Sony SCD-1 or BAT VK-D5 / D5SE

Get SCD-1, if necessary, upgrade it or add one DAC for CD sound. BAT is not cheap either. Many claims their CD sound better SCD-1 actually spend more money on CD player than a used SCD-1. It won't hurt you anything but add good stuff, if your CD player can also play better format, why care SACD is future or not? If you have money to buy a new BAT, why not buy a TEAC DV-50? sound pretty good on CD and SACD. You gain something more than CD only. They are in the same box, you don't need another box right. What's wrong if your player can play SACD? If you have room and $$ try LP too.

I have an SCD-1 that has the superclock II and transport mods. In blind testing about a dozen audiophiles in our local club preferred an unmodified SCD-1 to the Wadia 861 and several other expensive Cd players. The BAT was not in the group tested. All listeners preferred my SCD-1 to the unmodified unit. I paid about $2700 on Audiogon about 8 months for the modified unit and sold my ARC-CD2 because there was a no contest in musicality. It's beautiful to look at and an incredible bargain.

Since you already have BAT products, your system synergy will benefit greatly by incorporating a BAT CD player and using balanced interconnects between all the pieces.

I prefer the non-SE version, the D5, with Amperex 7308 tubes. Superb redbook performance. Don't need SACD...yet!

My 10 year old PS audio transport and dac killed the Sony on Redbook..I since have purchased the Krell DACD Standard which is wonderful in all respects..Tom

Jayctoy, 1500 SACD releases already? It's been over 3 years, and 1500 is a grain of sand at the beach, compared to the amout of software available on regular cd or even LP's. I'm happy you like your modded 9000ES, don't take it personally. When there are 100,000 SACD releases there may be something to make a fuss over. SACD does sound very good, but not good enough for me to change my personal musical tastes. I've owned the 9000ES for over a year, yet I only have bought a couple dozen SACD's. Many of the 1500 releases are forms of music that don't interest me. I have over 1000 regular cd's (out of millions of choices), that sound better on my BAT, then through my un-modded 9000ES.

To be brutally honest though, LP's beat them both sonically. Akaddict said he's primarily interested in cd's. Don't take it personally, I'm very happy that you're enjoying your music.

Cheers,
John