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Review: Sony CDP-X777ES CD Player

Category: Digital

Beautiful piece of hardware. Well built, heavy and made to last. The date stamp on my unit reads Sept.1991. I change components often and I can say that this Sony has one of the most enjoyable sounds I've ever heard. The sound has character. It brings out that true "live" feeling in the music whereas most other CD players, no matter how good they are, don't even come close. It extracts tons of bass from every track and due to it's massive twin power supplies, sends out a strong signal that can make a good power amp really boogie. The best way to listen to this unit is to connect it directly to a power amp (yes it has variable outputs). I tried using the XLR outs and then the fixed RCA outs through good preamps, but the best sound always came through the variable outputs, straight to the power amp.
Recently a friend convinced me to sell the 777es unit and try more exotic, newer cd players. All I can say is that nothing compares to the pleasure of listening to this player. I've sold all the so called exotics and just completed a deal to get a champagne color Sony CDP-X779es, the same as the 777es except made in 1992. I can't wait to hook up the 779es and enjoy music again. It will be a very long time before I sell that baby. No matter what other CD players I get I will always keep the Sony. There's nothing like it.

Associated gear
Linar 250W/Ch power amp
B&W DM3000 3 way Speakers
Nordost Red Dawn 1m RCA interconnects
Nordost Blue Heaven 3m spkr cables
Tice Audio Elite 4 line conditioner
Custom made Power cables

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fna
richardson-82f0
1 posts
 
Seriously, the machine is superb and people are just deluded to think otherwise.
denfeb_11-6a44
1 posts
 
If anything, the 777es is a tad on the "warm side" insofar as sound goes. Kevziek, I recommend that you perhaps consider what your speakers are like because of the description that you gave of the 777es' sound is well, diametrically opposed to what mine sounds like anyway.
The only criticism that I'd give the Sony over the newer generation CD players is that they are not the very last word in outright resolution.
But in light of it's other shining virtues as listed by Fna, I'm happy to live with this "compromise". Put simply, it's a very enjoyable & satisfying listen.
Like Fna, I'd originally sold my 777es only to buy it back from the same person 4 years later.
Will I get a new machine like an audiophile grade SACD or DVD-A player? In time yes, but I will NEVER sell the CDP-X777es again!
jimikoby
2 posts
 
I also have had much more expensive players as well as transports and DACs then the Sony 777ES. After selling all the other CD players I never wanted to buy one back until i got rid of the Sony 777ES. The man would not sell it back but i found another one in excellent condition that i brought. Although my speakers range from 12,000.00 to 17,000.00 I still enjoy my 600.00 Sony CD player.
jianxwong
2 posts
 
The Sony 7-series Cd players are amongst the best,if not the best,measuring 16-bit digital device ever manufactured on this planet,even by today's standard. These ES players have been measured on the test bench as being as nearly perfect as 16-bit resolution can allow. There may be Cd players today with supposedly much more advanced tecnology that boast 32-bit Dac capability,but these players still can not transcend the theoretical limitation the 16-bit medium. That is to say,even the best of modern day players measures no better than the superior Sony 7-series ES Cd players of yore. Sony has already defined the ultimate statement in Cd replay 18-20 years ago.
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