i would tend to go with the music hall. the only reason i say that is i have auditioned the sony XA777ES at home and didn't like it much at all with redbook. very uninvolving and boring. bass was very lean as well. if you listen to SACD, then it's an obvious choice. i compared it to a 6 year old PS Audio transport/dac which retailed for about $1000 less. just wasn't at all impressed with the sony. i've read many other reviews saying the same. makes me wonder what people are hearing.
good luck and have fun.
good luck and have fun.