Sony DVP 9000

For a perfect description of the Sony 9000ES as Redbook and SACD, see Neil Gader's review in issue# 134 of The Absolute Sound, Feb-Mar 2002. An excerpt:

"As a stand-alone CD player, the DVP-S9000es is competent and balanced, an a par with players under $2000 I've auditioned, although it doesn't out-perform them in any single aspect....

"...It offers a neutral, slightly cool character, with perhaps a bit more upper-frequency edge and texture than I find completely natural."

to finish my post....

Where the 9000ES excels is in detail (especially bass to midrange detail) and dynamics -- the bass is really punchy. It also has decent soundstage and imaging.

Good recordings can really be hypnotic with it; bad recordings can be a little hard to listen to.

Re: CD-Rs

Guess it's dependent on particular machines; I've had no problem playing CD-Rs on my 9000.