Hello, I think your best bet would be to contact Brian or Allan at HelloSimplyMusic here on Audiogon and ask one of them about the noted differences between the two models. I recently purchased a Thalia Nine and it is currently breaking-in; although the sound so far is excellent, I could not tell you personally about the sonic differences between the two players. You might want to contact Kevin at Muse about his opinion on the differences as well.
Good luck,
Chris
Good luck,
Chris