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Sony XA9000es/Sony DVP-NS999ES

Hi -- I'm looking to buy a new/used/NOS CD/SACD player and have been looking at both of these units. The price differential is quite substantial -- around a thousand dollars for demos/used pieces.

For the record, I recently added a 555es CD changer to my second system and, just to state where I'm out, it is behaving very well indeed with over $15k of speakers and electronics; I have no real complaints at all.

Anyway, there are good buys out there on the two units I mention. I'm just wondering if there are any "real" -- significant -- differences between the two? The XA does seem to be utterly bomb-proof.

PS, I do not need video playback, so I would just ignore that in the cheaper unit.
highdudgeon
bigtee
803 posts
 
If you are looking for sound quality only, the XA9000es would be a no brainer. The 999es is not really all that spiffy on either format(good but not that good.) It is excellent as a DVD player.
The Sony DVP9000es is a better sacd player (but doesn't do multichannel like the 999)than the 999.
The xa9000es is a good CD player and a excellent SACD player. The similiar but cheaper priced XA777es is an equivalent player to the xa9000es. I would save a few bucks and go with it.
perose
40 posts
 
You might want to consider a ModWright DVP-NS999ES. From all reports its a very fine player. There are several on-line reviews that you can read about the modded player. I have a ModWright DAC and Dan does do good work. There was a significant improvement in the DAC sound over stock.

Is the stock or modded 999ES better than the XA9000? I can't answer that. Personally I got the XA which is a very good player and it retains the the 5-year warranty in the unlikely event something needs repair.
bigtee
803 posts
 
Those Wright brothers both do good upgrade work. A modded DVPs9000es by VSE is excellent. I think with the mods by either brother, you end up with a better sounding machine than the xa 9000es or the xa 777es. Of course, you can have the VSE mods placed in the xa9000es machine.
the_kid's avatar
the_kid
465 posts
 
An XA-777ES used here on Audiogon is hard to beat. I mainly use mine for Redbook with the occasional SACD and love it. I used to own a CARY CD-308. The XA-777ES beats it hands down for Redbook Playback. At least in my system anyway. Good Luck!

Chris
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