My new DAC

[blackraven]

I just purchased the Marantz NA-11s1.

Marantz NA-11S1 Reference Network Enabled DSD DAC **B-STOCK** at Music Direct

Marantz Reference NA-11S1 Network Audio Player/DAC | Stereophile.com

[Feanor]

Congrats! That's seems like a very impressive and versatile piece of equipment. Update us on your further conclusions.

[blackraven]

Thanks!

I will post a review once it is broken in and I have my BAT preamp back in action. I am replacing the 12 out put capacitors. Hopefully I will have the preamp back by next week. I have a friend that is replacing them for me. BAT wanted $75 a cap but I bought the same caps direct from Jensen in Denmark for $20 each.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Looks like it's going to be time for another shoot out, with the Marantz included.

[blackraven]

I will have another shoot out in May. I am hoping that the Marantz will be the last piece of the puzzle. I was also considering the Cary DAC-100t, a tube DAC but it does not do DSD and there were a couple of user reviews where guys had both the Marantz and Cary and they ended up keeping the Marantz.

The Marantz I bought was a B stock and discounted for $1000 off. It was a no brainer to buy it. If I don't like it I can sell it for what I paid as used ones are going for about $2500 which is what I paid for it.

I have been resisting computer based music as I like the no hassle of putting a CD in a player without having to fire up the computer (although, this will make me buy a SS hard drive for instant on) , scroll through menu's and play lists. I doubt that I will ever get rid of spinning disc's. When I come home from work and I want to listen to music I can have it going in 30 seconds then crash on the sofa. However, I recently bought JRiver and have downloaded some Blue Coast music.

[Mr Peabody]

Congrats. It will be interesting to see how the 11s does against the other DACS

[Feanor]

I have been resisting computer based music as I like the no hassle of putting a CD in a player without having to fire up the computer (although, this will make me buy a SS hard drive for instant on) , scroll through menu's and play lists. I doubt that I will ever get rid of spinning disc's. When I come home from work and I want to listen to music I can have it going in 30 seconds then crash on the sofa. However, I recently bought JRiver and have downloaded some Blue Coast music.

Personally I wonder with an 'network player' of this sort could work for me. As a classical music listener almost exclusively, I deal with multi-movement works so selecting single "songs" and random play are basically useless. Construction permanent playlists is also pretty useless. Further, I like to be able to have variety of music search approaches.

Wrangling discs is a process I've always disliked -- that goes back to the pre-CD LP days, and was probably the biggest single reason I abandoned LPs for CDs, (even though early CDs and CDPs sounded no better, if as good, as LPs). There is still disc handling in case of CDs though it much, MUCH less of a hassle.

So for me I really want the power of a flexible, full-scale UI that Foobar2000 or JRiver can provide. For me it seems effectively faster to boot my computer and use Foobar to locate the compositions I want to suit my current mood.

Be this as it may, the Marantz looks like a great DAC. I note in the Stereophile review that John Atkinson suggest that a USB link to a computer gives the best result vs. S/PDIF or Ethernet.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Personally I wonder with an 'network player' of this sort could work for me. As a classical music listener almost exclusively, I deal with multi-movement works so selecting single "songs" and random play are basically useless. Construction permanent playlists is also pretty useless. Further, I like to be able to have variety of music search approaches.

Wrangling discs is a process I've always disliked -- that goes back to the pre-CD LP days, and was probably the biggest single reason I abandoned LPs for CDs, (even though early CDs and CDPs sounded no better, if as good, as LPs). There is still disc handling in case of CDs though it much, MUCH less of a hassle.

So for me I really want the power of a flexible, full-scale UI that Foobar2000 or JRiver can provide. For me it seems effectively faster to boot my computer and use Foobar to locate the compositions I want to suit my current mood.

Be this as it may, the Marantz looks like a great DAC. I note in the Stereophile review that John Atkinson suggest that a USB link to a computer gives the best result vs. S/PDIF or Ethernet.

I read that about the USB cable giving the best connection to the DAC also. That's how I have my laptop hooked to my Bryston BUC-1 and then AES/EBU cable from the BUC-1 to the BDA-1 DAC. I was surprised when I read that as I never considered a USB port as top of the line connection.