This is a minefield but I like the commentary submitted. I own a Sony DVP9000ES & think it is a real bargain for the money. After I purchased my Krell unit I remember reading a review that the transport was sourced from Teac. In speakers & digital, a lot of companies can't go to the expense of making a total product so they buy from other companies, modify it & put their name on it. On digital gear bigger power supplies & better capacitors can make a dramatic difference. But I firmly believe that the best way to decide what brand to buy is plug it in & try it out. If I have to strain to notice a difference; I take it back & try something else. Getting hung up on certain names Or ignoring others could result in your missing the opportunity to improve the sound of your system & probably save some bucks too. Larry
Too snobbish for SACD as it exists?
Perhaps I am wrong, but I get the feeling that the reason SACD players have not been as successful as hoped lies with the fact that the very persons for whom the benefits of the higher resolution format are appreciable are hesitant to put a Sony, Marantz or Pioneer product in their systems. A product like Krell, CJ, Levinson, etc.,while usually significantly more expensive than the aforementioned "mid-fi" brands provide the purchaser with a certain cache and a greater level of satisfaction, albeit sometimes a psychoacoustic contribution to the listening experience. I, personally, would be more willing to spend more on a quality SACD player from a true high-end company, however elitist that may sound, even knowing that I may be paying for diminished returns. I just wonder if there is a large pool of high-end consumers waiting to see what marquis companies will introduce before they commit to the format.