Marantz SA-7S1 CD player – worth its weight in gold?

Money no object? Numbers up on the Lotto? You are the target market for this Marantz SA-7S1 CD player, finished in sold gold.

Add to that a tank-like metal chassis and you get a total weight of 22kg – so make sure there’s a solid shelf or unit for it to sit on. For the hefty price tag (more on that later), you get the expected top-end finishes, including copper-plated case and components, double bottom plate, low-noise LCD display, aluminium die-cast metal CD tray, balanced dual-differential circuit topology, superior digital filtering and a pair of mono DACs – each with four separate processors for both DSD and 24-bit PCM audio playback.

All that should mean a reliable player with great sound reproduction. But it also means a big price tag – just under £5,000. If you want one, you have until June to save up.

Marantz website