High-end 3: Cd-based

Vertere Acoustics Phono-1 MKII

And so we reach the top tier of this triumvirate of high-end systems, and it includes a pair of speakers that have been part of our reference set-up for well over a decade. This time we’re staying offline with our duo of sources and celebrating physical media as we pair a Vertere Acoustics turntable and Marantz CD player with a gorgeous Luxman integrated amplifier and those trusty ATC speakers.

That Vertere deck, which again we’ve paired with the company’s Phono-1 MKII phono stage, is the MG-1 MKII. The MG-1 is just the second step up in a four-strong turntable family, though it still sits firmly in the high-end sector of the market once the SG-1 MKII tonearm and Mystic MC cartridge are included.

The MG-1 MKII package comes across as a fully polished product. At the heart of the turntable’s structure is a triplelayered acrylic construction that uses precisely tuned rubber isolation mounts to control and filter the flow of vibrations the other source in this set-up. Marantz doesn’t often produce top-end disc players, but when it does they are usually done right. So it proves again with the SA-10. Notice we say disc rather than CD player, as the SA-10 also reads SACDS and music stored on DVD-ROMS. File compatibility is impressive, ranging from 24-bit/192khz FLACS and DSD 128 all the way to ALAC, AIFF and MP3S.

All the right ingredients

The company has long been a master at getting the most from its circuits and here you’ll find the use of high-quality components and extensive shielding combined with sophisticated power supply arrangements. This may be an expensive product, but it’s obvious where the money has gone.

Disc drive aside, you can access the player’s digital-to-analogue circuitry through USB type B (up to 32-bit/384khz PCM and quad DSD), coaxial and optical digital inputs; or you can play music from a USB memory stick or Apple device