build and sound quality

lack of software, expensive, slow to load

I've been listening to this unit for about 2 weeks now and even though it is not totally broken in yet, I can whole heartedly say I have not heard a better 16/44.1 CD player than the one in this unit(but I have never heard the Meridian or Linn players). The build quality is incredibly good (55lbs) and the coolness factor(the sliding door, brushed aluminum remote, stabilizer ring) is very high as well. During the first week, the player exhibited a slightly screechy top-end with limited bass. I have about 120 hours on it now and the bass is now very pleasing & tight. The top end is getting -very- smooth and delicate(but still a little bright--this might be typical Sony). I'm told there is a 300-400 hour break-in time(but it still sounds darned good as-is!). It is extremely revealing of poor recordings/transfers.

I tried listening to SACDs but it is nearly impossible to find any to buy locally unless you order them through the internet(all ~15 of them) :( I listened to the samplers and they did sound good but it's not really my taste in music so I couldn't get into them(I prefer rock, pop and vocals). For what I did hear, the differences between SACDs and well mastered CDs are subtle to somewhat noticible. SACDs seem more dynamic and open(wider soundstage). The notes are held a little bit longer before they fade and the slight nuances or tones seem more detailed and hit you with more "power". I just wish there was more SACD software.

I listen to the SACD-1 for a little while in-store and I really didn't notice any difference between the 1 and this unit.

Oh, one last thing about the unit, don't forget to switch to "SACD" when listening to SACDs :)... It loads very slow however. :(

--mike

Similar Products Used:

SACD-1 (demoed only)

Incredible depiction of musical events

Overly expensive for general consumers

This technology is very exciting. The machine is the less expensive of the 1st generation players from Sony. I was able to audition the player with B&W N801s & Levinson Pre/Amp electronics.
I could not stop listing to the SACD sampler disk Sony provides with the player. I have probably listened to "So What" from Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" several hundred times. It was simple awesome rendered by the SCD-777ES. The players were so clearly rendered in the acoustic of the studio. I simply could not image that such musical delight was present in the master analogue tapes and here it was being recreated by a consumer audio source component. Sony advertises this new media a method to reach a deeper emotional connection to the music. It is so. I am also happy to hear that Sony is using this technology to archive the treasures of older recordings, which exist on fragile decaying mediums like master analogue tape. This medium is up to the task from what I can discern and that is very good news for everyone, especially my kids.
I believe this technology and DVD-Audio (if it is as good) have the greatest potential to re-invigorate the entire recorded music industry. I hope a format war does not delay the introduction of these technologies and new titles to be enjoyed. I do not want to wait any longer than I must to get one of these machines into my home.
It is very hard to face my sizable CD collection after hearing this technology. CD sounds so canned, washed out, congealed and lifeless in comparison to SACD.
I very briefly listened to the CD level of the SACD sampler and SCD-777ES is quite good and is competitive with other CD players at this price point, but give me the SACD. It is a huge step forward.
This player is built like a Sherman tank. The sliding top loading drawer cover is elegant and exudes quality. It seems a very nice machine for a first generation player.

Similar Products Used:

None

SOUND & VALUE

weight, crappy power cord

Follow up to my orignal post. Machine is completely burned in now and it continues to amaze. It trumps my Levinson rig but in subtle ways. The soundstage is more complete and the sound is definitely warmer. The Lev combo can be lean and analytical. Would love to compare to the ML360S with 24 bit processing or to the dCS Purcell and Elgar combo. But we are talking serious big bucks here and therefore not any thing close to apples and apples. I have about 20 SACD's now and the best so far is the Chesky McCoy Tyner NY Reunion followed by the Jeff Beck and a few other Sony's. All the Sony SACD's out now have reverse polarity which can be corrected with the flick of a switch on Levinson and other gear, otherwise it's a pain in the but, but betters the sound considerably. Playing some cd's reveals this flaw as well, something my Lev combo just does not do consistently to these ears. There is not a better cd player out there for 2 or 3 times the price. A steal at $1500 if you can find one. Word on the street is they are out of production. Still on Sony's website and various retailers but at higher prices. Check J&R Music World and Crutchfield.

Similar Products Used:

Levinson 37 and 36S

it is not made anymore. you can buy used at about that price.

BTW: It is a great player.

Yes, I am a dealer.

The sound, obviously. Nothing even comes close (except the SCD1 ;) - The fact that any way you turn it, this is a steal. Build quality.

Not a single one, far from it actually.

First off, you can't go wrong with this unit. Even if SACD fails (I hope not), you will still have an amazing CD player, that exceeds the price of the actual unit. The CD player part of this unit is fantastic. I used to play CD's on my Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player, which isn't bad at it, but nothing fancy either. When I got the SCD777ES player, I threw Bush - The Science of Things in it, and sat down and worked on my computer. In the song, Warm Machine, there is a guitar solo, and when that was played, it instantly caught my attention. It got reproduced with amazing clarity and feel. One of my friends, who plays the guitar, also heard it, and said that it was like standing next to the one playing it. This was something the DVP-S7700 couldn't brag about. - To conclude the CD portion of this review, there's no reason not to get this player, you just can't lose, as others have stated too.

Now on with the interesting part, the SACD's... It is all it's cranked up to be. I finally can get music reproduced as it should sound. SACD is my new best friend ;) - There's more room for all the sound, it's just more there. Hard to explain, it has to be heard. There can be no doubt, that if you want the best sound quality, you need to get SACD. The software is a little sparse at the moment, but more are coming, and according to Sony, even more will come when the summer is over. Hopefully more studios will begin releasing SACD's.

The player has all the functions you could want from a CD/SACD player, nothing wild, but it's all there and works like a charm. You also have a few VCF's for playing CD's, where you can adjust things to your liking. - The remote is simple and elegant, I like it a lot.
A lot of people have kinda complained about the slow loading times. Yes, it loads slow, but is this an issue? It can't se a problem with it, unless you are a DJ. The sound is there, when it has the disc loaded, so what's the big deal?
It's also built very solid and weighs quite a lot too, especially for a CD player. It looks quite cool too, with the big display on front (which can be turned off), and the simple, elegant buttons on top.
The loading bay is also quite cool to look at, and impresses people a little ;)

Conclusion of all this... Get one now. There's no reason to wait, not at all. It's the best buy I've done so far, and you get way more than you pay for.
I wish I could give it 6 stars in both ratings, since the unit really deserves it. There are no weaknesses in this unit, none.

The player is connected to a Sony TA-VA777ES (same as STR-DA777ES), using an Argento Silver RCA-RCA cable. It runs on the custom setting (allowing 100 kHz frequencies), since my amplifier can handle it, when using the "Analog direct" mode.
As speakers, I'm using a pair of B&W DM604 S2, which does the job quite nice.
I'm going to hook the player up to some of the Nautilus speakers in the near future, which must be simply amazing.

After living with this player for 4 month I can say that it really kicks ass! it offers great soundstage. but im most impressed with is it's high's, it's extended and very smooth . and the midrange? it's to die for, it's full bodied not your typical thin sounding player. Highly musical player! This one's for keeps. I advise that this CDP be checked out. Since these are discontinued you could probably get a good deal.

Built like a tank.

Mediocre CD play which can be greatly improved through modifications

I’ve had a Sony SCD777ES for over a year now. Spinning a good SACD (which is unfortunately the exception) it sounds pretty damn good. But it never did much for me as a CD player. I won’t opine on whether SACD will make it as a format. My observation is that most recording engineers leave way too much on the table when they make regular old redbook CD’s which can sound really good when done right. I have a lot of CD’s that sound better than most of the SACD’s I’ve bought. We’d all be a lot better off if engineers would fully exploit the potential of their medium. But I digress.

It’s helpful to be able to do instantaneous side-by-side comparisons of components. In my case, I have an Enlightened Audio Designs DSP9000 Pro Mk 3 DAC that I’m able to run the digital output of the 777 through. With the push of a source button on my pre-amp’s remote control, I can toggle between the 777 and the EAD, and since the EAD has variable output, I can set the volumes to be identical with the help of my Radio Shack level meter. Since the change of source components is immediate, the chances of duping myself into imagining sonic differences is practically eliminated.

I’ve been pretty pleased with the EAD over the several years I’ve owned it. I haven’t had the chance to try anything loftier in my system but I haven’t felt a burning need to do so either. I originally bought the Sony because I was intrigued by SACD, not to improve on the EAD for CD play. In fact, it was due to the EAD that I didn’t sweat the mediocre reputation the 777 had on the CD end. I knew I’d be able to pipe the bits through the DAC and, worst case, be just as well off.

I was intrigued to learn of the possibility of tweaking the inwards of the 777. The reviews I read on www.audiocom-uk.com and www.audioasylum.com were unanimous in their praise of the appreciable and apparently cost-effective results. I didn’t do a lot of research on the relative merits of the 3 different US-based tweakers I found on the Web. Richard Kern of Audiomod (www.audiomod.com) was well recommended in the reviews I’d read, and he was easy to reach and willing to take on the assignment right away. I didn’t go whole-hog with the upgrade. There was, at least to me, a dizzying array of options. I don’t know a capacitor from a radiator cap, so I relied on Richard’s advice in determining the point of diminishing returns. He felt I could get 80% of the benefit for 50% of the cost, and that’s what I did. I ended up with the Super Clock upgrade, and replacing a bunch of resistors and capacitors with nude Vishay S102’s and Black Gate equivalents. I sent the unit to Richard in Oregon (from San Francisco environs) on a Friday, and got it back the second Wednesday.

My experience prior to modifying the Sony was that the EAD was the pretty clear winner between the two for CD play. I would occasionally subject willing friends and family to the A/B test, and everyone agreed with little hemming and hawing that the EAD was better. I find the EAD to have a somewhat dark character, to be somewhat veiled, with rather a mid-hall orientation while the Sony is placed more towards the front row. The EAD had substantially better imaging and 3-dimensionality to it with a wider and deeper soundstage. The EAD, though slightly veiled as I said, provided better detail than the Sony. I would say that the two players didn’t beg a lot of comparison. They were obviously pretty far apart.

Of course, I couldn’t help but do an A/B comparison right off the bat without a break-in the moment I received the 777 back from Audiomod. The improvements were pretty obvious: smoother sound, more depth and definition to the bass, improved soundstage, and detail. Even at this stage, it was clear that the EAD was in for a tough challenge.

My experience during the break-in period was as advertised: ups and downs in terms of soundstage depth, bass response, with occasional bouts of glairiness. I’m now past the prescribed 250-hour break-in, and I’m happy to report that I’m pleased with the results. Again, my testing was done relative to the EAD as a controlled point of reference.

The soundstage and imaging is clearly better than before, and now surpasses the EAD. The shape of acoustic instruments is much more obviously defined – instead of just noticing space around instruments, the space takes shape and makes sense. The layering of the soundstage is better, right up to the back wall, making the EAD now seem like the flatter of the two.

The transients are much improved, and may be the most significant part of the mod. This must be the Super Clock revealing itself. On the Haden/Methany disc Missouri Sky, I can much more realistically perceive the fingers plucking the bass strings and the pick hitting the guitar strings. Drums have much better impact, too, highlighting the tone of each skin. I now understand what time smear is all about. Though one of EAD’s bragging points on the 9000 was extremely low jitter, it’s clearly noticeable next to the modified Sony.

The sound of the Sony is smoother and more refined. The tones of the instruments are more natural. The detail is greater. Overall, it has a more convincing recreation of the music. I wouldn’t say that it has leap-frogged the EAD. It’s not as overwhelming superior to the EAD as the EAD used to be to it. It takes better source to delve into the distinctions now than before. The EAD is a pretty decent unit, and maybe it’s the case that when you get towards the upper end, you’re not going to see night-and-day differences between units.

One point worth making is that since the mod, the sonic improvement I hear from turning the digital output off on the 777 is considerable. I never perceived a difference prior to the mod, but now, things just snap into better focus and the bass tightens up when I turn it off. Therefore, it should be noted that in my A/B comparison, the Sony had a bit of a handicap. Call it icing on the cake! Satisfied with the results of the modification, I’ve moved the EAD to my second stereo.

As for SACD playback, where I can’t do a real-time A/B comparison, all I can say is it’s obvious to me I’ve reached new heights in performance. The best sounding disc I have (and I have only 25) is Jacintha’s Autumn Leaves on Groove Note. It’s a real gem sonically, and, the music is actually quite nice, too. I love it when that happens! The sound is so smooth and effortless and musical, so full of detail yet completely natural sounding. I need more source material like this.

Kudos to Richard Kern of Audiomod. For a relatively modest outlay, I’m a happy camper. I’d definitely do it again.

The rest of my system is comprised of the following stuff:
Conrad-Johnson Premier 14 pre-amp
A pair of Conrad-Johnson Premier 11a power amps
Von Schweikert VR-5 HSE ‘speakers
Revel B-15 sub-woofer
Synergistic Research and Highwire interconnects.
Highwire ‘speaker cables.

CD and SACD performance

none

When I first heard the SCD-777ES, it was in a good guys with ES Sony gear and Klipsch speakers. The unit had its rear feet removed by some rube Good Guys employee who wanted it to fit on the demo room shelving and stacked it right on top of the amp. The whole room was set up abominally. It sounded terrible, but I went next door to the Tower, bought the SACD of Miles Smiles and quickly heard the differences between the CD and SACD.

After many more experiences with the SCD-1, SCD-777ES, and the Marantz SA-1, I chose the SCD-1 and have not owned it long enough to submit a review. Since I have not owned the 777 either, I will limit my comments here, but I feel Rudy below is wrong in defending Chu, below. What we had in both their reviews was an inability to acknowledge the advantages of SACD. Had I limited my experience with the SCD-777ES to my experience at Good Guys, I could have written a review even worse than Chu's. But of course, most of us have the foresight to understand the difference between demo in a store with inferior gear and setup, and we know not to compare it to the fine-tuned sound we get in our own systems--unless we take a demo unit home to audition. And only then can your review be authoritive. As one of only 3 units in the US that will provide the advantages afforded by SACD, I see no choice but to give the SCD-777ES five stars. It sounds that good.

Similar Products Used:

SCD-1

Just like to add to my review below that the unit's
high frequency's slight edginess has now receeded a lot
after another 100 hours of burn-in. Also, the choice
of cables is VERY important when mating a high quality
cd player like this one to different systems.

I agree with Alfredo on his opinions. However, I consider
the source component (cd player etc..)to be the heart of
any audio system around which other items should be
carefully chosen. A player like the 777ES can NEVER be
the weak link in any audio set-up. On the contrary, if
there is something wrong, you should look elsewhere in
your set-up.

As for Richard Kern's hasty assessment and veridct on
the 777ES, he's maybe right on the Wadia's possible sonic
superiority over the 777ES in cd playback (I still haven't
heard a Wadia player), however, he should also realize
that no company like Wadia or else.. can create anything
like the SCD-1 or the SCD-777ES and sell it at such bargain
prices (even at retail !!).

Sony top of the line ES cd players have always earned
accolades all around the world for their superior build
and sonics at very competitive pricing.

Happy listening and Peace !

Sherif

This is a follow up to my previous message. As I stated below, I sent this unit in for repair due to an intermittent crackling sound coming from the player somewhere. Well, I recieved the player back from Tweeter a few days ago. Tweeter sent it to SONY for repair. They replaced the motor and the laser. I set it up and within an hour I heard the same cracking noise again!!!!!!! It sounds to me like a board or power supply issue. I am not happy!!! I returned the unit again to Tweeter. I told them I don't want it back until it is fixed!!! I have a $300.00 junk cd player that I've had for about 12 years now that never had a problem.
I really hope they can fix this player this time. I even gave Tweeter my cell phone number and asked if the Sony repair guy could call me to talk about the problem. Well,
that's all for now. I'll get back to you with another follow up message in another 3-5 weeks!!!!