I'm using the Sony 9000ES with Perpetual Tech P3A/P1A/Monolithic Power Supply, all with Modwright mods, and find it to be significantly better than the 9000ES alone.
The 9000ES is a very good one-box player, on its own, and has the advantage of DVD and SACD playback, but, with the Perpetual Tech stuff, it has truly superior sound at this price point, IMO. I can't, however, comment on how the 9000ES compares to others in this price range. If SACD and DVD aren't important, I would, at least, probably consider the new Musical Fidelity player.
The 9000ES is a very good one-box player, on its own, and has the advantage of DVD and SACD playback, but, with the Perpetual Tech stuff, it has truly superior sound at this price point, IMO. I can't, however, comment on how the 9000ES compares to others in this price range. If SACD and DVD aren't important, I would, at least, probably consider the new Musical Fidelity player.