Sony SCD-C555ES good for redbook?


I have read a lot about the Sony 333ES and of course the 777es but not much on AG about the 555. I recently saw that Stereophile gave it an A rating as a recommended component. I am interested in getting some feedback from someone who actually has heard or owns the unit. Thanks for your time! Tony
treyhoss
Hi Tony,

One thing you might consider is to buy the 555 and have it modded by someone like Stan Warren, Dan Wright, or Ric Scultz. Once they get done with it you'll have a pretty damn decent CD player as well. For more details on the mods go to Ric's website at www.tweakaudio.com. This may be the cheapest way to get the best of both worlds. Best of luck.

Tim
I just bought an SCD-C555ES ($799 at Tweeter) and even though it isn't even broken in yet, I can tell that the redbook playback is very very good and that it will probably be deserving of its class A rating. I'm comparing to my Rega Planet. After a couple weeks of break-in, I'll know the full story. I'm very impressed with SACD so far. I started this whole multichannel adventure with a JVC DVD-AUDIO player. It never impressed me. The Steely Dan CD in my Rega was better than the Steely Dan DVD-A. Of course, its a JVC, so ???
Thanks, Bufus! I look forward to your follow-up after in runs in for a while. Tony
I have a Sony SCD-C333ES which I am very pleased with. However the redbook performance [imo] is only average. I have it hooked up to an Adcom GDA-600 and this improves the sound substantially. The definition and bass response are much improved. I am going to upgrade the Adcom as soon as I can sell it to improve it even further. I do consider the Sony a good buy however as the SACD sound is quite remarkable and I love the convenience of the 5 disc carousel and the Sony build Quality.
Steve.
update: I continued to be impressed by the Sony SCD-C555ES. However, I returned it before my 30 day trial was up because it had a slight rumble/vibration/buzz in the transport while playing SACDs. It didn't always vibrate but, when it did, it was audible from my listening position.

The other reason I returned it was because the warranty card in this player was from Sony Canada and it was only for 3 years. Also, it said that you had to return it to Canada for service. Sony ES products are supposed to have a 5 year warranty in America. This makes me wonder if all of Tweeter's Sony equipment is from "Sony Canada."