Cheap SACD Player or wait for DVD Audio?

To Jfkeith and Kthomas: Cheapest SACD Players today are Sony 9000ES ($1,075) and Sony 777ES ($1,500) both at "www.oade.com" Cheapest SACD discs ($18) are at www.HMV.com". Excellent service both. There is also multi-tray SACD Sony player with MSRP of $1,2k. Phillips is introducing now, or already introduced multi-channel, MSRP about $2k. Sony 9000ES has also DVD with progressive scan, I understand first on market. True,I am not in video and never tested it with TV, however all 24/96 CDs (e.g. Chesky, Classic Records etc) can be played. DVD, for me, is more insurance for re-sale. Firther, I owned 777ES, the 9000ES is much better, transport is much better, may be the chip is of 2nd generation (it has "magic" midrange, midrange I hear in best tube amps, timbrally rich and very very natural not to confuse with euphonic bad tube sound, bass is excellent). Thus, as a stand alone CD player only - forget everything else - its bargain. Highs are not so airy and soundstage is not so huge as on 777 because this player uses low quality 50kHz low pass filter. When we"ll figure how to turn it off (777 has such option, externally), sound great and fantastic as it is will be only better. However,bonus, SACD sound is extraordinary, second only to live event. As for gentelment who opined to wait -> wait.

Simontju, I am not so clear about your post, is the CD aspect of the 9000ES better than the 777ES even with the 50kHz filter on? Have you been able to turn off the filter yet? I am very interested in the cd playing aspect of the 9000ES. I use my DVD player for cd playback. I have a Pioneer DV37, and it just happens to have excellent cd playback quality. I would like to get the 9000 ES for the SACD feature as long the cd playback is comparable. In the past I have owned three Sony CD players, and they all had a grainy hardness that I did not like. I am hoping that has been remedied in the 9000 ES.

To: Bmpnyc. Sony 9000ES is fantastic CD player by itself. It is not so airy as 777 without filter but still its highs are silky. Midrange is comprable to the best tube amps I owned or heard. Not euthonic, mind you, but if you know sound of LAMM II thats it (I compare midrange truthness of timbre). Bass is also similar to the best tubes. Not mooshy, tight, very articulated. This is tonal balance. Next, detail: 777ES is more resolved, but as you know detail is high frequency info. I am sure after 50kHz filter removal it will play with much more detail. Next, we all know that Japanese analog stages, as a rule, is junk Example? oh oh how about SC-1 and 777ES. Jerry Osmet of AudioLogic(he also designed DACs for Jadis, Thor and few others) said about 777 "cheapest possible junk". For couple hundred dollars Stan Warren of SuperMode (Stan the GREAT!!) not only will change passive parts in 9000ES but also will re-design entire analog stage. I send him my 9000ES two days ago and in month or two or week or two (Never push Stan Warren) I will have, hopefully, one of the best CD Players around regardless of the price. This is about potential. Comparing stock 777ES and 9000ES both hve pluses and minuses. Overall, however, 9000ES is MUCH BETTER. It is my personal subjestive opinion. Everybody has diffirent tast. For me the most important by far is timbral accuracy, and then macro/micro dynamic range. Sorry for long reply, however, then one says "A" is better then "B" we must define what do we mean by that. I worked as evaluator for many designers (e.g. Ken Stevens of CAT etc) and the most important thing in hi-fidelity communication to know when we say word "lush" its for one person euphonic and nosiating for another Stradivarius violin. This why professional reviewers always state CDs and LPs they used. This reply is really long,long. SORRY... Simon

Thanks Simontju, for taking the time to post such a thorough response. I will certainly think more seriously about the 9000ES now, I just need a little time to recover from the post holiday cash flow shortage! Does anyone have an opinion on how important 5 channel SACD will be, in relation to 2 channel SACD?

Simontju: Jerry Ozment modified my 777ES by adding his tubed output stage, and as modified it is a superb player, comparable with the best out there. The digital side of these players seems to be where Sony spent the bulk of its time and money; they put in a servicable, fairly good-sounding (if you like smooth sound), analog stage, but that's where you can wring a lot better performance out of these machines. Don't know if Jerry's decided to keep doing the mods, and they may be more expensive than Stan's if he does, but you are correct about potential of these machines, and there are plenty of talented modifiers out there if you want better resolution than the stock units.