Marantz SA-10S1 SACD Player

SA-10
Great audio CD player
with USB D/A converter inputs

Completely new transport mechanism SACD-M3 for CD, Super Audio CD and other media
Playback of high-resolution audio files from DVD-ROM
USB input for Hi-Res audio up to PCM / DXD 384 kHz / 32 bit and DSD 11.2 MHz
Elaborate full isolation of USB input and other digital inputs to avoid noise transmission
Innovative upsampling to DSD and filtering with unique Marantz Musical Mastering streaming technology
Completely newly developed direct Marantz Musical Mastering conversion (1-bit) from DSD to analogue signals
High-quality analogue output stage with Marantz HDAMs
Generously dimensioned power pack with toroidal transformer
Dedicated headphone amplifier with fully discrete construction

The new Marantz SA-10 is the latest in a long line of high-end players stretching back to the advent of the CD. The Marantz CD-63, released in 1983, was the first true high-end CD player. Since then we have gained more than 30 years of experience. The SA-10 is designed to set new standards for both music on disc and content streamed from the computer. This makes it the reference in digital audio processing.
To achieve this, the SA-10 was redesigned from the ground up. On the one hand, we relied on our experience in developing excellent-sounding players. On the other hand, almost every single part has been revised. It took both innovation and unconventional thinking to get the best performance from the many different digital audio formats. The new model is an outstanding player for CDs and SACDs. However, it can also play high-resolution music stored on self-burned discs. At the same time, it can be used as a high-end D/A converter for playing music from the computer.
From the unique new deck designed specifically for this player to the completely new approach to converting digital audio to analog signals, the SA-10 has been redesigned from the ground up. It is the result of meticulous research and development work and long listening sessions in the Marantz laboratories. This is typical of the way Marantz has always innovated: the company always strives for the most technically elegant solution, but ultimately listening tests are what count. This is what is meant by the company's central motto: "Because Music Matters".

It starts with the disc
Many modern CD and SACD players incorporate DVD drives and "universal drives" designed for computers. It is becoming increasingly difficult for manufacturers to find dedicated audio drives that are designed exclusively for playing SACDs/CDs.
The Marantz solution? If no suitable solution is available on the market, we will design our own. A central component of the SA-10 is the completely newly developed transport mechanism SACD-M3, which is designed for the best possible performance when playing SACDs, CDs and data discs with audio data.
Not only does this new drive promise the best sound quality from conventional CD and SACD discs, its enhanced ability to play audio files stored on DVD-ROM also gives users the ability to create their own samplers using their computer's DVD burner with high-resolution audio files. The SA-10 supports playback of FLAC files from 32kHz to 192kHz at resolutions up to 24 bit, DSD64 and DSD128, ALAC (Apple Lossless), AIFF and MP3 files. Making and playing samplers with high-resolution audio files is now as easy as making CD-quality discs.

CDs, SACDs and beyond

However, the SA-10 can do much more than “just” play discs. It is also a full-featured DAC for music files stored on a computer, and has conventional digital inputs to which existing audio components can be connected as sources.
These conventional inputs - optical and coaxial - can handle files up to 192 kHz / 24 bit. Additionally, the player's digital input section has an asynchronous USB-B connector for direct connection to a computer. This input supports PCM and DXD music files up to 384 kHz / 32 bit as well as DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256.
This means the SA-10 not only supports the audio formats sold by major online retailers today, but also the ultra high definition files provided by specialty labels and distributors. So it's future-proof.
In addition, the digital input section is fully isolated to prevent electrical noise from connected components from finding its way into the signal path. This noise transmission is particularly problematic when computers are used as the source.

More than a D/A converter

CD players (and amplifiers too) with built-in D/A converters for computer audio are not new, and DSD capabilities are no surprise in such devices. Marantz has offered many CD/SACD models in the past that are equipped accordingly.
However, the SA-10 goes one step further - not only does it have a completely redesigned drive on board, but its digital-to-analog conversion has also been completely redesigned and takes full advantage of the 1-bit conversion technology available with the latest Marantz flagship players. It comes with new filters and upconversion features. A simple and elegant solution.

Marantz Musical Mastering:
MMM stream and MMM conversion
The MMM stream section of processing replaces the oversampling filters normally used in D/A conversion and allows the use of Marantz Musical Mastering filters. These filters—one offering slow roll-off and very fast impulse responses, the other medium roll-off and short pre-ringing combined with longer post-ringing—are essentially identical to the variants found in the disc and network Marantz SA-11 and NA-11 players work. Here, however, they have been implemented with a much higher oversampling rate thanks to the upconversion to DSD 11.2 MHz.
Two system clocks are used to ensure the most accurate up-conversion of the incoming signal, whether it's from disc or the digital inputs. The 44.1 kHz sampling rate of a CD and its derived multiples - 88.2 kHz, 176.4 kHz and so on - upsamples to 11,289 MHz. 48 kHz and multiples are upsampled to 12,288 MHz. This is for maximum precision and avoids sample rate conversions that would require the system to convert a 192kHz audio signal to DSD 11.2MHz, for example.
In addition, all conversion is now done using Digital Signal Processing with 32-bit floating-point precision instead of the 24-bit integer method used in traditional systems.

In combination with the reduction to a 1-bit signal directly after the oversampling filter and the sigma-delta modulation, it is possible to pass a pure signal according to the DSD standard to the conversion section in the form of an extremely high-frequency pulse stream. All that is then required is a very high quality low pass filter to remove all the excess RF signals and pass the purest possible audio signal to the player's output stage.
Why is everything developed in-house? The Marantz development team cites the listening tests as the most important reason. “We found large variations in sound quality when PCM signals were converted to DSD outside of a conventional DAC and then passed to the DSD input of a conventional DAC. This showed us that if we want the best possible sound quality, we have to take care of the conversion ourselves.
"Based on this experience, we have examined and optimized various SDM structures to find the best sound quality."
The same thinking is behind the design of the DSD-to-analog filter itself, which passes its output signal to the well-known Marantz HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) in the output stage. It is used there in a dual differential configuration to optimize the sound.

The headphone output of the player is also optimized in the same way. Like the HDAM, it is built entirely from discrete components. There is no amplifier chip.

Focused on performance

Like the PM-10, the SA-10 is also designed for the highest demands. It has a double-walled chassis with copper coating that rejects mechanical and electromagnetic interference. The case consists of thick non-magnetic aluminum plates and a five millimeter thick aluminum top plate. Both products have die-cast aluminum feet.

This all may seem complex, but it shows how much work has gone into the development of this player. Essentially, the SA-10 is a digital-to-analogue solution that is as elegant as it is innovative. It was developed by Marantz engineers for one reason:
'Because Music Matters'

Extension of the guarantee to 5 years possible.

You can find more information about the warranty extension at:

https://5yearswarranty.marantz.eu/owners-club.aspx?lang=de-de