Best SACD for under $1200

I would like to add the Sony DVP9000ES. Excellent SACD sound(not very far at all from the xa777es)even though it plays DVD video. They sell for around $600 used. They are built like a tank.

I owned the XA777ES and it's an excellent unit, spend the extra $300.00. You won't be sorry.

Don't mean to beat the drum for my suggestion, but I don't recommend a Sony SACD/DVD. I suggest getting the Sony SCD XA777ES and combining it with something like a used Denon DVD-1600, or a new Denon DVD-1200, which are excellent DVD players and also play DVD-A. In two boxes, you've got every format covered, top quality CD and SACD playback, and a great DVD player. All for less than $2,000. I'm not a fan of Sony DVD players. The Denon DVD-5900 is interesting, it is a Universal Player for around $2,000, but some people are complaining about "macro-blocking" in the DVD play-back. I haven't heard it, so I cannot comment on its SACD play-back compared to the Sony SCD XA777ES, but the music play-back on all formats is getting
some favorable reviews from early purchasers, although I've only
read reviews from Videophiles, not audiophiles. Bottom line: I
can highly recommend the Sony because I've heard it in so many
different systems at so many different price points, I feel confident it will sound great in any system. The Denon DVD-1600 is a great DVD player, passed the "Secrets" shoot-out with flying colors, I have never heard a complaint about its DVD play-back, I bought one for my younger brother so I have spent some time with it and can personally recommend it. I believe you can get better sound
and DVD playback by splitting them into two boxes. Don't mean to be pushy -- that's just my opinion.

Why SACD? The format may change or not be in existance long term. You have a very revealing preamp with the X-1 and a good power amp. Your system will pass along whatever the source tells it to. In audio, spend some money on your source. I have been using the Sony SCD-777ES but when I upgraded to better speakers, I found the Sony very harsh sounding. I have been trying out various DACs with great success. There are many very good DACs for $1200 used such as the Electrocompaniet DAC. This will take your system to another level without compromising sound for a $1200 player. See my DAC thread for more info or email me on this direct.

Happy Listening.

I am happy with my Denon 2900, and a mod available for about $900 can replace the analog circuitry for audio quality described as second to none.

It is a universal player. One practical advantage of a universal player, which I never thought of before I bought it, is that you don't need to know what kind of a disc it is when you choose it to play. My discs are all mixed up, CD, DVD-A, SACD, any organization being along the lines of type of music, Symphonies, Chamber music, Folk, Jazz, etc. They are all in the same kind of boxes, and the printing is so small and the choice of ink color so stupid that reading the label is a challenge. With a universal, I just load the disc, and let the machine figure out what to do with it.