single disc sacd player for 300 used

David99, I think you need to get the 333ES.

I own one, and despite being a 5 disc changer(I worried about this also), it does feature good sound. I tried the CD775 and NSV500, and both are more thin, harsh, and edgy. The ES player is a great deal more smooth, with a powerful low end that is difficult to find in most sub $750 CD players. It seems as if Sony takes a step back in sound with each release of SACD players they put out. Maybe the 999ES will be different. But, I think that our hope now for SACD players is for companies like Adcom, Arcam, Linn, Music Hall, Musical Fidelity, Rega, and Rotel to take the baton from Sony in the same way that they did CD.

I would say that the 333ES is a little slow sounding and not a detail freak, but if you were OK with the Rega, you'll be fine with this. On Redbook, my Music Hall MMF25 is superior(faster, more refined and detailed), but that player is the best buy in high end these days IMHO.

If you are looking into multichannel, you will need to look elsewhere. The 333ES is strictly 2 channel, which I prefer.

I have never heard of the XE - 670, thanks for clueing me in about it!

I would welcome the opportunity of hearing what this player sounds like. So far, my impressions of the Sony players is that they can be nice. But, as we go further down the SACD road, both the build and sound quality take steps backwards. We are now at the point where the newer players are just $99 Sony DVD/CD players with SACD thrown in. Then, we audiophiles are disappointed when the Redbook performance is not up to what we are used to.

Please don't forget about what the ES designation buys you with Sony. The players are built in Japan, as opposed to China. This is instantly apparent. Build quality is several levels better, and is the reason that they come with a 5 year warranty. Every button, knob, and mechanism is perfect on my player. Substantial, better than a lot of audiophile makes. I believe that ES is geared toward the high end. I think my player is either 28 or 35 pounds.

Regular Sony stuff seems to be junk. In contrast to the 333ES player, everything seems to feel as if it could fall off at any time. Alignment of buttons, drawer, fascia, and knobs look like a second grader put it together. The AMS knob on the NSV - 500 and 900(what they tell you to buy in lieu of the discontinued 9000ES) leave me wondering if they will make it through the 1 year warranty period.

The Marantz players I have heard have been OK.

The thing that bothers me the most about multichannel players(DVD - A also) is how they always revert to multichannel mode. As if 2 channel playback is an annoyance to them. I first noticed this while auditioning a power amp with a Marantz SACD player. The sound was horribly wrong. But, we figured it out, and all was then fine. However, every time we loaded a new disc in, we needed to "traverse" the menu to set it up for 2 channel, or everything was again wrong.

Hopefully, you can check out the XE - 670 player, and it makes you happy. If not, be patient. I think the audiophile brands will be bring SACD players to market in the next 18 months.