloth"
or "sounds like one piece" - applies hear in spades.

This is using the player over 1 month - not hunreds of hours

regards
128x128smargo
mcpherson
174 posts
 
How about the DAC? Have any of the 8004 owner posting here used it for ipod playback? I will be looking for a cdp soon and the 8004 is on my short list.
realhifi
159 posts
 
If you are looking in this price class it is at the top.
It certainly can be used with an iPod and it makes the iPod sound about as good as one can sound. It also can play 24/192 through it's rear digital inputs. Pair it with a Squeezebox Touch and at around $1200 it is one hell of a digital front end that can play just about anything out there.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
hi smargo:
i am tube oriented and have never found a solid state dac or player that, to my ears was not bested by a device containing onr or more tubes.

so let me ask you, does the marantz have any characteristics of a classic tube sound, or is it "listenable solid state".

in my own system, i use a tube cd player connected to the ps audio pwd. it is the interconnect from the dac that enables me to tolerate the dac. i use the fusion audio romance. it has pure gold wire.
mcpherson
174 posts
 
First i dont understand why mr tennis continues to post on threads that have nothing to do with him or his taste. What is the point of being negative all the time??
I like the Marantz sa8004.
I recently went from Focal 918/Sony 5400 combo to
Merlin TSM-MMM/Marantz sa8004

It sounds like night and day....better...for my taste. Much better balance. No fatigue. Vocals spot on.
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,318 posts
 
Mcpherson,
Well, that is his favorite thing. Check out other threads, where people talk about Solid State amps and CDPs and he comes in and says how crappy they are and tubes are the way to go. So people who like to stay with solid state components just ignore him.
Can you please tell us more on the sound of the SA8004 compared to the Sony? The Marantz's digital inputs are interesting. I hope when I upgrade a year later, I am able to pick up the SA11-S3.
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