Marantz makes great stuff. They also have some pretty good warrantys on the more pricey stuff. It looks like they have some newer models coming in Dec. Like a Universal CHANGER that they don't have in their line now, their "universal" players that do DVD-A and SACD look to be single drawer. Changers are so much more convienet. And if you can hear teh difference between a changer and a single drawer player, you have ears that are not mortal. That MYTH still going round?

I bought the SA11S1 CD/SACD player about a year ago to replace a Musical Fidelity CD player. I wanted a dedicated two-channel player with SACD capability. I was delighted with the Marantz player at first listen, and I like it even better now. Like Robert Harley, I think that it provides real high end performance at a meduim price level. It performs better than any other player I've heard that I can afford. Since I got my player, the SA15 has, as I understand it, been modified/improved and I haven't had a chance to hear the current model. For the price difference, it may be the better value. Don't hesitate to audition it. If you like it as much as I think you will, you'll probably want it.

Regards the amp, the claim is that it delivers the warm mellow sound that made Marantz amps sought after in the past. I suspect that is true. One question you need to address is whether 90watts into 8 ohms represents a good match with your musical preferences and the speakers you'll be using. Another issue will be whether your rack set-up will allow for the 8"-10" clearance you'll want to allow for cooling. Marantz amps. historically tend to behave a bit like toasters.

If those two considerations don't represent problems, the matched pair might make the heart of a very tasty system. The specs look fine, and so are the Marantz guarantees.