Hey Joe! long time, no talk...
By the way, I picked up a Sony SCD - 333ES player this spring. Couldn't be happier. I also own a Music Hall MMF - 25. Whichever one I am using makes me smile. In my system, I have had Arcam, Cambridge, Jolida, Linn, Musical Fidelity, and Rega players, and either the Music Hall or Sony is at least as good as any of them. As has been said, when you factor in the SACD, the Sony looks like an even better deal. If you can find a Sony for the price I did(way less than half of the retail), it's a no brainer. At this price, you would lose nothing in resale.
I figured I would try it, and probably be so disgusted that I would return it within the 30 day window. The price was so low that it just made me buy it. I just decided to give it a chance.
The sound is not at all what I expected. Usually mass - fi equipment sounds cold, thin, bright, and constricted. This player has really good bass. Really good. Midrange is quite pleasing. The highs are not tizzy. I would say the strength of the player is the bass through mids.
The sound is rich, warm, and full bodied. Exactly opposite of what I anticipated. Most CD players do not provide the kind of bass I seek. Especially those under the $2000 price point. While this player doesn't offer the end all, it does embarass many high end players.
The ergonomics are good, as are the features. I appreciate the four other digital filters of the player, as you can tweak a bit to find the kind of sound that complements a CD. But, the filters don't make a day and night difference. Just a different feel.
Minuses of the player in terms of sonics? Well, it is a bit veiled. I certainly have heard better detail and refinement. It doesn't offer a sense of speed sonically, but neither do any of the high end players I really like. I take these trade offs over thin, cold, zippy, and sterile every day of the week. The captive power cord is what I expect of a $10 toaster. That's about it.
Which brings us to the mods. I think all of the faults of the player would be erased by upgrading. An IEC power cord is one. And, I would predict the refinement and detail of the player should compete with basically up to the really good players. Cannot say if the speed would improve, but I would hope for it. No, I can't say it will match players like the Audio Aero or Electrocompaniet sonically, but if it matches those of the ilk one level down, that's pretty impressive for a machine that one has less than $1000 in, and also plays SACDs.
Will I mod? I just don't know. I am more than happy right now. With my Blue Circle preamp, the sound is incredible. BIG, bold, menacing. Yet, really musical and sweet. I haven't bought my new tube power amp yet, but already I hear potential that is just plain killer. The only reservation I have is void the 5 year ES warranty. I see some stories on Audio Asylum about the players having trouble with disks such as multichannel or hybrid, or reading a TOC, or the carousel, etc. which scares me a bit. But, the fact that I am happy even if I don't mod is the ultimate statement here. Sony has done a good job.
From a friend, I definitely would go for it.
