Sony SCD-1 or SCD-XA9000ES for stereo

I am disillusioned with Sony players. I bought my SCD-1 years ago when they first came out, and my unit developed a problem in the first few months, refusing to play anything. The in-warranty repair note said one of the servo motors had failed. Last year, it began to display "No Disc" after I had put in discs. It will eventually recognize a disc if I turn it off & on and open & close the lid several times. Quite frustrating, especially since I expected the SCD-1 to have been one of Sony's most carefully designed products. (I have also read numerous citations on Audiogon where others have had problems with SCD-1s.) On the other hand, perhaps it was never intended to last longer than the life cycle of the SACD format. I recently bought an Esoteric universal player off Audiogon; it has a reputation for a bullet-proof transport.

I bought a SCD-1 from someone and it developed the same problem. After sending it to Sony for repair, it has never had another problem. This unit sounds wonderful. I have no desire to trade my SCD-1. It does take a little longer to read a disc than most players, but that just gives me time to get back to my seat and get comfortable.

In my opinion the scd-1 is still the better player. I was sonys statement piece and continues today to be one of the best built units available; if only on the used market. If you wish higher performance there are high quality mods available to take it to a much higher level.

Chuck