The Absolute Sound Review of Sony SCD-XA777ES ???



Just received the new TAS. Seems the mag. is going through some changes...starting to look a bit "mainstream". Anyway, in Robert Harley's review of the multi-channel Sony SACD player...there is no listing of associated equipment. The same thing is true of Cordesman's comments.

Don't mean to be nasty..but I am a bit of a multi channel for music skeptic(vs. movies), and thought this review might be a good insight, but without the listing of gear used to review the player...the review is nearly worthless.

With two channels it's good to know what else their using to evaluate something...but my god, 5 speakers, 5 channels of amplification, many more cables and wires...and were just left in the dark... Again, sorry, but the review is worthless without knowing what else was being used.

Yes there are some listings of associated gear in other reviews in the mag...but those are always changing from issue to issue and review to review...so it doesn't seem we should just try to add up what was being used.

Any comments?
whatjd
I hate to give long quotes but.....

"The monopoly power that created the 44.1/16pcm cd is mirrored in the U.S. high-end publishing industry and the results have been the same.... There's been a gradual coarsening of the discussion and dumbing-down of the magazine reviewers, dealers, and consumers over the last decade. This is a direct outcome of the increasing concentratioin of power towards a single publisher with the power to act as a make or break gatekeeper for the entire high-end industry... This is why the hi-fi industry is at a technological dead end with declining sales and a gradual slippage into the Home theater mass market." Lynn Olson (taken from www.aloha-audio.com - the Soul of Sound Library)

Is Lynn being to cynical? The review in Absolute Sound is certainly not "worthless", as it is to Jim, because it sells a lot of product!

What do you think?

Sincerely, I remain
I thought it was a perfectly adequate review. Along with the one in Stereophile (and comments on AA), it helped me decide to order one from Oade Bros. It arrived Monday, sounds great on both SACD and CD, should sound even better after break-in. I'm sure even better SACD players lie ahead -- we're still in a fairly primitive stage of SACD, assuming it even survives in the marketplace. Try it, you'll like it. Remember, this is a hobby, not war and peace. Cheers.
For a listing of the components used by Tony Cordesman, refer to page 123. They are at the end of the Dynaudio Evidence Temptation Loudspeaker review.