Simontju:
YES, I have heard the S9000ES. It is indeed a very good SACD player and a fair Red Book CD player. It, certainly, is not in the same class as the 777ES in both modes, and is surpassed easily by the SCD-1. To make it short: the SCD-1 is simply more musical and refined, more extended and pure in the treble, more natural sounding in the midrange, etc....
Is that clear enough?
Why don't you just enjoy your S9000ES and accept the reality that it was not designed to compete with the SCD-1, irrespective of what you would want to beleive?
I like the S9000ES very much, with its CD/SACD/DVD capabilites and retail price, I think it is a great buy. I am considering the purchase of a S9000ES for a HT based second system
