Marantz Pearl Lite CD Player. Info and opinions please...

[Mooly]

Trying to find out technical information on the current Marantz Pearl Lite CP player. I haven't heard one but see it gets pretty decent reviews.
Marantz UK | SA-KI Pearl Lite

Does any one know what laser assembly and mechanism this player uses... I'm thinking long term here and future ease of repair as I tend to keep stuff for ages.
If anyone has a service manual for this then that would be brilliant


Anyone done any critical listening to this player and what did you compare it against ? My current player is a Micromega Stage 2 which is now 17 years old... bitstream technology (TDA1305T DAC's).

[Extreme_Boky]

I had a look at KI Pearl by Ken Ishiwata site.... the DAC/power supply/analog out PCB inside the lite version looks very similar to SA7001KI / SA8400; however the mechanism looks different. DAC used in 7001/8400 (CS4397) may not be used in Pearl... I think it is a 4398, and the analog discrete stage looks simpler. It seems that latest Perl lite does not have serial regulated power supply for analog stage…

SA7001KI and SA8400 are identical - apart from few beefed-up power supply smoothing caps, toroidal transformer and some copper shielding.

My suggestion is to try to find SA8400. I have service manuals for both SA7001KI and SA8400 - hence the statement they are identical.

The SA KI Pearl (not Lite) is completely different, designed top to bottom unit…. at $3000 it better be!

I downloaded both manuals from: Service manual, eprom result list | ElektroTanya | Service manuals and repair tips for electronics experts


Boky

[Mooly]

Many thanks for that Boky.

I know the real answer is to hear one in my own system, and over a longish period... hmmm!

I'll check out those manuals as its always interesting to see the technology used.

[Luke]

they look nice, Ive always liked Marantz cd players.

[Mooly]

The Pearl Lite seems to be something of a bargain at the moment, I don't know why its being discounted so heavily for a current model,
Marantz

[Thomo]

I extensively modded my SA7001KI and also lightly modded the newer SA7003.

The SA7003 was miles better in every way. So much more open and dynamic with more detail and a smoother sound too. I was surprised by this as it had only about 1/3 the mods of the 7001.

Cheers, Lee.

[Mooly]

Well folks, after much thought a Pearl Lite now replaces the Micromega Stage 2.

Initial impressions in my own system are good, but as always a little hard to describe. The soundstage is perhaps slightly more forward and the lower registers are somewhat less "muddied". The top end is very smooth and detailed. The output seems a little higher than most and I can see me having to alter the input sensitivity of my amp at some point.

A big bonus is that the toroidal tranny of the Pearl is totally silent, the MM was always noisy. The weight of the Pearl was something of a surprise too, heavier than many an amplifier. The dimensions quoted are somewhat misleading too as it comes with some rather nice (removable) polished end cheeks which push the width up from the quoted 440mm up to 470 mm. In my rack they have had to come off which is a pity but still...