Tom, It is a rare individual indeed who has actually had more than one of these players in their possession. I think that is why you are getting feedback refering only to one player, and not any direct comparisons between the players. Unfortunately, I can only continue in that tradition. I own the Sony XA7-ES and enjoy it very much. I also listen to a lot of pop/rock music (Rickie Lee Jones, Maria McKee, Jude Cole, Michael McDermott, etc). I listened to a Wadia (can't remember which) and it was excellent. Pretty much all Levinson products perform well also (although I didn't listen to any of their CD players). I don't know anything about the Classe. What prompted me to buy the Sony over other top players was: 1)Price - since it is now a discontinued model, you can pick one up CHEAP. I bought mine for $1,500 - Brand New. 2)Warranty - 5 Years. 3)Service - Sony service is readily available across the 50 states. I have not been disappointed in the least and it is an incredible bargain compared to the other units you are evaluating. Sorry I can not offer any direct comparisons, but I hope you find this information helpful nonetheless.
ML no39, Wadia 850, Classe 1.0, or Sony?
I would like to hear comments regarding the sound characteristics of the following 4 players: ML 39, Wadia 850, Classe 1.0, and Sony Xa7ES. I am looking for a player with lots of bass, very dynamic, with lots of air. I listen to popular music so I would like a player that rocks. A polite sounding Naim or EMC1 is not my cup of tea. I listened to them both and found them to be far too polite. Of course I need to find the right balance so that I don't introduce a harsh digital sound either. Thanks Tom