I just ordered the Sony DVP-NS900V. Supposedly their replacement of the 9000ES. The 900V retails for $999 and does multi-channel SACD. I'll have to wait a week before I can spill the beans. The 500V for only $299 should open up a new audience for SACD. Now Sony needs to really pour out the software. Lower price players are one step it the right direction, if they don't flood the market with software the format could die out or stay a small, audiophile only market.
The new line of Sony DVD/SACD players
Just in time for xmas, my musicdirect catalog came in mail this week. In it, I found an interesting Sony ad, depicting thier line of relatively inexpensive players. They changed up thier $1000 model, making it a little more normal looking. Who knows what else, if anything, they did to it?. The most interesting is the single disc player for $299 (the DVP-NS500V). To me, a poor man, that sounds like a good deal. Lots of toy-value, but i do not have time to watch movies...just time to type. Knowing Sony, it probably plays DVDs well. It will be interesting to see how well it plays SACDs, and to a lesser degree, CDs. Has anyone checked this out yet? It seems to me, however, that the average person who would buy this might not get a large increase in sound quality. The improved signal generated by SACD, relative to CD, might lose its steam after going through a dude's reciever, generic cable, and polk speakers. I really don't know, though. Does anybody here? I might check one out, compare it to my RCD-971. Hopefully my friend, who is now looking for a DVD player, will buy it. Then maybe we will get the low-down. Good luck to Sony in puching SACD. I am guessing that this player will be the most significant model in attracting attention to the format.