Marantz SA-10
 

I have started a new thread away from the one titled New Reference to carry my limited findings from a short home-trial. Will write something up when I feel a little better, I promise. [emoji56]

Looking forward to it! Feel Better!

John, seriously, you're not allowed to die before you've written your report! :nono:

Marantz SA-10
 

As I posted to the Headphone Amplifiers group on Facebook, the new Marantz SA-10 would make a great headphone amp...

My health is poor, so sorry to all interested parties that I have not managed to report back on my time with this very interesting Player/DAC.

Will try later today to at least put something together [emoji445]

John, for 7K, it would be a bit of an expensive headphone amp.
I do hope it's going to be more than that: a top source for a high end 2-channel system.

I hope you get better soon! :hug:

Marantz SA-10
 

I never managed to do it, did I... And now we have SA-12 on the horizon and all the associated posts, opinions, arguments, agreements etc.

For me, I went for PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player and PS Audio DirectStream DAC after selling my SA-7S1 because I was seduced by MQA. Might re-buy a pre-loved SA-7S1 though, as my partner misses it!

I took a brief look at the Marantz Japan website (very brief, as I don't read Japanese), but noticed that the "official" price of the SA-10 is 600,000 yen, but the price of the SA-12 is only 300,000 yen, 50,000 yen cheaper than the price of the SA-12SE, and like the 12SE only has single-ended outputs.

So the SA-12 does not appear to be the successor to the SA-10, or a member of the "Reference" line.

Given that it is probably too late to change my existing order for the SA-10, I feel relieved!

I believed the SA 12 is part of the Reference series line perhaps the entry level in the Reference line. Cause the Marantz non Reference series line their CD players are usually : SA 600x, SA 700x & SA 800x. there are 4 digit numbers following the SA. (SA XXXX). Unless if they name them differently in Japan that we aren't aware of.

I don't remotely consider myself an authority on Marantz, but I have never seen "levels" of any component in their Reference line. The whole point of that line is "the best we make." An "entry level" Reference product doesn't make sense - that is what the lesser lines are...

Also, like the SA-12, the PM-12 integrated amp is half the price of the PM-10, and single-ended only, unlike the PM-10.

So the xx-12 series sure don't look like Reference-level successors to the xx-10 series. But I grant you that the "SA-12" model # sure makes it sound like it is. Maybe they are planning to use completely new designations for the next generation of their Reference line. (I hope they are not simply eliminating it...)

Previously, Marantz had a more extensive "reference" line with different models at different price points.
Here's a screen shot from the 2010 Marantz Reference brochure:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4ce6cf92_c.jpg