Why is Sony Digital sound more like vinyl?


I have had Levinson, BAT, ARC, Wadia, Meridian, Denon etc...players..and the top ones, yet when I purchased a Sony scd-XA777Es I was touched in a way none of the others could! The one thing in common with the other gear was Burr Brown DAC's. Also, I have come to believe that RCA (single ended)connections are more musical. Most of my gear has been balanced...when I went all single ended...ah!!!...music like when audio was new!! Lastly, I have found that if CD playback levels on a preamp rise quikly with low volume settings...musicality and low level detail is lost. Perhaps others out there in Audiogon land have pondered my musings...or maybe I've got way to much time on my hands!!
128x128dave_b
OK I have owned the SCD-1, SCD-777ES and XA777ES Sony players. I would not say they were anywhere near analog sounding to my ears. They were good but not analog sounding. My old Meridian 508.24 was slightly better sounding on redbook CDs. Cords made some improvement and cones, points, bearings air bladders all changed the sound on the Sonys also.

Going to a tubed DAC really upgraded the sound of the Sony players, then they became more analog. The difference could be noticed in piano recordings where the piano was not as hard sounding, and became more real sounding. There was more depth to the soundstage which was the key to making the recordings sound more real and live.

Happy Listening.
I must take issue with this wrap on the Sony ES digital gear sounding hard or lacking in depth or spread ...I have been an audiophile for over 30 years and grew up on vinyl. Perhaps the confusion comes in when most people started buying digital gear that added or deleted certain harmonic aspects of the sound to compensate for redbooks shortcomings on most high-end gear..which mostly tune out true musicality anyway! I have no stock in Sony...I've blown over 40K on front ends in 3 years..what I'm saying is that in a musical system the Sony stuff let's all the music flow in a more natural way without hype and without rolling anything off thereby in effect improving on some of the drawbacks of vinyl while getting the essentials of the music correct!
but piano is hard sounding. it's a percussive instrument. little hammers hitting little strings.
Yeah, but the little hammers have little felt booties on them.

And Slappy, I have to disagree with you. I am an advertising slave and incredibly influenced by all that I see in print and outdoor advertising. When I saw the Stereophile Alpha-Core ad with those Flapjack MkII interconnects coiled on Dawn's melons, I was overcome by an uncontrollable urge to suckle.
Sony analog sounding, wow.
Mine DVP-S9000ES is harsh very digital and really sucks.