Well, let me tell you guys (Delicated to Se_n & K_na813). I own the first couple SCD-1s that has arrive in the US. Mike Denvoke installed the entire system for me since he's the very very first few people to have the first couple of SCD-1s. I have also posted a review here about 2 years or so ago about how Mike Denvoke brought this wonderful unit into my life. I even had a link for all the visitors to see my system, back in the time, they were 4x Mc275 with Marantz 7 driving my Custom Focal Project, which is still the same speaker Im using for my main system. Very beautiful DIY piece made by a few Malaysian International Audio Club members. Excellent Ebony finish. Cost me $3000.00 just to get the wood needed... I also have a picture of the SCD-1 and another picture with it's chassis opened. It's funny that no one knew what the hack SCD-1 was at that time and all response I got were all ended with a question mark! I have never read the manual, since Mike introduced me this player and set up everything for me (Filter always at the highest as checked last week) as well he taught me everything verbally . As he has a distribution dealership and he gets the very very first few units. He sold me one with a serial number: 09-000007 whcih as he told me that 09 stands for US Market and the 000007 means this is the 7th one within the first US shipment. At that time, I didn't know what the hack SCD-1 was, and I was suprised by it's craftmanship and it's stunning performance. Believe me or not, I went to the bank the next day and handed him a $4500.00 Cashier's Check. I have been having this unit for so long, which my SACD collection grew to a point that I cant survive without a SACD player in my bedroom. That's why I bought the SACD1000. I was upset that this unit was kinda hyped up and it's performance was just a "okay", not as how others decribed. Well from $1599 down to $399, haha... sounded like a joke to me, there gotta be some stories behind rite? Dont tell me that it cost less than $200 to make them units. I wouldn't believe so. and I wouldnt believe those guys out there are willing to earn less than 10% each layer they go through! Why do they want to get rid of them so soon with a price this low? As I asked Mike, New series is coming out, and apparently Philips SACD1000 was not as suceeded as the others and was suffering from overstocking as well as massive merchandise return. IF SACD1000 is such a good player at it's $1500 class, it would've all be sold with no problem. Sony DVP-S9000ES too, suffered a major price drop but it was never as serious as SACD1000. At least DVP-S9000ES had a support point at $799, only a 45% price drop instead of 80%. There got to be a reason why SACD1000 was NOT selling well! Other Sony SACD models were selling okay. Look, SACD1000's price dropped abnormally around 80%, SCD-1 and SCD-777 price drop was only 25% which is quite normal. This also tell us something...
However, for Tweeter price, $399 I would've pick up two of them if the seller I got it from had more! They are perfect for secondary system. *Laugh* (((((haha.. yes I have a pair of Fluence, but they were highly modified with Solen Cap, Solo chokes and Cardas wires. Pretty fun project for a few hundred bucks. I have always use them for bedroom HT since they are nothing but a pair of mass-produced speakers for loud HT sound.)))))
I judged SACD1000's sound with a $1500 class mind because it's MSRP is $1599, and was expecting competitors from the same price range. I heard people are actually telling others to look at it as a $400.00 CDP? What the hack? This player was selling at $1599 MSRP. IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE TREATED LIKE A $1500 PLAYER. Dont let the price drop fool your mind! Whoever set the MSRP (Philips) should consider both the competitions and it's performance before it was set? Well obviously it wasnt well estimated because price dropped like hell. Once again, What would be the reason with these players not being sold as well as other SACD players out there? Think...
I never ever said it was a bad unit. All I said was that it's performance was just not so stunning. Rolled off hi and less defined bottom. Soundstage kinda up front... Darn, next thing I saw was all Se_n and K_na813's reports echoing left and right trying to laugh at my review like parrots, and less relavently, made fun of my spelling and grammer. (Very phreaking nice of them) A product, gotta have their bad sides and good sides. Sometimes people like their good sides and careless about the bad sides. As well, some just hates their bad sides but doesnt really care much about the good sides. A product might sound right here in your system, but might not sound right in another system. What I am trying to say is, like "Socrates" said earlier in this thread. People buy the product because they think they are great. You bought it, of cox you love it... There are also people who dont want to buy that certain product because they think it sucks. Certain products will have both supporters (usually people who bought them) and bad-mouth-er (usually people who DIDNT buy them but tried them and think they suck). Well, maybe both Se_n and K_na813 own a piece; thats probably why they are being so sensitive with my SACD1000 review and attacked all over the threads trying to hunt me down or something. Yes! all over! Here and there "Cables" and "Digital" column in few different threads!
I was able to judge the SACD1000 within the $1500 price range (SACD1000 MSRP $1599) even though I got it for $400.00 and was brave enough to post a review up here in Audiogon trying to share what I got. Maybe someone who can open up will listen or take it as a reference/advice. Don't be so narrow minded. Listen to what others have to say. Dont just go insane if one said something you disagree! Thread Forum is for us audiophile to discuss, to post audio-related articles; not BS stuffs like picking on people, laughing at their grammer and English those non-audio-related stupid 14 yrs old time-killer... If there is no one, ever posted any negative feedback about a product. How can you know whether this product is good or bad? All up here in audiogon will be only positive posting because people who ecperienced ATTACKS will quit posting their opinions here. Then no one will ever find out bad sides of the product that they are planning to spend 5000 dollars on. I am sure they wanna hear both the product's good side as well as their bad sides before purchasing. Seriously, people like them two really scare new comer away from Audiogon Thread Forum!
Anyways, I didn't have to explain so much to everybody, I also didn't really want to be mean, things have limit, but all these days, it seems like Se_n & K_na813 was having fun picking on me. Even other outsider couldn't stand this happened and have said something for me. "Socrates", 10,000 thanks! I think what you said are great. As long as I know someone's with me... Let them stupid ones trying to act like 14 yrs old AOL members in a chat room ganging up on some new comer... I ain't posting nothing no more, cant breathe... Gotta get out