Abbingdon music research AMR cd-77 is how good?

Dvdgreco,

never compared it to any of those specific units you referred to.

Dev,
what have you compared it to?

DEV,
I am interested in how it compares to the K-01 (esoteric)

jmcgrogan2,
I would like to hear your thoughts on the type of sound produced by the cd-77? what are your thoughts on the 77.1 upgrade?

To be honest Dvdgreco, the CD-77 is a very nice CDP, but I've never owned one. I've heard it on several occasions, but I don't know if I've heard the 77.1 upgrade or not. I've never considered spending that much $$$ on a CDP, as I am an analog first type of listener. Once I re-discovered analog about 11-12 years ago, I have simplified my digital systems. I am quite happy using a highly modifed Marantz SA-11S1 when it comes to digital reproduction. I have heard more expensive players in my system that haven't sounded as good, and though I have heard other digital setups in other systems that sounded nice, none of them made me want to invest more $$$ into digital reproduction. I haven't heard the Electrocompaniet, but I have heard the Lector, Wadia, Meridian, EMM Labs and AMR CD-77. They are nice CDP's, but IMHO, they can be beaten by a $1K analog rig, so why bother?

In essence, I can't be of much help to you. I was just being a smart ass in my first comment because how can you measure how good a product is? By how tall it is? By how much it weighs? By how much it cost? By how good others tell you it is? Just how good it is can only be answered on a personal level, unfortunately there is no substitute for personal audition.