[PeterCapo]

Another Marantz SA8260 SACD player nightmare.

I bought one a while back and it always exhibited intermittent reading problems that has been well known.  I tried calling Marantz about it a couple of times, but they denied the existence of the problem.  When I asked about a possible service call, the person I spoke with tried to deflect my question.  His denial and deflection succeeded in deterring me from sending it in for repair earlier in its life.  I never felt comfortable with the player but figured I?d have to live with it the way it was.

Within the past year, the problem worsened to the point that the machine was barely usable.  Since it was still under warranty, I sent it to United Radio around April 2009.  It came back after a few weeks (I don?t remember exactly how long they had it) and it was somewhat improved.  But, it would still hang intermittently when some discs were loading.  In addition to this, it came back also with a new problem, an intermittent ?tic? that was audible through the speakers.  Nothing else in the system changed, and I have another player that did not exhibit either of these problems.  The SA8260 was still not functioning properly.

I have enough experience in life to know what I might be able to expect if I sent it back in with these intermittent problems.  I considered it for a little while.  Since the player was still not working right, I figured there was a chance that Marantz would do the right thing.  Besides, the problems, although intermittent, happened with sufficient frequency that they should be observable.  I sent the player back to United Radio in August 2009.  I remember the day I packed it up, because I tried playing a disc and got the ?tic? 30 seconds into the first track of a CD.  I disconnected the SA8260 from my system and sent it back in.

United Radio received the unit in August and reported that they could not reproduce the problems.  Some time in October, United Radio sent it to D&M Holdings, the parent company of Marantz, who also said they could not reproduce the problems.  As of now, November, D&M refuses to either replace the player or buy out the cost, which were possible options United Radio quoted as being within the scope of D&M?s capabilities.

I understand that some might think that because they cannot reproduce the intermittent problems that they have no obligation here.  But, I disagree.  The player has been away for around four months of this year.  I have much better things to do with my time than spend hours shipping my SACD player back and forth with all the accompanying e-mail and phone calls.  The problems I observed were REAL.  I cannot account for why they say they are unable to reproduce the problems.  From all accounts, it is well known that the SA8260 is one of the biggest lemons in audio history and they owe it to me and everyone else who went through this to either buy it out or replace it with a new player.

There should have been a class action law suit over the SA8260.  But, I guess big corporation squashes the little guy again.  It?s just amazing that there is no recourse in a situation like this.  I?ll never by another Marantz product again, and I am sure I might like to avoid any of D&Ms other subsidiaries.  Buyer beware.

[Sonny]

I too had this problem with the marantz and was very frustrated as well.  I feel for you and I understand your issues.  I did get mine fixed, however...and it cost me around $250...

I now have the Sa11S2 and a PM15S1...

I guess one never learns...

[Phil A]

The 8260 was a severe issue.  I had a couple of friends who had them for a bit.  I have a DV9600 which I will likely soon be moving to the basement system when my modified Oppo comes back.  I am very happy with the DV9600.  As far as reading problems, it has been the best player I've ever owned and I've owned many.

[PeterCapo]

On November 6 I submitted a post describing my dissatisfaction with D&M Holdings / Marantz relative to my SA8260. The impetus for my original post was found in more than one e-mail I had received from Marantz that really seemed to close the door with the problems left unresolved.

To my surprise, that situation has now changed, and I thought it only fair to post again to report this. Marantz has unexpectedly responded and I have accepted the resolution they offered.

I also want to mention that the folks at United Radio were helpful through the process.

[Phil A]

On November 6 I submitted a post describing my dissatisfaction with D&M Holdings / Marantz relative to my SA8260. The impetus for my original post was found in more than one e-mail I had received from Marantz that really seemed to close the door with the problems left unresolved.

To my surprise, that situation has now changed, and I thought it only fair to post again to report this. Marantz has unexpectedly responded and I have accepted the resolution they offered.

I also want to mention that the folks at United Radio were helpful through the process.

Isn't United Radio the manuf. authorized repair facility that is in upstate NY?  If so, they are very good.  I had an old Pioneer Elite universal player (DV-47A) that I was about to sell anyway (it was old at the time) and their was a class action lawsuit and I elected the firmware upgrade and United Radio was really organized and everything I needed to track the status online and was really efficient in dealing with the issue.

[PeterCapo]

Yes, it was the same United Radio of which you speak.

[Phil A]

Yes, it was the same United Radio of which you speak.

They were very good - http://www.unitedradio.com/consumer/  and I also remember dealing with them on something else 25 years back.  It says they have been in business since 1923 - even before my time

[rollo]

I had a very simmilar experience with Phillips. The SACD 1000 which cost $3000 list. What a joke.  Same reading problems which COULD NOT be fixed. It is now a door stop. Never again a Phillips product NEVER.



charles

[Phil A]

I had a very simmilar experience with Phillips. The SACD 1000 which cost $3000 list. What a joke.  Same reading problems which COULD NOT be fixed. It is now a door stop. Never again a Phillips product NEVER.



charles

Phillips is known for innovation but their quality control has lots of complaints besides yours.  My friend bought a couple of the SACD1000 units when Tweeter was closing them out and sold both.  We opened one to give it a listen.  There was a modder who loved the unit over at Audio Asylum and probably used to hate my guts when I posted over and over that the SACD1000 would be a doorstop.  He finally admitted it about a year later.  I have a Philips DVD recorder which I got for free with Philips VISA points that I have never had a problem with (does not get used tons - like probably less than twice a year - most often to dub a video tape of a vacation).  I also got 3 Pronto remotes for free that way.  The 3000 died after a few years.  I still have the 2000 which is on its last legs (but probably is 10 years old) as it has a problem connecting to the PC and the Pronto Neo in the bedroom (which quit temporarily but came back - not a big deal I use the 2000 in the secondary basement system and the Neo in the bedroom and I have an older Harmony that Costco was just selling  that I have not gotten to set-up but probably can handle both the bedroom and basement systems.  I'm fortunate in that I've never paid for their products and don't have major complaints.  But I do know people who have had issues.  I do value cos. that provide good customer service and the couple of times I called Philips about my Pronto 3000 I was not overly impressed.

[Don_S]

I had a very simmilar experience with Phillips. The SACD 1000 which cost $3000 list. What a joke.  Same reading problems which COULD NOT be fixed. It is now a door stop. Never again a Phillips product NEVER.


charles

They make great toothbrushes (Sonicare). 

[rpf]

I had a very simmilar experience with Phillips. The SACD 1000 which cost $3000 list. What a joke.  Same reading problems which COULD NOT be fixed. It is now a door stop. Never again a Phillips product NEVER.



charles

Same here. Though I bought it at the closeout price, I had mine fully modded. NEVER, NEVER AGAIN.

[Lyndon]

Count me in as knowing another friend who got burned on the Philips player.  I also felt sorry for the modders and their customers who poured good money down a hole.
Wasn't the problem essentially how they implemented the Faroudja chip?
On a much cheaper level, I get the flip flop.
My Philips dvd player, reads everything, and the USB connection works great on my thumb drives and my WD
Passport drive.
Now my new blu ray player, a re-badged LG370 or Desay, from Best Buy, is not reading several of my standard
commercial discs, nor will it give enough power to my portable hard drive.   
Is it quality control, or not implementing what R&D is telling the factory?
But I sure hear Phil and others going with the Oppo.
As it stands, I will need to stack 3 dvd players to get my SACD, and other types of playback.
I don't want to turn my living room into a SAE 70's style rack display. Like this poor guy! Either he's not married, or this is in the "man cave".

Man, it took me 30 minutes to remember SAE, what a morning of brain freeze.
Lyndon

[Phil A]

I had a very simmilar experience with Phillips. The SACD 1000 which cost $3000 list. What a joke.  Same reading problems which COULD NOT be fixed. It is now a door stop. Never again a Phillips product NEVER.


charles

They make great toothbrushes (Sonicare). 

Yes they do.  I have couple.  An old one and then I used some Philips VISA points to get a newer one.  My apologies to the dental deities

[Phil A]

Count me in as knowing another friend who got burned on the Philips player.  I also felt sorry for the modders and their customers who poured good money down a hole.

I don't want to turn my living room into a SAE 70's style rack display. Like this poor guy! Either he's not married, or this is in the "man cave".

Man, it took me 30 minutes to remember SAE, what a morning of brain freeze.
Lyndon

I use to have one of their amps.  It was a long time ago when it was a current model.  I must have been four or five years old or at least I'd like to think so

[2gumby2]

I've also experienced poor customer service from Marantz. I was lucky enough to meet a Marantz rep at one of the RMAFs I attended and he got me in contact with someone that was responsive to my issue. Still, my Marantz DV9500 is great on 2-channel audio and has the best DVD output I have ever seen.

[Eric]

Count me in as knowing another friend who got burned on the Philips player.  I also felt sorry for the modders and their customers who poured good money down a hole.
Wasn't the problem essentially how they implemented the Faroudja chip?
On a much cheaper level, I get the flip flop.
My Philips dvd player, reads everything, and the USB connection works great on my thumb drives and my WD
Passport drive.
Now my new blu ray player, a re-badged LG370 or Desay, from Best Buy, is not reading several of my standard
commercial discs, nor will it give enough power to my portable hard drive.   
Is it quality control, or not implementing what R&D is telling the factory?
But I sure hear Phil and others going with the Oppo.
As it stands, I will need to stack 3 dvd players to get my SACD, and other types of playback.
I don't want to turn my living room into a SAE 70's style rack display. Like this poor guy! Either he's not married, or this is in the "man cave".

Man, it took me 30 minutes to remember SAE, what a morning of brain freeze.
Lyndon

I used to own SAE stuff