Sony S7000 used as CD player

David: Our situations are very similar. I have been out of hi-fi myself for some time and am getting back into it also. I'm currently using a Pioneer Elite DV-05 DVD/CD player as a reference CD transport, and I've been very pleased with the addition of the Camelot Dragon 5.1 anti-jitter filter. It's available from audioadvisor.com for about $500. (Single digital coax or toslink input) The device will de-jitter about any digital signal, including DTS and AC-3, but I really noticed an improvement when using the DV-05 as a CD transport through the Dragon. Would think a similar possibility exists with your Sony unit. I'm not associated with Camelot, just think they've got an impressive device to market. Their website is camelot-tech.com (I think). Hope your upgrades go well. Mark P.

Dear David, I have a relatively good setup now for sound. I have an EAD TheaterMaster Signature preamp and their PowerMaster 2000. I was using my Sony S7000 as a transport for dvd's and cd's. But then I got a dedicated cd transport. I am using the Sony S7000 for dvd movies. But I am using an older EAD T-1000 as a cd transport. The difference was huge. With the T-1000 music from this transport made my system sound truely highend. Even the big Pioneer DV-09 didn't make a good enough cd transport. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Brian C. Kwong

I have an S7000 running into a DC-1 and the CD playback sound, while not being top-level, is very good. One thing that *REALLY* made a difference was getting a very good digital cable (I chose the Illumination D-60). I've not tried using a dedicated transport in lieu of the Sony so I can't tell you how well it does in comparison. However, considering the Sony and the fact that my DAC is a home theater unit, I'm very impressed by the sound. (Not that I'm not thinking of upgrading it soon, though... audiophilia sickness and all).