I had the Primare SP-31.7 before replacing it with my current Marantz AV8003. I bought the 8003 in order to modernize my HT set up. The Primare did have better overall sound quality, slightly better detail, more transparent and better control. Seeing the 8801's retail price I'd suspect Marantz stepped up their game on that unit and to my guess would have better synergy with the Electrocompanient. I think it comes down to where the main priority is, Primare would have an edge in sound where Marantz is going to be more feature rich. I haven't seen the 8801 but the Primare had better build over my 8003, the 31.7 having a solid metal chassis and remote. In the past, such as when I had to upgrade, Primare was lagging behind the technology. I haven't seen the latest Primare but I wonder if it has the streaming and auto set up etc. that the Marantz does. The auto set up and equalization is a very nice feature, especially if you enjoy a balanced sound.