Sony SCD-C555ES good for redbook?

Now that I'm back to the Rega Planet, I can tell that the Sony had a more open soundstage, more musical presentation. The only other one they had was a display model. I may get another one from someone else. I emailed the ebay seller who had some for $549. I asked if Sony would honor the warranty if I purchased one from them. I never got a response. I don't think that was a good sign. I know some manufacturers are starting to refuse to honor warranties if you buy from unauthorized e-commerce dealers. To me, two wrongs don't make a right. They should honor the warranty if you buy the player new. It is their job to keep their stock directed to authorized dealers. After all, Sony is making the same money wether I buy it from a high end shop for full retail or on the internet for $549.

I agree with you Bufus, Sony should honor the warrenty no matter what. It's up to Sony to ensure their "dealers" honor the company's warrenty when the product is sold "as new". I hope everything works out for you. The feedback you lent regarding the comparison to the Rega is much appreciated. Tony.

I was in the market for a new cd player and was told that this player C555ES would work just fine for redbook CD's on a 2 ch system (by the Sony Rep) What do you all think, am I throwing money away as I have no wish for multichannel music.I heard alot of postive reviews about how SACD players perform very well on reg. CD's and at the price it was offered, it got me wondering

I can just say that it performs better on redbook CDs than my Rega Planet so you could immediately say it deserves a B+ or A- rating. Of course, there are so many other options. But, for its price range, $575 delivered, I don't imagine there would be many things that sound better than the SCD-C555ES. And, with this player, you can enhance your 2 channel listening pleasure with 2 channel SACDs which currently cost about $16.99, and they sound fabulous.

I bought an SCD 555 ES recently from an authorized U.S. Dealer. Sony has dropped the US warranty to three years.

Nevertheless, I like the machine. I paid $600 for it. (The store matched J&R's in-store price.) It seems well made and handles both redbook and SACD to my satisfaction. On redbook it seems a little warmer and perhaps not as defined as my 10+ year old Esoteric/Theta combination which cost 5 times more.