Consider the Marantz 30N. My system is relatively upscale; retail value maybe $130K all in. My SA-7 quit and needed something to occasionally play my many CDs and SACDs. My DAC is a dCS Bartok. For CDs I use the 30N as a good quality transport; the digital out runs over to the dCS Bartok for play. SACDs were an issue. The Japanese folks still actively enjoy the SACD format and make decent DACs to decode that format. Much less complicated DAC than PCM. So the 30N outputs fully converted analog SACD audio to my Conrad-Johnson ART 88 preamplifier. Sound quality is excellent. The 30N’s SACD layer sounds better than the same PCM CD layer through the Bartkok. And I didn’t have to spend $12K for a new Marantz SA-12 or whatever to current model is.
Looking for SACD player
I want to replace my Jay's Audio CDT2-MK2 with an SACD player that would be used as a player (with it's own DAC) for SACDs and as a transport to a Berkeley Alpha 3 DAC for regular CDs. I have Prima Luna EVO 400 amp and preamp and Devore Gibbon X speakers.
I have been looking at the Luxman D-07X, but it's a little out of my preferred price range (up to $10K). I have also listened to a Marantz 30N and while it sounded OK, it has a lot of extras (network, bluetooth, etc) that I don't need or want.
Please don't recommend that I switch to streaming. I prefer physical media.
Thanks
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- 33 posts total
- 33 posts total