Marantz SA-12SE CD Player
Special Edition Super Audio CD Player with DAC
Key Features
Pure Marantz Sound
HDAM technology combined with optimized circuit design layout and carefully selected components, it provides exceptional sound quality and performance.
Sound Master Tuned
Engineered and extensively tuned by a team drawing on more than 35 years of Marantz CD and SACD design knowledge.
Your Music Your Way
Enjoy masterful playback from your SACD, CD collection and more the way you expect from a Marantz
Asynchronous USB Input
Marantz innovative and proprietary SACD/CD mechanism “SACDM-3” designed purely for the best CD performance.
CDs, SACDs and Beyond
The SA-12SE goes so much further than just disc playback: it’s also a fully-functional digital-to-analogue converter for music stored on a home computer, as well as having conventional digital inputs for existing source components. Those conventional inputs – optical and coaxial – can handle your music files up to 192kHz/24bit. The USB-DAC supports all files up to DSD11.2.
More Than a DAC
Built with an integrated DAC, the SA-12SE features an all-new disc transport mechanism that re-engineers the digital to analogue conversion. Taking full advantage of the 1-bit conversion technology, the SA-12SE incorporates innovative new filtering and up-conversion, providing a simple yet elegant solution.
Marantz Musical Mastering: MMM-Stream and MMM-Conversion
At the heart of digital audio in the SA-12SE lies DSD. PCM and DXD inputs are up-converted to DSD at 11.2MHz using the proprietary MMM-Stream converter within the player, and the high-frequency signal produced is processed by the unique MMM-Conversion stage, used in place of a conventional DAC, to produce the analog output.
High Current Power Supply
The power supply of the SA-12SE features a large high current toroidal power transformer with OFC (oxygen-free copper) secondary wires, along with high speed, high current Schottky Barrier Diodes in the rectifier stage for the purest DC voltage output.
Built to Perform
Like the complementary PM-12SE integrated amplifier, the SA-12SE Super Audio CD player is constructed to the highest standards, with a front panel made from thick, heavy, non-magnetic aluminum to eliminate interference. Single layer nickel-plated matching copper RCA terminals in the SA-12SE outperform the terminals of competitors and offer an exemplary listening experience.
Features
CD Compatibility: CD / CD-R/RW / SA-CD / WMA / MP3 / AAC Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes
CD-Text / SA-CD Text / ID3 Tag / WMA Meta Tag / AAC Meta data No / Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes
Data Disc Compatibility: DSD / WAV / ALAC <=5.6 / 192 / 96
DAC operation mode: USB B type / Coax / Optical Yes / Yes / Yes
Asynchronous mode rear USB Yes
Bit-perfect transmission Yes
USB-B DSD Audio Streaming (DoP): DSD2.8 / DSD5.6 <=DSD11.2
Signal isolator for DAC Mode operation Yes
HDAM version HDAM SA2 + HDAM SA3
Power Transformer: Toroidal / El Yes / No
High Grade Audio Components Yes
Customised Components Yes
Symmetric circuit layout Yes
Copper Plated Chassis No
Dharmapala Priyadarshi –
Marantz has been in the high-end audio business for 50 years and as you can see from their extensive list of technology and premium components, this is one of the best CD players I’ve tested. The SA-12SE is just about the same as the SA-14S1 in terms of features, but is designed more for the dedicated CD player experience. So you’re going to get a CD player that’s built to deliver on sound quality and performance.