Well, JA did review the XA9000ES in the December 2003 issue of Stereophile but my head-to-head comparison with the XA777ES will not appear until the April 2004 issue.
Sony SCD XA9000ES vs SCD-1 or XA-777ES
Has anyone actually compared the sound (both redbook CD and SACD) between the new Sony SCDXA9000ES and its predecessors the SCD-1 or the XA-777ES? A salesperson at American Theatre Systems, which advertises on Audiogon, told me that the SCDXA9000ES sounds better than all its predecessors.
I am interested in a great CD/SACD player in the $2200 range (new or used price) that can far exceed the red book CD performance of the already excellent Arcam CD23T and at the same time deliver SACD performance on par with the SCD-1.
I am interested in a great CD/SACD player in the $2200 range (new or used price) that can far exceed the red book CD performance of the already excellent Arcam CD23T and at the same time deliver SACD performance on par with the SCD-1.