CD v. SACD

Natalie and others, may I suggest to you the Hi Rez forum of www.audioasylum.com. There are tons of this kind of discussion on Sony SACD players there.

SACD is a gamble at this point. Sony is the only major record label supporting the format and they won't even supply a large enough inventory of sacds to justify the purchase. I have heard cds through the Sony 777 and Marantz SA-1 and was not impressed. You can do much more justice to your cd collection with a good dedicated cd player. I'm also curious how folks honestly think sacd compares to well recorded cds like xrcd, chesky, audioquest, etc.

I agree with Tonyp54,get a good hi-end cd player ,it'll last for years,do justice to your redbooks and you'll never be in a state of constant "wanting or anxiety"about the next new Sacd release. With all the software available now you'll be focusing on enjoying the music you have and and can purchase NOW, and not in some proposed hybrid disc future!I was not impressed with the Phillips Sacd player vs, my ARC CD3 in an a/b demo. My cd3 was just as good if not better than the Phillips playing Sacd and cd's IMHO. For more info on Sacd and what it doesn't do right go to: http://sound.westhost.com/cd-sacd-dvda.htm

Natalie, your idea that Sony puts a lousy analog section for redbook doesn't make sense with what I've heard with my own two ears. You see, I think the Rega Planet sounds great, especially for its price. Now, the Sony, which costs less than the Rega, sounds BETTER than the Rega on redbook playback. If you start from that point and then realize that the SACD playback sounds even better, there's really nothing to complain about for someone who wants to buy in this price range, $600. In my opinion, the SCD-C555ES deserves a class "A" rating for SACD and probably for redbook also, at least an A- or B+.

Natalie, in another post, I asked you which Sony you had purchased. You never did say???????

bufus, sorry I hear what your saying. Your a blind follower of Sony. Shame buy sound not a name.
Why does Sony not send thier best gear to North AMerica?

From the Bound For Sound Report.
" It seems that my review of the Sony XA777ES SACD last month has ruffled some feathers. And so it should have.
Suprisingly, very few of the correspondence questioned my findings regarding the sound of the 777. Instead, what I have been told over and over again by readers and manufactures worlwide is that the analog section in the 777 is terrible and in serious ned of modification. Of course, two of those recomendatios where from people who modify the units as thier business. But the complaints of inferior build quality in the analog section came from other sectors as well,including Marc Yun of these august pages"

This taken from Issue 145 of Bound For Sound.

This says a whole lot.

The further down the Sony Food chain you come the worse it gets.

Bufus the Model # is not important. Its the point.

When I put the Sony DVD/SACD in my two main system, it was nothing short of brutal. You could not listen to it.
Considering I am using a 5 year old NAK Music bank Changer I did expect the Sony should be better. But to really get a feel for how bad the Sony is its worse than my Ten Year Old Marantz LV-510 LD player.

Sony told us 20 years ago perfect sound forever. They lied. They are doing it again. Dont be a sheep and blindly loyal to a company who thinks North Americans are Second class and sends us thier B stock Product. Even the ES line is not up to par with what they MFG for the Asian market.