Stereo-only SACD Players. What's The Point?

[PhilCohen]

What's the point of stereo-only SACD players,especially astronomically priced ones? Take,for example Marantz's SACD 10 player,price approximately $15,000.. For that price,you could nearly buy FIVE Magnetar UDP-900 player(Price $3200). You say that The Marantz is built heavy like a tank.So is The Magnetar. and the Magnetar can play Stereo AND Surround SACD Discs,plus Blu-Ray Video(1K ,4K and 3-D) plus Blu-Ray audio,plus DVD-Video and DVD-Audio discs. And because the Magnetar UDP-900 is a Blu-Ray player, it has an HDMI output, so SACD discs can be played by Digital connection,either as DSD or PCM.. And, of course, the Magnetar unit has analogue XLR Stereo audio outputs and 7 channel audio phono outputs.And The Magnetar's built-in A/D converter can be used with a wide variety of external sources.
It seems that the rich and pretentious audiophiles(Audiofools?) who would buy the Marantz unit are spending $15,000 to say "I Detest Surround Sound" because it is part of the audiophile "Philosophy". What a weird way to spend $15,000.My comments are also applicable to other super expensive Stereo-only SACD players,such as Esoteric.

 

[lovinthehd]

I can't see that kind of price for an optical disc player at all. I didn't get into SACD until fairly late, and it was for multichannel content, not 2ch. I use a variety of Sony bluray players and an Oppo 203. At least the Magnetar can play video and multich....$15k for a 2ch unit seems pretty daft.

 

[KenM10759]

You can call me whatever derogatory name you want but I'll be shopping such a unit in the coming year. (Not that one, but Luxman D-07X or D-10X.)

It has NOTHING to do with "I Detest Surround Sound" because I do like it. It's a matter of my music listening room has only two-channel music. I have no place to put a video screen, a center speaker, and surround speakers and really don't want to.

I do have that in another room, also with twin subwoofers, a big TV, L-C-R & surround speakers, an AV receiver with Dirac, and a Sony UBP-X700 player. Is it of the same audio performance as my 2-ch system? Not even close.

There's no way I could or would spend that much, but for me a good player is going to be also replacing a standalone DAC that I have. My 2-channel pre-amp and matching power amp have only analog inputs and outputs, so digital is all separate. The used/dealer demo unit market offers heavily discounted like-new units, just as everything else in my system has been. It'll allow me to play the few SACD's I have and add to the collection, and a really good DAC to connect to a new-to-me streamer/cd-ripper/file server that I'm also looking at getting.

 

[TLS Guy]

You can call me whatever derogatory name you want but I'll be shopping such a unit in the coming year. (Not that one, but Luxman D-07X or D-10X.)

It has NOTHING to do with "I Detest Surround Sound" because I do like it. It's a matter of my music listening room has only two-channel music. I have no place to put a video screen, a center speaker, and surround speakers and really don't want to.

I do have that in another room, also with twin subwoofers, a big TV, L-C-R & surround speakers, an AV receiver with Dirac, and a Sony UBP-X700 player. Is it of the same audio performance as my 2-ch system? Not even close.

There's no way I could or would spend that much, but for me a good player is going to be also replacing a standalone DAC that I have. My 2-channel pre-amp and matching power amp have only analog inputs and outputs, so digital is all separate. The used/dealer demo unit market offers heavily discounted like-new units, just as everything else in my system has been. It'll allow me to play the few SACD's I have and add to the collection, and a really good DAC to connect to a new-to-me streamer/cd-ripper/file server that I'm also looking at getting.

In that case I have just the player for you. I have a Marantz DV 8300 in perfect condition. It has had little use. Currently it is in the used for sale rack at Hi-Fi Sound. I can easily pick it up this week, if the snow stops. Price $300 ONO. It will be just as good as new players costing thousands. i took it out of the rack when I installed the Marantz AV 10, as there was not enough room in the rack. It is in as new condition.

 

[KenM10759]

In that case I have just the player for you. I have a Marantz DV 8300 in perfect condition. It has had little use. Currently it is in the used for sale rack at Hi-Fi Sound. I can easily pick it up this week, if the snow stops. Price $300 ONO. It will be just as good as new players costing thousands. i took it out of the rack when I installed the Marantz AV 10, as there was not enough room in the rack. It is in as new condition.

Only slightly interested. So many questions about it.

1) Is it black or silver? (I am trying to match all the silver Luxman gear I have.)
2) How good/what is the DAC in it?
3) Does it accept digital inputs to use its internal DAC?

Right now I have a black Denon SCD-CE595 that (like almost every one of them) doesn't read SCD's and look out-of-place in my rack.