At $2K for a new SACD player is the XA-777ES....

You might want to consider having Dan Wright (modwright.com) doing his Signature Truth mod to your SACD 1000. Cost is $1250 and includes an internal tube analog stage. This mod is sonicly very close to his Ultimate Truth mod of the XA-777ES. I have both, but am waiting for the SACD 1000 to break in completely before doing any direct comparisons. Descriptions of the mod and reviews can be found at: http://www.harmonicdiscord.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4

Thanks for the info so far. A missing part of the puzzle I mistakenly left out is I sold the SACD-1000 last week. I had considered having it modded but as it was originally destined to be "Meitnered" I was a little disappointed upon deciding that was not to be its fate. I look at this as a chance to go in a new direction. Maybe a Philips 963SA and a DAC or 2 players - a 963SA for SACD and a really nice redbook player???

The Marantz may be a possiblity based on the fact there is a version 2 out in Asia which is hopefully destined for this continent.

The Xindak look interesting and while I appreciate JDl's position he appears to be the only member here writing about owning this unit.

I will choose Marantz SA12S1, 1 stop solution to your audio and HT setup around US$2k range. Surely wins over XA777ES.

If said not good in resolution, that means you dont know how to play SA12S1. read the manual carefully and play again.

At the $2000 mark, I'm not sure that there is much real competition for the XA-777ES. Other players in the same price category seem to be cheaply made by comparison. I found the SACD performance to be excellent, on a par with the SCD-1, and you might be able to find a used SCD-1 for not much more than a new XA-777ES. On redbook, the XA-777ES has a smoother, warmer and more laid back character, while the SCD-1 has a brighter (occasionally strident) tonal balance. As a pure CD transport, I expect either would be excellent, but the SCD-1's disk loading and track access times are painfully slow. I previously owned a Modwright SCD-333ES, but I never had the opportunity to compare the 333 to the 777. Dan does great work,and modding an XA-777ES might be a good one box solution. I personally found an XA-777ES combined with an outboard Chord DAC 64 to have great results for SACD and redbook. I am also waiting for a Modwright Universal Truth DV-47a to arrive, and it might be yet another player to consider, even if you don't want DVD-A. As for the Xindak, I have no personal experience. It may be a great player. However from an ethical standpoint, I have problems buying products from totalitarian states that use slave or prisoner labor to produce commercial goods. Just my two cents.

"Rgd":

For about $2,000.00 for a new SACD Player???

Well...... I would go about this two ways.

(01). Meridian 506.24 (used)* + Sony DVP-NS755V (for SACD playback)(new) -- $1,000.00* + $200.00 = $1,200.00.

OR

(02). Philips DVD963SA** + MSB Nelson Link III + MSB P1000 Power Base Power Supply -- $500.00** + $1,000.00 + $400.00 = $1,900.00.

OR FOR THAT MATTER STILL...... WHY NOT GO WITH THIS "ENTICING" THIRD OPTION?!?!?!

(03). Meridian 506.24* + Philips DVD963SA -- $1,000.00* + $500.00 = $1,500.00.

* means that I would seek out a used Meridian 506.24 instead of vouching for a new Meridian 507, as after hearing the 507 recently, and recalling what the older 506.24 sounded like, I would've liked and preferred the smoother, more liquid, more analog sounding Meridian 506.24 over the brighter and harder sounding Meridian 507.

** means that THAT is what the price of the Philips DVD963SA would be at retail. I would shop around and try to find me a good deal on one when it was time for me to buy one. I would have the player modded later on and have a super clock installed inside the transport.

--Charles--