It's funny how different ears can hear things differently. When I had both in house, I preferred the SA-7S1 to the SA-1. It wasn't a huge difference by any stretch, but that's how it turned out for me. The SA-7S1 IS more "reserved" in comparison with some other, more forward players, but I think that adds to its sense of fluidity and ease. Whether that's an artifact or not, who knows?