European Imaging and Sound Association [EISA], Best Product Award 2009-2010.

New Cirrus DACs, USB Input, and MP3 / WMA Playback

Hot on the heels of its stellar performing SA8001 SACD player, the Marantz SA8003 takes a quantum leap forward with its new CS4398 DACs. Support for 1-bit DSD signals, the recording format of Super Audio CDs, is just the start. This chipset from Cirrus features 120 dB of dynamic range and 192 kHz resolution, pushing analog performance to greater levels while presenting a new level of sound quality.

On the SACD side, these new DACs maintain the native SACD sampling rate, thus preserving the integrity of the SACD data format. They cut distortion to an absolute minimum. The result is unparalleled sonic faithfulness that brings high-resolution audio to its full potential.

"Everything from Funk to Opera, Folk to Thrash"

"Most of all, what we appreciated in our brief listening sessions with the SA8003 was the ease with which it adapts to everything from funk to opera, folk to thrash," reports Richard Black in issue number 312 of England's Hi-Fi Choice magazine. "It has a terrific knack of not just coping with any style, but playing it as if it was the principal source used by the designers in the final stages of voicing the circuitry."

"The Best CD Player I've Ever Heard"

"It may be the best CD player I've ever heard, given its excellent rendition of detail without sounding strident, the depth and width of the soundstage, and the relative 'blackness' of the background," notes Thom Moon in his May 15, 2009 review for GoodSound.com.

"I Love How It Presents Music"

"The fact is, for the things that serious audio enthusiasts care about (sound first, then sound, followed closely by sound) the SA8003 is a great unit," notes Clarke Robinson in his January 2209 review for EnjoyTheMusic.com. "Personally, I love how it presents music in my system, and I will miss it when it goes."

"Rich, Smooth Sound"

What Hi-fi? magazine's online review lauds the SA8003 for its "rich, smooth sound" and "iPod connectivity." According to the review, "With CD and SACD playback, the SA8003 puts in a solid, committed display."

USB Audio Input for MP3 and WMA Playback

The new DAC chipset is big news. But it isn't all that's new about the SA8003. A new drive mechanism complements the upgraded DAC for accurate disc reading with minimal errors and drive-induced jitter. But you don't even need to pop a disc into the Marantz to take advantage of its uncompromising sound quality.

The SA8003 includes a USB audio input that brings the power of the Cirrus DACs to digital audio files. The MP3 and WMA playback capability means that your digital files will experience a huge improvement in performance.

New High-Speed HDAM SA2 Circuitry

Instead of using off-the-shelf IC-based op amps, the SA8001's current feedback amp incorporates Marantz's proprietary new HDAM SA2 design in the audio output circuit. This high-speed HDAM circuitry consists of discrete surface-mount components for each channel with short signal paths. Both channels are completely identical in terms of components and circuit layout. This is extremely important for reproducing the breathtaking soundstage and pace of stereo SACD material.

The SA8003 also uses a newly developed toroidal power transformer, a component that is critical to good sound. This makes the model very efficient with exceptionally low leakage flux for extremely quiet operation that allows every detail of a CD or SACD recording to emerge from a silent background.

Precision Custom Componentry

Each internal component used in the SA8003 has been carefully chosen for the specific design application. For example, block chemical capacitors for the power supply are components that greatly affect sound quality. So Marantz created prototype after prototype and performed repeated auditions to develop custom parts.

A lead-free, copper through-hole double-sided printed circuit board offers low impedance and low noise by providing sufficient surface area on the shield and ground sides. The luxurious machined brass pin jacks are generously spaced. These jacks allow easily connections of high-grade pin cables with large plugs.

All of the digital, analog, and control circuits are separated and shielded in their own enclosures to prevent crosstalk and other unwanted interference. Independent power supplies for each dedicated system block secure maximum separation, clarity and dynamics.

Owner's Manual (3.2mb PDF)

• Compatibility: CD / CD-R/RW / SA-CD / WMA / MP3
• USB audio input
• New Proprietary HDAM SA2 design audio output
• New Cirrus Logic CS4398 distortion-cutting circuit
• Newly developed drive mechanism
• High grade audio components
• Customized components
• Symmetrical circuit layout
• System block shielding
• Shottky diodes
• Display: Dimmer / Off
• Output filter switch
• Discrete Coding
• Double layer bottom plate
• Headphone Volume Control
• Remote Control
• Detachable Power Cable

• Dimensions: 17-5/16" wide, 4-5/16" high, 13-9/16" deep
• Weight: 17.2 lbs.

"This is a lovely player to live with, right down to its headphone socket with independent level control. The SA-8003 is both a revealing and musically rewarding player, and can be highly recommended."

- Hi-Fi News magazine, October 2009.

"Low bass is exceptionally well presented for a product in this price bracket, with extension, precision and generous helpings of tunefulness, which all goes to set up a particularly pleasing foundation for almost any style of music."

"Most of all, what we appreciated in our brief listening sessions with the SA8003 was the ease with which it adapts to everything from funk to opera, folk to thrash. It has a terrific knack of not just coping with any style, but playing it as if it was the principal source used by the designers in the final stages of voicing the circuitry."

- Richard Black, Hi-Fi Choice magazine, issue number 312

"There was something about the sound of the Marantz SA8003 that was unusual, and that was the "blackness" of its silence. I can't fully describe it -- I can't even tell if my ears and mind were deceiving me -- but there seemed to be a greater absence of sound between tracks when I played even regular CDs through the Marantz. I can't figure out what might have caused it."

"It may be the best CD player I've ever heard, given its excellent rendition of detail without sounding strident, the depth and width of the soundstage, and the relative 'blackness' of the background. While SACD is not the runaway success Philips and Sony hoped for (a listing on www.sa-cd.net indicates that there have been 5792 SACD releases; Wikipedia's entry on SACD says there are "in excess of 5000 titles on the market"), if you're interested in a superb player for both SACDs and CDs, I wholeheartedly recommend the Marantz SA8003."

- Thom Moon, GoodSound.com, May 15, 2009

"The fact is, for the things that serious audio enthusiasts care about (sound first, then sound, followed closely by sound) the SA8003 is a great unit. It proved itself a noticeable upgrade to my over-achieving budget player, held up well against a world-class digital front-end many times its price, and could be described as "different, but not necessarily better or worse" than one of the most popular source components in its value bracket. Personally, I love how it presents music in my system, and I will miss it when it goes."

- Clarke Robinson, EnjoyTheMusic.com, January 2009

What Hi-fi? magazine's online review lauds the SA8003 for its "rich, smooth sound" and "iPod connectivity."

"With CD and SACD playback, the SA8003 puts in a solid, committed display... Listening to the Marantz over a prolonged period is a bit like indulging in your favourite comfort food... The SA8003 is a warm, welcoming SACD player."

- What Hi-fi? magazine online