If it were you, which non-Sony SACD?

Slip I spend $1700 for the mod,of my sony 9000es.
I went all the way, they say the tube and dac upgrade
is the one that made all the difference.I also believe
the volume control, did improve the sony.Its better than
when Iam using my 2k preamp in my system, the preamp
is art audio.

Slipknot,

I have the Sony SCD333ES which I had modified by Dan Wright.
If you can still get him to do the mods I think it out performs the 777ES by a slight margin. Not anything in this price range that beats it that I have heard. I would consider the Audio Aero Prima and obviously the Capitole if it is anywhere near your range. Thinking about them myself.

Jayctoy,
I currently have a Matt Anker modified NS500. I had the Black Gate/Wordclock/Power supply shielding upgrade done for 2 channel only. It has made it a good machine for what it is (200.00 + 300.00 in mods), but not up to the level of the rest of my setup IMHO

I do think the 777ES, SCD1 are great units, I also have to believe there are others as well. One of the reasons I was curious about the Music Hall Maverick, is it appears as though it is a rebadged Shanling, with very good build quality and aesthetics. I am still using an old Music Hall CD32 in another system. The Maverick seems to offer a lot at a reasonable price, while still having an upgrade path.
I have also liked what I have heard of the Marantz SA14 and SA1, but they are hard to find. Most of my listening is to LP's, but I want my CD/SACD to be equal to the task too.

Slip what sony do you have? Did you have the tube output
stage,dac upgrade and parts, with volume control,I have
the Sony 9000es, this cd player is so musical, hard
to beat especially in SACD mode, redbook is good too.

I agree with 84audio:

Buy a used Marantz SA-14 (or new if you can find one). It was a steal, even at the new price. The main tweek is placing it on a Neuance platform.

Richard

I'm waiting for a chance to audition the Krell SACD player.

If you are considering the SCD-1, why wouldnt you consider the SCD-777ES, two channel only player? Its about half the cost of the SCD-1, but supposedly is just about equal in performance, then you can pour the rest of the money into mods.

I have really been impressed since I added the new Superclock II to my Marantz SA-1. Used to own the Sony SCD-1, and this is really a big step up!
Cheers,
Gregg

Non on your list other than the SCD-1 or XA777. If you want to out perform these players you need to go further up the food chain which is more than you want to spend.

Hey slipknot, I would try to listen to a Tri-Vista although I suspect the price is way beyond the Sony's. It's a great thread as I own the 333 (and enjoy it, especially on SACD). I had a friend bring over a 777 and it was not a "huge" improvement, (which the 333 was over the old Nak CD2, which sounded like a plastic kazoo compared to the Sony) but definitely better and I am contemplating a SCD-1 to bring the Hip closer to me.

Have fun and if you decide on a SCD-1 I would be very interested in your impressions. Oh, listen to "slant six mind" by Greg Brown.

Have fun

I'm a big fan of the Marantz SA-14. It is a great player for both red book and SACD and you can find a used one at a reasonable price.

If a used Sony SCD1 is at the top of your expense tolerance, consider
a used Sony SCD XA77ES. I would also look at the Shanling T-200. Both
of those are fine players and can be modified later when you get more $$ and the urge to upgrade.

I love my Tri-Vista SACD.

Romakabi,

Thanks, but my current Sony unit is also a DVD unit as well. It has also been modified. I am looking for something more upmarket and audio only. I'm not dissapointed with my player now, but I think I could do better both in Redbook and 2 channel SACD.

Natnic,
Read the thread. I did not ask for a discussion of the merits of SACD. If you don't have anything to add to the discussion, please don't hijack my thread. Start your own.

Sorry Natnic...we can't.

Dual disc CD/ DVD-A audio discs comming to a retailer near you soon.Warner/Electra/ Atlantic on board.Can we say SACD=Beta

The Marantz DV8400 plays all the existing formats except HDCD. The price won't break you and it has video capabilities to boot. I was not dissapointed with the one I purchased.