Hi-Rez Highway: REVIEW: Marantz SA-14 CD Player/Recorder by Stephen

Model:	SA-14
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	unknown
Description:	Single disc stereo-only SACD/CD player
Manufacturer URL:	Marantz
Manufacturer URL:	Marantz

Review by Stephen ( A ) on February 15, 2002 at 16:46:59
IP Address: 210.49.106.183

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for the SA-14

Let me start by saying that I consider myself foremost a music lover with modest audiophile aspirations so please take this into consideration when judging the following.
The SA-14 is the only SACD player I've really listened to. At the time I bought it (6 months ago), this was about all that was available in Australia at the top end of my price range, and probably still is. I A/B'd it with the Musical Fidelity A3CD and Arcam FMJ CD23 and decided the jump in SACD performance well worth the premium. More on this below.
The SA-14 is a simple stereo-only single disc player. Build quality is high and it has (in my champagne finish model) the look of classy Japanese gear. The transport (made by Sharp, I believe) is solid and has a nifty clockwork sound at the beginning and end of play but is otherwise silent. Controls on the player are standard plus a button to switch between the CD and SACD layers on a hybrid disc and another to turn the display off (I can't hear any difference). It comes with a really stylish remote which permits random/repeat/program operations.
As for general operation, some care is required to seat the disc carefully in the tray ... on about 3 occasions I've had to reseat it and try again. TOC reading sometimes takes a while but this varies from disc to disc. My player has a 2 year warranty and I may get them to look at the transport/firmware at the end of this period but I'm not really concerned. It hasn't gotten any worse.
How does it sound? I'm mindful that the player in isolation makes no sound and what I'm hearing is dependent on the system as a whole. I reckon my system is on the transparent and neutral side with the speaker cables adding a touch of warmth and less treble hardness.
Let's start with CD. I would characterise this as basically "honest" ... dynamic, detailed, grain-free are adjectives I'd use. Bass is deep and tight. Treble is extended, clean, pure. I can hear decay/reverb on CDs (not as natural as SACD though). If you only listened to non-acoustic music on this player you'd be happy without playing SACDs at all, in my opinion. On guitar, lute, harpsichord, koto etc it sounds stunning. Overall, an impressive sound with good, three dimensional soundstage, loads of detail and vibrancy. I still get enjoyment out of most of my CDs but they generally sound a bit processed and hollow, mainly due I guess to higher expectations than I had before listening to SACDs.
It's only when you switch to SACD that what you're missing is apparent. The soundstage widens and deepens, you hear more high-frequency cues, decay is more natural and the overall sound is smoother. Everything is more dimensional and piano sounds realistic. Individual instruments stand out and don't get lost when the music gets busy. The realism is often stunning with the amount of detail on some SACDs overwhelming at times. I now play louder as well. If CDs can sound "great", SACDs just sound "natural" ... this basically sums it up for me. My reference is live concerts (mainly chamber music) and I reckon I'm getting pretty close to the sound. My hit rate so far on SACD (pretty well all analogue or DSD recordings) has been very good with CDs being all over the place.
A few comments on the "tweaks" I used. When I got the player, I immediately used my (modest) power conditioning and low end Cardas power cord from my previous setup. These worked well before (better top and bottom end) so I didn't bother with the supplied power cord. I'm not sure exactly what the reason is, but my player benefited greatly by placing it on a vibration isolation platform (eliminated grain, grit on transients, improved resolution etc). Also, I recently got brave enough to replace my ICs with more transparent ones (Cardas Neutral Reference) and this has made the sound more open, detailed, lively etc. I reckon I'm getting close to the maximum this player can deliver but it's taken a while.
Anyway, draw your own conclusions. Well worth a listen!

Product Weakness: Bass very lean for the first month or so.
Product Strengths: Truly great sound (on SACD) for the money.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Musical Fidelity A300 (150W/8ohms)
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Marantz SA-14, Rega P3
Speakers:	B&W N805 (88dB), B&W ASW-2500 sub (700-1000W)
Cables/Interconnects:	Cardas Neutral Reference ICs (RCA), Cardas Golden Cross internal bi-wire
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical only (but pretty well everything including late contemporary)
Room Size (LxWxH):	19 x 11 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	Room open on one side
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Cardas Hexlink 5C power cords, basic power smoothing, [iso:form] vibration isolation platform (wood)
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Bass very lean for the first month or so.
Product Strengths:	Truly great sound (on SACD) for the money.