Is Sony's SCD-777ES still the way to go?


Just wondering. I heard one the other day, and it KNOCKED my socks off! Then I started thinking. . . The thing is 3+ years old now. There HAS to be something better out there for the $1500 range.

What about their new players? I heard a 333ES, and was wholeheartedly UNIMPRESSED, and it had $1000 worth of MODS! So. . . Is the 777 still the way to go?

Or. . . I know that I really like the Northstar 24/192 combo a LOT. But it doesn't give me SACD.

What would you guys do?
hantrax
I've owned the SCD-1 for the last few years and as far as I know the SCD-1 and 777es are still some of the very best for the money. For both redbook and sacd.

-IMO
This is more just FYI. I haven't heard either of these units, but Sony just announced at Home Entertainment 2003 (in S.F.) a replacement for the 777es, the SCD-XA9000ES. According to Stereophile (September issue), it will have even more DAC's (18 in all), new styling, as well as (a first), a new multi-channel digital output link via FireWire (IEEE1394). This would allow you to use it as a transport and connect it to an external DAC, do some post processing, etc. Although I know know how many DACs have iLink connectors for multichannel audio. I'm sure they will start building them now.