Dennis,
I too am experiencing some of the same issues as yourself. I have owned the Sony DVP-NS999ES for 1 week now, which is a DVD and multi-channel SACD player. To answer another's question, yes the multi-channel (on mine anyway) will default to 2-channel - thank GOD! I also think the SACD is a little better than my current digital front end (Audio Alchemy DTIPRO-32 w/ AA PS2 and 2 powered digital cables going to a Parasound DAC 1000). I was hoping the redbook would be better so I could sell off my current digital equipment but that has not been the case. In fact, the SACD is only a small improvement. I am still holding out hope that it will continue to improve as I remember reading on different threads that these players can take several hundred hours to break in - AND the period is independent per format (redbook and SACD). If the SACD continues to improve I will be very happy. I will give it 1 month's time before I write off the redbook performance though. I also found about 6 SACD's that I want - and I currently own 5 of them! Would love to see Sony release more discs from "mainstream" artists from the 60's - today. A LARGE majority of the SACD discs are either from groups I've never heard of or don't care about - cmon', The Bangles, Big Audio Dynamite, endless jazz titles and gregorian chanting??? Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Sony have the rights to the Beatles (from M. Jackson), Frank Sinatra (through Columbia), etc., etc. These are artists with a proven sales track record. Anyway, that's for another thread. Keep the faith Dennis, and let's see how these things fare by the end of January - by then people may have some Christmas cash to burn and buy our older stuff - hahaha:-)
