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Digital Drive: REVIEW: Sony X 707 ES CD Player/Recorder by Dr-V Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. |
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Digital Drive: REVIEW: Sony X 707 ES CD Player/Recorder by Dr-V Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. |
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67.25.147.110
Model: X 707 ES Category: CD Player/Recorder Suggested Retail Price: $2000 Description: aplhifi mods Manufacturer URL: Sony Manufacturer URL: Sony
Review by Dr-V ( A ) on December 20, 2003 at 21:59:54
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for the X 707 ES
The stock Sony X707ES is an incredible CD player that, despite its age (1993-4 vintage), still sounds better than many newer CD players including newer Sonys. In fact, redbook playback on the X707 is more musical and natural sounding than on the well-reviewed XA777ES. I owned a XA777 and sold it after a few weeks because it sounded thin, digital, and not very involving. I have owned a Sony CDP 707 ESD (1989 vintage) for a few years and love the build quality, the many features and the sound – again, more musical than the XA 777 or the 9000. I used the 707 ESD as a transport into a Audio Logic 2400 DAC for a while, but wanted sound that was a bit more analogue. I ended up buying a CEC TL-1 which many audiophiles have recommended highly as a perfect match for the AL DAC. And, indeed, I was stunned by the soundstage and the detail I heard from the combination, although the CEC sounded just a bit darker than I like and the bass of the combo lacked just the last bit of bottom energy. But, overall, I was very happy with this combination.
When I decided to change my amplifier to tube monoblocs (Joule Stargates), I ran into a problem. I needed to place the Joules on top of the rack and didn’t have sufficient room in my rack for the top-loading CEC. I was forced to restart my search for the perfect digital playback system. Reading reviews and discussions on audio asylum, I ran across a number of Alex Peychev’s postings in which he recommended modifying the Sony X707 and X779 players as dedicated transports. This got my interest and I contacted Alex. We discussed modifying my 707 ESD, but Alex strongly encouraged me to look for a X707 instead. I did find one and asked Alex to modify it for me. I decided to get the full set of modifications (power supply upgrade, super precision clock upgrade, and IEC jack upgrade, see http://www.aplhifi.com for details).
The unit arrived a couple of weeks later. It looked great—champagne finish, rosewood side panels, and 45lbs heavy. They just don’t build CD players like this anymore. All the wonderful features that I enjoyed so much in my older 707 ESD and the same smooth drawer action. Nothing flaps, wiggles, or screeches here! But, I didn’t decide to buy this player and have it upgraded for its looks. I was hoping for sound that could match my CEC. I had very high hopes, especially after talking with Alex a few times about the benefits of this upgrade. I placed the Sony in the rack, put a few CDs in and began to listen. What a disappointment! The unit sounded harsh and very digital. The soundstage seemed compressed and the musicians seemed to play on top of one another. Alex had warned me that the unit would not sound its best right away, since all modified components were new and needed a bit of time to burn in.
I have been in this hobby long enough to have acquired the necessary patience before judging any component. I put the Sony on repeat and played it for a few weeks without any critical listening. After about a month, I decided to give it another try. What I encountered was a completely different animal. The digitalness and harshness were gone. The soundstage was bigger, wider, deeper. I found myself tapping my feet and getting drawn into the music. There was an emotional connection to the music that I had only experienced before with the CEC transport and a Linn Ikemi CD player. I liked what I heard and thought Alex might have been right all along. The Sony was damn good. But how would it compare to the CEC? Was it analog, the quality that had endeared the CEC to me?
The short answer is No. The aplhifi Sony is not analog, nor is it digital. Instead, it sounds like music. I totally gets out of the way and lets you enjoy the music. I really do not think about how analog or how much like a LP my system sounds now—I just enjoy the music. What do I hear? Voices have more sparkle, cymbals are more refined, and notes hang in the air just that slight bit longer. When there is no music, silence is more silent. When I initially thought about writing this review, I decided that I need to talk about the Sony’s mids. Well, I can do that. They are more golden and spacious than with any other CD player or transport I have used. But I also should mention the highs that are refined and detailed without any harshness and the bass which gets the bottom end right: tight without any bloom. I need to mention here that my speakers, Merlin VSM, are incredibly revealing. Highs tend to come across harsh and bright on the Merlins, if the CD player is harsh. Bass may be lacking on the Joule tube amps, if the CD player doesn’t deliver. With the Sony I hear brilliant highs (try to play Eva Cassidy’s “Fields of Gold†or Rebecca Pidgeon’s “Texas Ranger†without getting tears in your eyes) and punchy bass (try Markus Miller, Rob Wasserman, or Stanley Clarke).
This is the first time that I do not hope for CDs to sound like LPs. Rather, CDs played through the aplhifi Sony sound like music. It has been quite a while since I spent various nights in a row staying up listening to CDs I didn’t even remember I had. For me, this is the true test of whether a component works in my system. I have subsequently sold both the CEC and the Linn Ikemi and have not once looked back regretting that decision. I also decided to sell the AL 2400 DAC and replace it with Jerry Ozment’s new AL 24MXL DAC. The aplhifi X707/AL 24MXL combo produced sound I have never heard before (more about the 24MXL later, once I have had a chance to listen to it for a while). There is no way I will be looking for any changes in my CD playback system – at leat for a good long while.
Would I recommend Alex’s modifications to the Sony X707? No question. You can find used X707s for $550-750. Adding $450 in mods to that will set you back about a grant. With that I replaced my CEC that sold for $5,000 new. Now you got some extra money to upgrade your DAC (check out the new Audio Logic!), amps, cables, or simply buy more music, so you too will stay up until the wee hours. OK, so much for this review. I have to stop now and change the CD …
Product Weakness: long break-in period, hard to find stock unit Product Strengths: price, build quality, looks, features & ease of use, neutral and musical presentation
Associated Equipment for this Review: Amplifier: Joule Electra Stargates Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Joule Electra LA 100 MkIII Sources (CDP/Turntable): Audio Logic 24 MXL dac Speakers: Merlin VSM Cables/Interconnects: Cardas and Stealth Music Used (Genre/Selections): Vocals, CLassical, Jazz, Blues Room Size (LxWxH): 12 x 15 x Room Comments/Treatments: none Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 months Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Equi=tech 1.5Q Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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Topic - REVIEW: Sony X 707 ES CD Player/Recorder - Dr-V 21:59:54 12/20/03 ( 1)
- Sony X 707 ES CD Player/Recorder - Lou S 23:11:46 12/20/03 ( 0)
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