As a follow up, I don't look for threads by certain individuals, therefore I read a pretty good cross-section of notes by different people.
It just struck me this morning as I was reading the various comments on the Sony DVP-9000ES. The unit was getting trashed pretty good playing CD's and I couldn't figure out if the comments were directed to it as a transport or player or both. I got frustrated.
Regardless of the digital front end, my personal experience is the amp, the processor, the room acoustics, the speaker placement all seemed to have a more significant impact on what I have heard. Granted, I have only been somewhat serious for 3 years, but I've been to a lot of sound rooms in NY, MA, MN, MI, CT, and NJ during that time. One thing was certain to me, the same speakers sounded different in every location I visited. Additionally, I think it was Wilson, with a great sounding set-up, who used an IPod (without letting the listener know) at a A/V show trying to prove that the digital front end was less important. I guess that's a whole different topic though!
It just struck me this morning as I was reading the various comments on the Sony DVP-9000ES. The unit was getting trashed pretty good playing CD's and I couldn't figure out if the comments were directed to it as a transport or player or both. I got frustrated.
Regardless of the digital front end, my personal experience is the amp, the processor, the room acoustics, the speaker placement all seemed to have a more significant impact on what I have heard. Granted, I have only been somewhat serious for 3 years, but I've been to a lot of sound rooms in NY, MA, MN, MI, CT, and NJ during that time. One thing was certain to me, the same speakers sounded different in every location I visited. Additionally, I think it was Wilson, with a great sounding set-up, who used an IPod (without letting the listener know) at a A/V show trying to prove that the digital front end was less important. I guess that's a whole different topic though!