sony xa 777es how good?

I had been contemplating buying an fmj23, jupiter,
or cd5,or possibly a used arc cd2 or 508.24.In the
mail comes the Absolute sound with the stones releases
so naturally I begin to think about sacd. After much research this 777 player is compared with ml 39's Wadia
850's and other gear that I would have considered superior
to the levels of an fmj. To further complicate things
the prices for the sony are down to about $1700 new or cheaper than an fmj. My question is:is the sony in redbook
that good so it is a no-brainer to get the sony as the sacd
is thrown in for free or is my research of base?
Final thought: Why does it seem to be compared in redbook
with very high end gear and not in it's own price range?

Thanks for any input.

Current system is B60 and Dunlavy SClll's.