Rega Saturn or Sony XA5400: Sound or features?

To Jedinite: yes, I live in Hawaii and it is paradise; that is, until the tsumani sirens start sounding or the islands are in the direct path of a mothering typhoon or hurricane. Despite the sun, blue sky, water and tight bikini bottoms, it is somewhat frightening to be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

As Jed noted, shipping here is expensive; for example 25-30 lbs shipped USPS Priority Mail is $96.00,plus insurance to any location in the USA. On the mainland, it would cost approx. $25-$30. UPS and FED-EX rates are off the scope, and double the rate of USPS Priority for the same weight Therefore any try, sell or return experiments are not financially feasible over the long term.

A seller shipped a used pair of Acoustic Zen Adagios from a small town in Wisconsin to Honolulu by FED-EX and it cost $525.00. Call me crazy.... Jon 1257 already has. However, it was worth the money because it is a great speaker, the best I ever owned

Jed: Underwood Wally generally ships from Atlanta or has manufacturers direct ship product. He does maintain a store front in the town of Laihaina on the island of Maui where he lives. I don't know who Uncle Stu is, but I think you are referring to the owner of Hawaii HI-FI in Honolulu where I currently live. The other high-end shop is Audiolab. Both these dealers sell very high end gear such as Soulution, YG, Walker, TT's Focal, Acappella etc.

Winoguy has again confirmed the point made to Chayro,about the growing intolerance or impatience of some members. If you make other members self conscious of being redundant, then they will be reluctant to submit any threads. The last time I checked, no member designated you and Chayro, gatekeepers of the AG forums. I guess I will have to return to submitting more ponderous threads, like, " Do you listen alone or with guests?" That was a big winner,with several hundred replies and Yahoos

Nevertheless, relative to this post, which has gone over like the bubonic plague, I should ask if...."the CD player and CD format are dead"

I must go....because the guys with the white coats and straight jackets have arrived and are banging on my door.!!!

Dear SJ - what you seem to forget is that when you choose to post to a public forum, you open yourself up to criticism by other members. I once posted a thread asking about the Land Rover and got flamed to death, despite the fact that one of the largest threads on this forum concerned automobiles. It's just something you have to live with when you choose to go public. That aside, I said nothing negative to you in this thread. In fact, I even apologized. I merely directed your attention to a previous thread for the purpose of helping you make a purchase decision. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like, but be aware that others will also feel free to post what they like. Peace.

Hey Jim...

I definitely was not implying you were crazy with my Prozac remark. I was actually joking and referring to fact that this hobby can drive a person crazy--it certainly has driven me nuts at times.

Sorry if you missed the humor or if I hit a sore spot. In any case, as I said, good luck with your endeavors.

Just for the record, Chayro and Jonathan, you didn't say, or do anything wrong. Sunnyjim, you really need to lighten up a bit. Nobody's poking at you. I've spoken to you about this too. (dealer disclaimer) I was honest and truthful. I didn't try to "sell" you on the Sony. As I recall, I told you it was a good player, and people really like them, not my favorite though. I also said something along the lines of "everybody's different, and only you could be the judge" its unfortunate shipping to you comes into play for buying and reselling, it does, and that's a fact. In the end, no amount of praise, or endorsements by us will answer your questions. The Sony is a good player, it may, or may not be the right one for you. I think a better post would be to try to find someone near you that has one you could listen to. It won't tell you how it sounds in your room, or with your gear, but its a start. Maybe you meet a like minded person and become friends. Maybe even a home demo and some fun after that. Just a thought. Please don't blast me, I really am trying to be helpful.

No serious offense taken by Chayro or Jon's comments

However, I think I will go into hibernation for awhile because I can't find what I want in a CD player or can't afford what I want.

Nevertheless, I have to downsize the system anyway because I will be moving back to the mainland in August. Los Angeles does have plenty of audio stores to visit and audition products, if I decide to configure a smaller system