Sony SCD-1 or SCD-XA9000ES for stereo

SCD-1 without question,unless you want multi-channel down the road.

I do infact have some multi-channel disks that are based on DVD, but so far they seem more novelity than improvement in the music experience. I have not read nor understand why multi-channel CDs use multiple analog outputs with the corresponding cable clutter, rather than a single digital output that is decoded. Those of us who use separates already have enough cables to deal with.

I do not recall ever actually seeing a SCD-1, but they look magnificant in the photos.

db

Well, my SCD-1 became steadily less willing to recognize discs even with my repeated use of the on/off and open/close controls, so I took it in to my local authorized Sony repair shop last month. (I was going to play a nice tune for my wife, but it took so long to get the SCD-1 to recognize the disc that she eventually left before I could get it to play. I realized that I couldn't put off a repair any longer.)

They replaced the laser head, a $190 component -- it was expensive because it was complex, with both the CD and SACD readers part of the same unit. They also replaced an oscillator crystal, which was a $20 or $30 component. This latter was because Sony had tagged the original oscillator as prone to failure at this age, so its replacement was a preventative measure. With labor and tax, my bill came to $364.

I just hope the unit keeps working another 5 years.

I talked with Dan Wright and another fellow at HE2006 in LA a few weeks ago about an SCD-1. They advised against buying an older player. Apparently there have been reliability problems, and parts can be difficult to obtain. OTH, Sony seems to have no problem servicing and updating my 9000ES. The quote from Sony in Texas is a flat $133.

I wonder if Sony and Pioneer will include SACD in their second generation Blue-Ray players.

db