I found this thread while I was trying to find more info on this CD player. I recently picked this up at a thrift store in absolutely mint condition for $60. The player looks like it was barely ever used, except one of the feet has the adhesive peeled off, so it sits a little lopsided.
Running this in my system with a Rogue 99 and a Parasound A23, I have to say, this player sounds absolutely fantastic! I couldn't believe that something so old could sound so good. The transport is absolutely quiet and smooth and so far I haven't experienced any issues with skips etc. A friend of mine has a Marantz SA8005 and he brought it over so we could run a comparison. As per another post above, the difference in sound between the units was just that, a difference. The two units had a slightly different sound but both sounded amazing! The SONY sounds a little bit more dynamic with a hint more clarity around the treble and female vocals, the Marantz is a little more rounded and smooth. Out of curiosity I hooked up the SONY to a Schiit multibit DAC to see whether there was an improvement in sound. Yet again, there was a change, but the sound was great with and without the DAC. The Schiit is closer in sound to the Marantz.
Another big bonus with the SONY is the headphone output, its is absolutely amazing! My HD650s sound absolutely stunning through them and there is boatloads of power through it. I wish I could actually use the on-board DAC on the SONY like one can on the Marantz.
To summarise, the only reason to avoid this player would be the "unknown" factor if buying used, you have no idea what that player has been through. But for $60, I could afford to take a chance and it has seemingly paid off. Also, if the unit needs repairs, you will still find most parts through SONY, but of course, the cost is pretty high. I've been looking for the foot assembly and unfortunately its unavailable through SONY and anywhere else.
