My focus at this point is primarily on SACD playback. I listen mostly to orchestral music which I think steers me in this direction, e.g. see releases on the Bis or Ondine labels. That, plus I am cheap and lazy.... though at least I am looking at the latest Olive Music server. I have done a bare minimum of downloading. I guess shiny silver discs are still part of my comfort level and computer audio will likely be a later development.
So, I have had my eye on this Marantz SA8003 for several months. Now the rage seems to be the latest offering from Oppo. I have to wonder, what is the quality of the SACD playback from the Oppo Bdp-83se? (I am not really considering any Blu ray playback at this time. I don't think that much content that would interest me is yet available on Blu ray.) I believe the build quality of the Marantz product exceeds that from Oppo. I have a Tube Research Labs modified Sony DVP NS900S that I do like, but the transport has failied on it twice, so now it sits collecting dust. I have little time for undependable hardware.
Then, to complicate matters, my head has been turned by the abundance of raves the Cambridge Audio Azur 840C has received, even though this piece does not provide SACD reproduction. All three units are available at a similar price point around $800-900, which suits me. This price point only applies for the Cambridge unit on the used market.
I live in an isolated location so auditioning all three units is impractical. I invite your opinions/advice.