Sony XA777Es vs. $2,000 Universal player

Hi, I have the Sony XA777ES, and for rack space reasons am thinking about moving to a good universal player (in the $2,000 price range). Has anyone compared the sound quality of the XA777ES to a good universal player, e.g., the Marantz DV9500 or similar product? Would I give up anything in sound quality with this switch? Sound quality is more important than video to me. Thanks.