It seems like earlier units had sticking tray problems. Other ones, seem to be having problems reading certain types of SACD. Maybe is just the product of making thousands of these units massively, but if it has generated such reliability buzz, then would you risk your money in such unit? I still remember getting an old, Carver amp, brand new back in 1988. I got two, one held out fine and the other one made a discharge sound, after I turned it off. I took it back to the dealer asking them about it. They brushed it off saying that it was common. Yeah right. From then on, that amp forever gave me problems. Dropping off on channel. I sent the unit for repair at least 3 times. None of those times they were ever able to do the job properly. I sold it for $100 back in 2001 in Audiogon. I told it as is it in the ad. That was the best thing I ever did.
Of course, I have moved on to more reliable and better sounding gear. Nevertheless, that incident told me a lesson. When you perceive trouble, even when the unit is new, you need to do something drastic about it. Maybe the Sony unit and their problems might be something worse that you might think.
I am sure that many people unloaded it, and maybe the problem repeat themselves continuously through different owners. Look at the lastest "dispute" column....Those two fellows are fighting over the unit we are talking about.
I would never spend money in such a controversial unit. Call me bias, ignorant or otherwise, but burned once, never twice.
This does not mean to invalidade good things that the unit does, especially the opinion of those owners that have not encountered the problem. But it seems to me that the unit had more than its share of major problems, therefore, of the numerous threads. Even I, who was not even looking into buy such type of universal transport became aware of its seemingly questionable reputation. What does that say?
