Sony DVP-S9000ES Availability???

The Sony 9000es is OUT OF PRODUCTION. Any new in the box purchases are being sold out of existing inventory. The replacement for the Sony DVP-9000ES is the Sony DVP-999ES. How do I know? For starters I was wanting to purchase a 9000 back in September 2002 but wanted to hear on first. After going to an ES dealer (who didn't have it) he ended up doing some checking. It just so happened that a Sony rep was there who seemed to be fairly knowledgable about the issue. It was then I heard about the 999ES. I ended up buying the 999ES in mid December and I find it to be an excellent unit. Not as heavy as the 9000 but not a "lightwieght" either - comes in around 15 lbs (I think). And yes it DOES multi-channel SACD. The 999es is just now starting to "break in" and really open up - it is awesome on SACD and "pretty good" on redbook vs. my current DAC and AA DTI-PRO32 set-up. I will give it until the end of the month to really give the redbook a thumbs up or down (I have been concentrating on breaking in the SACD). If not, I believe it will make a better transport than what I currently have with the DAC. FWIW, I have seen the 999ES sold for around $899 new - it retails for $1200.

All I know is I'm glad I got the 9000ES for about $1100 a few years ago -- with the 5 year warranty and all the goodies it's definitely WORTH buying a NEW one in this case (don't think the warranty is transferrable?). (It's usually WORTH getting a good warranty on a transport, with moving parts a breakdown is always possible -- never buy an old transport!!). My story with this is that I did all the experiments when I first got it, except as a DVD player. When I was discouraged with the 9000 for all audio except SACD, I finally tried it for DVD -- fantastic! That alone justified the purchase. But one day browsing the web, I noticed that Wright was doing mods to the 9000ES. I was curious again about it's capabilities, and since my system changed a bit since my first tests, I tried again. As stand-alone CD player, strike one (good but fairly sluggish and 2-dimens.) As transport into my MSB Link, strike 2 (better pace and dynamics but still....). As transport now with the Audio Alchemy Pro into the Link Dac, home run! Beautiful. Much better lower mids and slightly better bass than my old Proceed PDT3 transport. How could it be? Not sure why my first listens long ago didn't catch this, but now I saw at Audiorewie and here, all the comments about the 9000 as transport, and it does seem to be true. Sometimes a big corp like Sony will let a gem through the dross, and they did. My only complaint is that it clicks on and off repeatedly when you eject and then insert a CD, and I wish someone knew a way around this, so that's what I'm researching right now.

We recently had to send one in for repair and it could not be repaired and Sony sent a 900 to replace it. It seems to me that if a company could build a product they could repair it or replace it with the same or better item. I have not had the chance to talk with Sony yet but I will keep you updated when I find out what happened.

Robt.

At those prices, makes me want to buy a back up. A ridiculously good deal at both $799.00 and $699.00.

I paid $1049.00 for mine and do not regret the investment one bit.

I bought one last weekend at Tweeter's in Southlake Texas for $699.
tracer

HI fi buys in atlanta ga. has 9000 ES for $799.Just saw it on vacation to my brother in law's.

To all:

All I want to say first off, after talking with my sales person (whose opinions I seem to trust very highly) at my local high-end audio/video emporium this past Sunday, I took it upon myself to do two things.

(01). I called Crutchfield Sunday night, and talked to one of their sales associates, and what he has told me was the exact opposite of what my sales person at my high-end dealer has told me. The sales person at Crutchfield has told me that the Sony DVP-S9000ES is still in production, and that as far as he knows, Crutchfield still has tons of them, and that they seem to be still coming in. So, that's reassuring.

PLUS

(02). I called Sony myself yesterday and talked to someone who actually has something to do with the manufacture and production of these components, and he has told me that the DVP-S9000ES is still in production, and that as far as they he knows, they will be in the forseeable future.

But now, I am the type who likes to deal directly with my sales person at my high end audio dealer when it comes to any components that they carry in which I develop an interest in. So therefore, I would like to give him first opportunity and buy my DVP-S9000ES from him if at all possible. After all, this is the guy I have been dealing with for 15 years or so, and during that time, I have bought my Adcom preamp, my Nakamichi cassette deck, my KEF speakers, my Panasonic TV, and my Pioneer Elite DV-37, all from him, as he always seems to give me a fair price on my gear each time I deal with him. And now, I would like to do the same with him with the eventual purchase of my Sony DVP-S9000ES. So, I am going to check back with him today, and see what his company is up to in regards to THAT particular matter. If more stock seems to come in then, then I am going to buy my player from him. If not, then I am going to either buy my player from either Crutchfield, from Tweeter (and there is one in my area), or get one here from Audiogon. But the given is, I am going to get one, no matter what.

So on that note, I would like to thank everyone here who has responded so far. And I appreciate your replies wholeheartedly.

Wish me well on my search to obtain my DVP-S9000ES. It's a great machine.

Regards.......

--Charles--

Hello, I owned the Pioneer DV-37. Nice machine but frankkly not in the same league as the 9000ES. For starters, one can hear the disk spinning inside at low volumes ! All Pioneers do this except the venerable 09.

I have heard quite the opposite on the Sony line. Sony is NOT coming out with a high-end ES-designated DVD/SACD player to replace the 9000ES.Better grab one while you can. They will keep SACD to non-DVD transports, which is a shame as it's one of the great transports for audio purposes, regardless of price. Even that old 1997 Planet Hi-FI review (still available on-line)came to that conclusion ( with a roomfull of respected audio reviewers from all magazines) with the S-7000, which I owned. Went to the following 7700. And now the 9000ES. Each upgrade occasion, I did the audition circus, trying out most one-box cd players out there, up to twice the price of the 9000ES. Always came back to the flagship Sony. Of course this deserves non-respect from most "high-end" shops where they would rather sell us the megabuck cd player of the month, and would never admit to the "audiophile" status of the 9000ES for redbook cd playback, never mind SACD.

I just do not understand why audiophiles do not grab all of the 9000ES players available, when such quality is available for the equivalent of audiophile-peanuts. It's a tank that looks like it came out of a design museum and makes a true class statement. It's a superb SACD player. A superb video picture ( although I'm not using it, I know what it's capable of )a competent cd player that will smoke many big names in Audioland. It can be modified to extract even more excellence out of it. And finally, it makes a ridiculously cheap transport that rivals with units costing five times it's price when mated with an external upsampler. I hope I have succeeded in convincing you that buying this machine is a no-brainer. I'm holding on to mine for awhile. But of course, for about the same money, the Rega Planet has this cool top-load design... Happy listening all !!!! Hope you found this entertaining, anyone agree with me here?

It's been discontinuned for over a year. You can find it new in the box from Tweeter, and other places for around $750-850. also probably www.oade.com

Great piece. I have one.

-Ed

There's a ton for sale here, some even new in box for $800! Go for it! I think just about everyone here owns one. I love mine!

I've heard the same as Rwwear but cannot confirm. Why not pick up a used 9000ES on this forum? I did at considerable savings relative to buying new, and for most 9000ES onwers, the factory warrenty from Sony is a non-issue anyway since it will soon be voided when you do your mods (as invariably you will if you hang onto it for long)!

I have heard that Sony plans to bring out an updated version of the 9000.