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Along with the sa8001, I got a great deal on a used Marantz pm7001 integrated amp. I purchased some new speaker cables, "10 white", from Blue Jean Cables and I'm in total audio heaven!!! My home system has never sounded better!
Using the sa8001 thru my LDmkIII with my hd580's is sonic bliss! My home speaker system is sonic bliss! Sometimes I can't decide wheter to listen with headphones or speakers!
And it's like rediscovering my entire cd collection!
These Marantz components are impressive indeed!!!!!!!
__________________ Source: Marantz SA8001 Cables: Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 Amps: Little Dot MKIII, Go Vibe 5 Headphones: Senns hd580 & Grado sr80
Has anyone done a comparison between this Denon and Azur 740c or 840c ?
Check out the 840C threads... and see the comments of "daltonlanny." I think there are a few others also.
The "bottom line" is they report the SA-8001 sounds just as good as the 840C and Saturn.
I wouldn't know... haven't heard the others... but... I can assure you the sound of the SA-8001 is "pure magic." It is a "huge bargain" at its "after-market" price of around $600-700 on Audiogon.
And... its particularly great with phones that benefit from added detail and clarity of their set up - such as Senns and Denons.
__________________ Sources: Marantz SA-8001 SACD/CDP - California Audio Labs Delta Transport - California Audio Labs Alpha Tube DAC - Monarchy Audio M24 Tube DAC - Monarchy Digital Upsampler - Sony Walkman EJ612CK & JD01 Portable CDPs -- Sold: Musical Fidelity XDAC v3 -- Music Hall MMF CD25 1+ CDP - California Audio Labs Sigma II Tube DAC.
Amps: Singlepower Extreme (canceled order) - WooAudio 6 SE Maxed (in process) - Aphex 204 Aural Exciter (to remove HD650 veil) - Shellbrook Maxi Moy Portable -- Sold: Darkvoice 332 w Svetlana 6S19P-EV & Tung Sol 5654 tubes (superb) - Musical Fidelity X-CANv8 - Musical Fidelity XCAN v3 (with PinkFloyd Mods) - Musical Fidelity X10 v3 Tube Buffer with XPSU v3 - Graham Slee Solo 2007 - WooAudio 3 - Grado RA-1 - Shellbrook Audio Lab Hybrid Head (Millet Hybrid) - Core Audio Tube Buffer - Meier Audio Move.
Phones: Senn HD580 (new version modded & de-veiled) w RAL Senn Cryo-Silver cable - Grado RS-1 - ATH AD2000 - Denon AH D5000 w Markl Mods -- Sold: Bose Tri-Port ("the beginning”) - Senn HD280 Pro - Senn HD600 x2 (old versions) & HD650 x2 (old and new versions) w Cardas, Zu Mobius, Headphile Senn v2 Blacksilver cables - Grado SR125 - Grado SR225 - Grado SR325i - Grado GS-1000.
Accessories: Signal Cable Black Magic PCs x2 - Iron Lung Jellyfish PCs x2 - CT Cryo Silver ICs x6 - Shellbrook Silver Mini IC - RnB Audio Sky Blue Mini IC - Caig Pro Gold - Walker SST - Herbie‘s Tube Dampers.
The SA8001 and the SA7001 are surely different models. Your enthusiasm about the SA8001 confirms this. I guess SA7001 KI is the equivalent of the SA8001. The stock 7k1 sounds pretty bad given its price, with higher bass hump, harsh midrange and overall incoherent presentation.
__________________ Cans: recabled Creative Aurvana Live! , Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro, Grado RS2 , Sennheiser PX100 Plugs: CrossRoads Mylarone X3 Portable sources: iRiver E10 , iRiver ifp-799 Home source: modded Technics SL-PS840 Headphone drive: DIY amp named Moonlight :) Gone 'phones: AKG K324P , Grado SR325i, Senneheiser HD25-1 II , Sennheiser HD595 , Sennheiser CX300 , Koss KSC35 , Sony MDR-40T , other tiny stuff mp3 players from the past: Teclast T39 , Cowon D2 , iRiver clix2 , Meizu M6 , RAmos RM850 , iRiver T10 2GB, many other tried
I don't think the SA7001KI is the same as the SA8001. It doesn't make sense that they would drop the prestige of the Ken Ishiwata moniker if they were the same.
The SA7001KI has upgraded components, power supply, and HDAMS, the same DAC as the SA15-S1, and copper chassis and shielding. Does the SA8001 have all of this?
I don't think the SA7001KI is the same as the SA8001. It doesn't make sense that they would drop the prestige of the Ken Ishiwata moniker if they were the same.
The SA7001KI has upgraded components, power supply, and HDAMS, the same DAC as the SA15-S1, and copper chassis and shielding. Does the SA8001 have all of this?
I don't know... but... it sure sounds great with my set up!
If I didn't have the M24, and the Alpha, I would not really miss them... if... I had the SA-8001. They're both phenomenal DACs... but... the SA-8001 is just that good... that it is very difficult to tell them apart.
Yes... the mids of the M24 are superb... and the bass of the Alpha is superb... but... there just isn't a huge difference between the sound of any of these units.
I don't know about the other Marantz units... but... the SA-8001 is quite simply "World-Class" - as they say! I really don't know how much better they could actually be... and... at much higher prices. At $600+ you're simply not going to find a better source... or... at twice that price... or...
__________________ Sources: Marantz SA-8001 SACD/CDP - California Audio Labs Delta Transport - California Audio Labs Alpha Tube DAC - Monarchy Audio M24 Tube DAC - Monarchy Digital Upsampler - Sony Walkman EJ612CK & JD01 Portable CDPs -- Sold: Musical Fidelity XDAC v3 -- Music Hall MMF CD25 1+ CDP - California Audio Labs Sigma II Tube DAC.
Amps: Singlepower Extreme (canceled order) - WooAudio 6 SE Maxed (in process) - Aphex 204 Aural Exciter (to remove HD650 veil) - Shellbrook Maxi Moy Portable -- Sold: Darkvoice 332 w Svetlana 6S19P-EV & Tung Sol 5654 tubes (superb) - Musical Fidelity X-CANv8 - Musical Fidelity XCAN v3 (with PinkFloyd Mods) - Musical Fidelity X10 v3 Tube Buffer with XPSU v3 - Graham Slee Solo 2007 - WooAudio 3 - Grado RA-1 - Shellbrook Audio Lab Hybrid Head (Millet Hybrid) - Core Audio Tube Buffer - Meier Audio Move.
Phones: Senn HD580 (new version modded & de-veiled) w RAL Senn Cryo-Silver cable - Grado RS-1 - ATH AD2000 - Denon AH D5000 w Markl Mods -- Sold: Bose Tri-Port ("the beginning”) - Senn HD280 Pro - Senn HD600 x2 (old versions) & HD650 x2 (old and new versions) w Cardas, Zu Mobius, Headphile Senn v2 Blacksilver cables - Grado SR125 - Grado SR225 - Grado SR325i - Grado GS-1000.
Accessories: Signal Cable Black Magic PCs x2 - Iron Lung Jellyfish PCs x2 - CT Cryo Silver ICs x6 - Shellbrook Silver Mini IC - RnB Audio Sky Blue Mini IC - Caig Pro Gold - Walker SST - Herbie‘s Tube Dampers.
Even the headphone jack on the 8001 is the best I've ever heard -- better than many dediicated headphone amps can do.
I can use it without one of my headphone amps, and don't feel like I'm missing anything, using many different cans. Great SQ.
Anyone wanting an 8001, to use without a headphone amp, get it!
You will be happy with it for sure.
__________________
An ex-pro rock guitarist, so I know what live music REALLY sounds like!
Even the headphone jack on the 8001 is the best I've ever heard -- better than many dediicated headphone amps can do.
I can use it without one of my headphone amps, and don't feel like I'm missing anything, using many different cans. Great SQ.
Anyone wanting an 8001, to use without a headphone amp, get it!
You will be happy with it for sure.
That's how I was using it....until the Woo Audio and Modwright Transporter arrived. Now it's function is to break in headphones. It's a solid player around its price range, but not a whole lot more than that, in my humble opinion.
And yes, the headphone jack does a serviceable job on most headphones, but not nearly as well as a good, dedicated headamp.
__________________
Bob
Sources: Music Vault 1000, Marantz SA8001
Dac: Modwright Transporter (2ea. 6H30P-DR Supertube, 1955 GZ34 metal base rectifier)
Linear Mode
