About Sony 9000ES CD/SACD/DVD Player...

2 Questions.

I have been reading that the Redbook CD performance of Sony's 9000ES CD/SACD/DVD player is REALLY inferior compared to mid level CD players (like Cambridge Audio's D-500SE). To anybody who made or experienced this comparison, is this accurate?

To anybody who got their 9000ES modified, do the improvement on Redbook CD performance justify the cost?

Thanks.