Sony DVP-S9000ES redbook playback

I had a Sony 9000ES and after break in, the redbook was far below audiophile standards and the SACD performance was so far below my digital front end for redbook (DCS Purcell, Levinson dac and Acoustic Arts transport)there was nothing else to do, but get rid of it.

Redbook CD on the SONY is brittle and uninvolving. The newer, cheaper models--like the NS775V sound better (and have better video) than the 9000es, I think, but SONYs still sound dry and thin.

My Panasonic DVD-S47 ($89), stock, sounds better than the SONY S9000es that I had modified by EVS some years ago ($1300).

With the new chips and technology, what was "highend" 5 or 6 years ago is bettered by today's "mass market" players. Go to www.tweakaudio.com. Ric Schultz does mods to the $99 Toshiba 4960 ($300 for the mods) that most likely buries the 9000es in the dust.

With today's budget players and some decent mods, you can get miles ahead of the SONY 9000es and save alittle money, too.

I have this unit, in my system the past two years. Agree with comments above, although my experience with SACD is limited. Redbook is detailed, extended, but very hifi sounding and a flat, two-dimensional sound stage. Zero depth.

But I like my 9000es as a transport. It is heavy and stable, solidly manufactured. I feed the digital output into a modified Museatex DAC, and the results are pleasing - round liquid musical notes with layers of depth and extension. Really nice!