Marantz SA-10 arriving Monday!

I do not share the pessimism about CDs with blueranger. I would say only a very few CDs I own have bad HF sound. All the stuff about the HF, to me is the rest of the system, and perhaps lack of (correct??) power conditioning? I am 100% a high frequency nutcase. It HAS to be perfect! and I own Magnepan 20.7s. They have one of the very best HF transducers ever. Everything in my system is geared to perfect high frequency reproduction. EVERYTHING.And I can say the Marantz SA-10 delivers!!!!
SO I suggest to blueranger his system is busted someplace else and not from the SA-10? (sorry, not meaning to cause any insult) I use a tube pramp as a ’glorified tube buffer. mainly at this point I just like the added warmth, and no longer to ’hide’ the digital grunge. But I first got it TO HIDE THE GRUNGE. years back.Cheap ones are not worth the trouble. I had used a VAC Standard, until it went dead, and now just got a Conrad Johnson ACT 2 as a fancy tube buffer.
ADDED: Now I am not using new,Rock recordings with grunge bands... So it may be true about recent CD recordings.. I stopped listening to ’new’ music at some point.. I own so much great stuff I do not need to find new stuff..

Hi Elizabeth,
What about the transport question?

roxy54, Sorry I did not read your question at earlier posting.I enjoy stuffing my five disc players and letting them play for many hours. I have done this since the late 80’s. The first thing I tested when I had a loaner Marantz SA-10 to audition from my dealer was to hook up the five disc! I played that via Toslink for a day, then I played a Technics DVDA-10 with Cd via SPDIF for a day, Then I played the few SACDs I owned and CDs via the SA-10 transport. Then went back to playing via the five disc/Toslink. The fact the SA-10 could play CDs so wonderfully from the five disc is THE REASON I BOUGHT IT.
And of the 3 ways, the least good was the five disc. I could tell it was playing, but the loss is so small it just does not top the ease of use,(I would call the difference the same as swapping two nearly as good IC) plus saving the SA-10 transport. (saving the transport, If I plan on using the SA-10 as a DAC, it will NEVER wear out. never is a longer than rest of my life long) The Technics sits, I use it once in awhile to play a single disc now and then. It DOES sound slightly better than the $40 from eBay five disc changer...And the SA-10 playing CDs or SACDs sounds really nice. But NOT enough nicer to use it all the time, instead of the five disc changers (of which I own ten. Yup ten distinct CD five disc changers. I like them. They like me. I have a lifetime’ supply. No kidding.
Obviously not all five disc changers are great as a transport. But I like the ones I have. They sound great Toslink out. used them that way for fifteen years at least. And no. I would not say which brands and models I use. I may want more of them???So the sound is nearly perfect ,and certainly can give me goosebumps if I run the signal through a tube preamp used as a glorified tube buffer. My current glorified tube buffer. (which does go to my main preamp, Bryston BP-26 which has the important task of powering the 7 meter XLR to my amp) is a Conrad Johnson ACT2.
A $13,000 list Conrad Johnson ACT 2 as a tube buffer????? yes as a tube buffer, it adds that final tiny touch of life music needs to sound wonderful. Prior to the recently acquired ACT 2, I used a $4,500 list VAC Standard I had used for over seven years nonstop. (which sadly has had a power supply failure, leading me to find the ACT 2 for sale. I could have purchased a VAC Standard SE, but I decided to move up a notch. eventually the VAC may get repaired)
I also own an Audio Research SP-15 I use just for the tubes phono section, with my Kuzma Stab/Stogi S turntable. And a Audible Illusions 3A I use for it’s phono with a Rega P5.Besides five disc changers, I like preamps. But only own five.So after reading all that.. Any questions??? (as I see head shaking slowly...)

No I'm not insulted at all Elizibeth. I'm a perfectionist and but so impatient. With my old system if I listened at over 90 dbs for any length of time my ears would get fatigued especially with digital. In the last 3 weeks I bought a new amp, preamp, SACD player, new dedicated line, speaker cables and a new power cable to the player. Maybe I'm jumping the gun and not waiting long enough to break everything in. Now I can listen to a good recording for hours at near a 100 dbs with no ear fatigue. Another thing is a room problem right behind my chair. There are some great big windows.
I know I broke a cardinal rule in room acoustic management but to mitigate that, I threw up some heavy damping curtains. Would that have totally blocked out the reflective affect of the glass? I do have 3 of the 4 corners of the room rigged with bass traps with 4 18x36 panels suspended off the walls and ceiling. (2 each). I do appreciate everyones input because I live way out in the country far from any large metro area and don't get to hear other people's systems to compare too. Audiogon is my main source of info and really value opinions here. So anyone in central NC come on down and I could drive to their place too. I will have to look at getting into a club. Oh it would be a major effort to switch walls with equipment but hey I could run some long speaker cables across the room. My stuff is on the long side of the 20X12X8 room. Thanks ,Mike

Good for you Elizabeth, enjoy all your gear