Sony ES777 SACD vs EMC-1

Ken,

I have a EC-1 and it is smooth as silk. I have been looking for a CD player that sounded like a turntable for ten years and this is the one. It may be a little light on the audiophile pyrotechnics, but it sure is musical. I especially like the tuneful bass which as you know is the achilles heal of digital. A 24/96 update has been in the wind for about 6 months, which is a plug in upgrade to older machines. If you buy a used one make sure it has the clack not the gold feet (which means it's anewer machine) and I understand make the unit soud better. As for what to do, listen and let your ears decide. Good luck.

If you read in Audio Asylum it is generally regarded that 777es is a top notch transport.Once modified by the likes of Richard Kern and others there is pretty much nothing out there that is "better".I would have to agree .

I sold my Sony ES777 to buy the EC-1 and have not been sorry-I picked up one of Sony's 5 disc SACD units to have that capability.

I own a Sony mod'777ES and I had a chance auditioning the EMC1 at a local tube store. I wished I hadn't bought the Sony!

Interesting replies. I'd like to ask Ljgj and Tomp what it is about the EMC-1 that you prefer? And am I correct in assuming that you not only prefer it on redbook CD's, but actually prefer it over the Sony's SACD performance?

I'm not sure that's what you meant. If it is, WOW, that's really saying something!

I used to have the Sony 777ES myself for 6 months also more than a year ago before I sold it and bought an EMC-1. To me the stock Sony's redbook capability didn't even come close to the EMC-1's performance in this area. The SACD is another story, I have the 9000ES for that now.

I think that SACD is very good but so limited in selections and the Sony as good as it is on regular CD's does not do what the Electrocompaniet can do and that is even closer to the good SACD sound on a good SACD disc. As Mark Levinson says some of the SACD's are no more than expensive CD's with no better sound - I own about 35 SACD's thus is why I bought the 799 (use to be 1199) 5 disc changer to still keep some of the benfits of SACD. Th EMC is a top loader and so easy to use when recording and operates so much smoother than the Sony. It is hard to go wrong with the EMC as a one piece unit and even upgrading DACS as a tranport it is first class. I have listened to higher priced units that sound as good and even not as good so why pay more?