Sony SCD-777ES availability?

Sometimes I like a product but since I trade gear a lot, I hesitate to buy it unless I perceive a good resale market for it. A good review in a major publication, online or paper, goes a long way towards creating a strong sale and resale market. This is for good reasons: not everyone has a chance to hear everything, the journal reviews are much more long term and controlled than a quick listen in a shop, and the review itself serves as an awareness-raising vehicle.

A 777ES for $2000 after a strong positive review comes out can be seen as a better value the same thing for $1200 prior to the review. Reviews change the size of the sale market and demand in the resale market.

I find reviews tend to be accurate, except, that sometimes you have to read between the lines. Stereophile tends to keep their negative comments buried deep in the text IMO. A review that ends - "this is competitive in its price range, you ought to hear it, it might be to your taste" is a very mediocre statement, kind of like Wall Street calling a stock "market perform" when they mean SELL! Positive reviews end with enthusiasm - "I bought this thing" or "stomps the competition in its price range".

I think that buying this unit prior to it's positive review is something to be proud of, rather than trashing others.

Art

Forget the 777. Buy the 9000ES from oade brothers website for around $900 then have Ric Schultz of Electronic Visionary Systems(see more info. at www.tweakaudio.com) modify it for about another $400. You can talk to Ric for more details, but my guess is by the time he gets done with it you'll have a piece that rivals or beats the 777 and you'll get a progressive scan DVD player in the bargain. Ric's backlogged with the popularity of this player and his DAC so it may take a while, but it'll likely be worth the wait and you'll have the 9000ES in the meantime which is no slouch sonically even in stock form(Red Rose used it as their source to great effect at the New York Home Ent. show). Just thought you might like another option. Best of luck.

Tim

Paul, like you, I bought the '777ES months ago for $1500. I was very glad to get the player for such a good price, but don't pass judgment on someone over something as trivial as when they decide to buy a hi-fi component and at what price. What's the big deal? Are you better than someone else because you bought the '777ES earlier and for less than they might? Get over yourself. Stick to answering the question. If you can't simply answer the question, pass it by.

Something that I have noticed..and liked on all of the SACD threads...be they '777ES, s9000es..or anything else. It seems that many..maybe most of the people that own these machines have focused as much or more on the sound of standard "redbook" cd playback. It seems that many newer machines..these SACD units included...have become more musical with the 16/44 format...and right know that is still more important. If anyone with the s9000es that has used it stock vs. with some of the mods available vs. using an outboard DAC/upsampler can comment, I would have interest.

Ok,I was a little hard on Dave, for which I sincerely apologise. I applaud Dave's decision to purchase
whatever SACD player he chooses, and folks have given better advice than I.

I feel very strongly about "value audio", IMHO the 777ES is a value item, and a worthwhile purchase. However I've experienced the anguish of my audiophile friends as they have purchased "recommended" components time after time, and got the short end of the stick, as they've been blindly led down the rosy path of snake-oil reviewers. Again, reviews are one of my "hot button" subjects, and I do apologise for my rant! Dave, if you are anywhere near Massachusetts, and would like to listen to my 777ES, and enjoy some "opinionated" hospitality and a good cup of coffee or stronger, let me know.

Paul