Why is Sony Digital sound more like vinyl?

While there is much air and transparancy with the XA777es, what I'm missing is "ambient glow." (I will leave it to CD-player critics to describe what *that* is.) I've also noticed that their isn't as much room interaction with the Sony as opposed to the Marantz SA14 ver. 2. The Marantz seems to outline and heighten chords more than the Sony--whether this is real or not, I don't know, but the Marantz was certainly more seductive because of it, though I think it led to some slight muddiness in tutti orchestral passages that led me to put some damping treatment (towels, ha ha) on the walls. Average to excellent recordings, with a good capturing of ambience and glow to begin with, sound great on the Sony. The Marantz salvaged recordings that were more distant, bringing out more ambience, but not more 'line' than the Sony. I hope this makes sense. It's safe to say that the Sony brings out more of the musical line, (leaving the responsiblity of capturing ambience and sensuality to the recording crew), while the Marantz brought out more of the verticle relationships (interaction between notes in a chord and between instruments). Which is better? A matter of taste: Some conductors are more line/melody-oriented, (logical), believing that the sensuousness will just fall into place while keeping the composer's ideas in tact; other conductors are more sensuously oriented, (very interested in chord-play), just barely keeping the musical line together. I happen to prefer that latter in the rare cases when it works.

Jdaniel...I know what your saying, however I get the desired effect with my ARC tube gear!

Final thoughts on Sony XA redbook performance. I've decided I like the redbook performance of the Marantz SA-14 better. It's just more tonally opulent, even though this leads to some muddying of textures in climaxes, but not much. However, I was just looking through my journal in which I had reported to myself that, once I had gotten over the Marantz' "glow" and bass-heft, redbook still left me cold compared to SACD. So there you go. I've decided to keep the Sony for its SACD playback--(can't complain in any way)--and give my redbooks a rest for awhile. I sold another 800 of them.

Jdaniel-I suppose that's where system synergy comes into play...through Watt/Puppy 6's and ARC tube gear (don't forget the power cord HT AC-11-a must for Sony digital gear) it is uncanny how it lays out the orchestra with exceptional detail and neutrality. My IC's are very neutral while my Speaker cables are full bodied yet controlled!

Agree totally about detail and neutrality, but going from long listening periods of SACD surround and two-channel, to redbook was just *too* disappointing. It's *so* over for me and redbook; that's the point I was making. If you all out there don't want your boat rocked, *don't* listen to SACD! (And no, i'm not buying a $8K+ redbook CD player. ; )