Help With My Next Upgrade Please

I've seen numerous posts from owners of Sony SACD players, that sonics keep improving significantly as the units burn in.

I owned Sony 777ES, sold it and purchased 9000ES. Cowman is right you need 200 hours for 9000Es and 400 hours for 777ES for sonics to develop. Sony 9000ES is much better sonically then Sony Dc-1 and 7777ES despite the price differential. It is certainly is not lean, its midrange is very similar to the best tube sound (i.e. not euphonic and overly sweet, but natural with rich harmonic texture as most acoustic musical instrument have). It is increadibly good CD player for $1,075. Its medium resolution due to the junky analog stage, which can be modified or interconnect/speaker cables upgraded. With SACD you will have entirely different experience. SACD sound better then vinil or DVD-Audio, second only to live concert. Of course, its tremendous dynamic range must be supported by amplification and you have excellent amp. I can't talk about SACD sound you have to hear it to believe it. next, it has DVD with progressive scan. Its good insurance for re-selling it plus you can listen to 24/96 type CDs. If you can afforn around $4k then Maranz SACD Player is, obvious choice. I "love" 9000ES for its pluses and send it to Stan Warren of Supermode to re-arrange analog stage to take care of its minuses. The most important thing about 9000ES that its timbrally correct and has very good (fantastic in SACD mode) dynamic range and resolution, transperency will be improved by better quality passive parts. Sony 9000ES is no brainer. There are about 200 SACD titles, wait is over. If someone waiting for the winning format my prediction is MP3

Simontju: Thanks for the detailed response, just to confirm, you find the 9000ES better for redbook CDs than the 777ES. By the way, I am located in Canada, the suggested retail in our Canuck buck is 2499 for the 9000ES. I am pretty sure Oade ships to Canada, is that where the 1075 USD price is?? Any Canucks have any better options??

To Miked: Yes, you understoon me correctly but narrowly. It is my fault I write with long sentences and meaning sometimes is deluted. Sony 9000ES is, on my personal opinion, one of the best CD players around. While, it may not be hi-fi spectacular (detail, imaging, sounstage) its timbrally very accurate and it has very good dynamic range, which for me are the most important criteria to represent live music (In concert, I ain't hear no imaging and soundstage, but of course "lotsa" details. I am lucky to live in Philadelpia with fantastic acoustic of the Academy of Music). I believe, that its resolution can be improved by mod or better wiring (the later is to stay for the next generation of digial front end). For me, personaly again, the SACD sound is by far the biggest advantage of this device. Next, call Oade brothers. Canada, (where I lived 7 years) has a site "www.HMV.com" where CD are very cheap and SACD cost $18USD wheras here their cost is much higher. If you hace questions I would be delighted to answer (subjectively!) e-mail to SimonTJU@aol.com