Thanks I am aware that feature of adding disc cover, did a few; Just a bit lazy to add all cover arts to the database; It is nice to see disc info and art; Also, I found myself using touch screen more than I thought I would.
Paul, I forgot about the USB stick on the front panel. How is one going to negotiate through files on that without a display?
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Good question.
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The SA-10 drive is nothing to sneeze at. But as a matter of interest, how does the KI drive differ from the SA10?
I asked for drive info, just for curiosity, as long as it is not made in certain place I am happy with it. Knowing it is same as SA-10 even better, it must be a good drive that Marantz put into their reference SACD player.
From the Marantz US web site, it says “… at the heart of the SA-10 is an all-new SACD-M3 transport mechanism…” and “… SA-KI Ruby is an innovative new SACDM-3 transport mechanism…”. I think they are the same thing (take out the “-“, both are “SACDM3” )
Terrence
There was a thread on AudioGon (https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/marantz-sa-10-vs-sa-ki-ruby) from 2018 that had the same subject matter. After reading through it, I came to the conclusion that the M3 is the same in both units - being the Marantz top of the line SACD drive, I have an SA14S1 and it works just fine - I know because it was my go to when the Oppo drive on my orginal DMP refused to talk to the DMP. The SA14 never let me down nor did my SA 8005 before it.
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Thanks. Good to know. I think with marantz drive (Sorry, I am not a fan of Oppo.) inside, it should provide a reliable mechanical performance for long time. Looking forward to having PST pair with my DSDAC. 
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You and me together!
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Only if those other DACs follow perfectly our I2S standards and most do not. So, practically speaking, probably not.
Based on my fading memory and Google:
Marantz have been making 2-box SACD audio systems using their in-house SACDM drive since 2005. They have comprised a SACD/CD/DAC box and a matching integrated amplifier, both boxes being the same price. The have in the last few days announced a similar product including streaming in the SACD/CD/DAC unit.
This started with the SA-11S1 in 2005. I don’t know what drive unit it used.
It was followed by the SA-11S2 in 2008 that had the SACDM-1 SACD/CD drive unit.
Next was the SA-11S3 in 2013 with the SACDM-2 SACD/CD drive unit.
Next was the SA-14 in 2016 with the SACDM-3 SACD/CD drive unit.
All these had matching “PM” integrated amplifiers. There have also been a few limited edition versions of these models. The SA-10 issued in 2017 was a reference version of the SA-14 and was double the price.
The latest versions are the SA-12SE, Japan and Europe only it seems, and the 30n which is the network version with retro styling. These all use the SACDM-3 drive.
Marantz have been selling the SACDM-3 transport as an OEM unit, I presume due to Oppo withdrawing from the market. TEAC make a spinner, but apparently do not sell it OEM. I have seen other SACD spinners using the SACM-3, so it seems to be the only OEM drive available.
So the drive unit used by PS Audio has a history going back some 15 years and judging by the fantastic reviews Marantz get, it is a very good and very reliable unit.
PS Audio will be using their own electronics, but the licensing requirements of the SACD format require the DSD stream to be decoded effectively by the same device, so if the DSD output comes out of a separate transport it must be in a proprietary format that can only be converted by a unit from the same manufacturer. Hence the DSD stream can only be fed from PSA’s primary I2S output and into a PSA DAC.
It seems that so long as SACD exists, most current units will have a SACDM-3 drive, which is good for support. Marantz may of course produce an update, but one would expect them to support the SACDM-3 drive unit in case of failures as they have been successful products probably sold in reasonable quantities.
Any corrections gladly accepted.
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Steven
The Esoteric VRDS Neo is also available as an OEM SACD drive and is used by dcs and T + A. The cost is probably exponential to the SACDM-3 transport given the cost of the Esoteric CD players. A new version, the VRDS Atlas made its affordable debut (trickle down technology from the Grandioso transport) this year in the K-01xd and the K-03xd. The latter is $14K.
My apologies. I think I mentioned earlier about the VDRS, which was about $3,000 OEM, probably more now. For a while dCS could not offer an SACD transport, was CD only (I think the Puccini), then went back to SACD and I think it could be retro-fitted.
I was discussing the T+A with @Rudolf_Appel, it’s a local product and €€€€€.
Steven
No apology - just adding to your excellent entry as requested.
I Agree !
Trickle down version for the Stellar Line !!
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I2s and these other connection is well and good, but can you get the DSD layer from a SACD from these other transport to the DS?
No, it can only be within a brand.
I cannot see how it can be scaled down as Paul mentioned last week that Marantz charge PS Audio a fortune for the OEM SACD drive. Seeing you can get the Marantz unit for $2,500, that is a very sophisticated upsampler and DAC, you might as well get one of those and plug it into a Stellar Strata amplifier.
Even Marantz have for most of the last 15 years not seen a market for more than one SACD player, and they make the drive units, so it seems highly unlikely that there is a market for PS Audio to make two models at the same time.
There would also be no point putting an SACD drive into a Stellar Strata because it would dramatically increase the price for a SACD drive that most people would not use.
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Yes, that would be something! The CD player currently connected to my Stellar Gain Cell DAC, a Technics about 30 years old is due for replacement. A SACD transport in Stellar enclosure would surel be welcome.
It seems to be quite a large unit mounted on a chassis, and drive units need to be damped. I’d be surprised if it would fit in a Stellar box. This is the previous version of the drive, but the new one looks the same.
The Perfect Wave enclosure isn’t that much larger, is it?