McIntosh MCD301 vs Marantz SACD SA11S2 / SA 8003

[admin_exported]

Looking for any advice on SACD players...

My dealer has both the McIntosh MCD 301 and the Marantz SA8003 and the SA11S2. I have heard alot of negeative things about the "Marantz" sound being too brittle and harsh but I havent heard anything about the McIntosh...and I almost never see reviews of any McIntosh products in What Hi Fi....???

What say you....

 

[the record spot]

The Marantz sound is absolutely not thin, or brittle, or harsh, rather it's detailed and musical.

Some of this comes from the fact that people blend the wrong bits of kit together, don't do their homework, spend a fortune and wonder why it sounds rubbish out of the boxes.

Of the three you mention, the McIntosh and the Marantz SA11S2 would be quite something I think, the former is probably the better player. But the 8003 is out there for under £1000 and could be rather decent too. You should probably also consider the Marantz KI-Pearl limited edition CDP too.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks. It is also a case of the McIntosh MA600 intergrated amplifier having the option of balanced connectors that made me think of upgradig from the Marantz 8003 to the SA11S2 or the McIntosh MCD301.

I have heard really good things about the MCD301 - but I am very attracted to the reviews I read of the SA8003....

 

[the record spot]

The 8003 is the descendant of the SA-7001 KI, the company having ditched the "KI" suffix for the latest range (outwith the limited edition KI Pearl products to celebrate Ken Ishiwata's long association with the company), so rather than have the SA7003-KI, they bumped up the model number by 1000 instead!

I think the 8003 would be pretty decent, not heard it, but Marantz have a good pedigree in their CDPs so I'd be shortlisting this one too I think. The McIntosh however, could well be a different story...sublime gear but a price tag to match alas (like the higher end Marantz player too)!

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers mate - I also agree that the McIntosh would be a different story...

Best solution - I will buy both...one for my home cinema space - and the McIntosh for the purely music set up...

Thanks for the info on the Marantz...I will get that first in two weeks!

 

[the record spot]

Whoa!! £900 or so is a fair bit to drop on a player you've not tired out - were planning to see how well it might work in your current set-up? Synergy and all that...definitely worth doing a bit of reading up. I found the SA7001-KI a brilliant player, but a tricky devil to partner with my speakers. Or at least, it took a while to find the right amp and - never having heard the 8003 - I can't say how it sounds exactly.

What I'm saying is I wouldn't want you to *** out and buy two players on the back of my recommendation having never heard either!

 

[Anonymous]

Ha! No worries mate - I am planning to hear them first - I have heard the SA11S2 already and I was happy with that. Beautiful sounds...still waiting on the SA8003 and I will hear the MCD301 in a few weeks too...

 

[Sonic Dreamer]

Hi, I noticed the other day Jordan Acoustics have a Marantz Pearl SACD player in their Used Equipment section of their website (saving approx. £550 on new). I own the delicious beast, but if I had the budget, buying new McIntosh would probably comfortably nail it.

http://www.jordanacoustics.co.uk/

http://www.jordanacoustics.co.uk/used-equipment.html

Cheers,
SonicD

 

[Anonymous]

That sounds awesome. However, I am living in Asia so I cant pop down to the shop to buy one....

The limits of being a traveling musician....

 

[Thaiman]

McIntosh MCD301 vs Marantz SACD SA11S2, the big Mac will win all day long however the MCD 301 is not that much better than the cheaper MCD 201 but the MCD 500 will beat them all (at a lot bigger cost).

 

[Anonymous]

I would strongly suggest to audition a Marantz SA-KI Pearl SACD/CD Player, as well. I bought one of these recently; before this Player, I owned a Cyrus CD 8 SE CD Player and Cyrus PSX-R fully-regulated outboard Power Supply. The SA-KI Pearl in my system comprehensively wins hands down.

Dan.