Sony DVD-S7700 against other transports

Hey dude, I just bought one and it rocks!!! I wouldn't exchange for anything in the world. The picture is sharp, the sound is crisp...love it.

It's the very best out there as a transport, easily beating transports 5 times it's asking price. It's a no-brainer.Buy it. Built like a tank, the best DVD picture in the business is a bonus, even if you only watch 1 movie a year....As a stand-alone cd, it compares favorably to twice the price cd players out there, beating so more expensive ones. Smart remote, smooth operation, buy it. It's a no-brainer.

I've read very good things about this DVD used as a CD transport, but also some concerns. Maybe someone can comment -- The player downconverts the digital output from 24/96 to 24/48khz. Does this compromise the sound when used as a transport with a 24/96 capable DAC (e.g., Bel Canto DAC1)? I've also read that the polarity of the balanced outputs is "reversed". This may? reduce bass response on some recordings.

I owned the Sony DVD-S7700, and sold it for the Pioneer DV-05. It may not feel as substantial, but it definitely has better sound and picture quality. The Sony was excellent, with a great remote, but no matter how hard I tried to prefer the SONY, the Pioneer was the better machine.