General Asylum: REVIEW: Sony SCD777ES CD Player/Recorder by JonMarsh

This unit was auditioned and purchased primarily for the SACD playback capability, and the belief that at the "street" pricepoint it would provide reasonable CD playback performance. The SACD performance was very much as expected, and though dependent on the quality of source material and mastering, exhibited a very high level of definition, inner detail, and dynamics, without many of the shortcomings common to CD playback.
What I wasn't expecting was the CD performance, particularly in reference to the early Sony XA7ES, one of their previous top of the line units, which also uses a current pulse converter. The SCD777ES, like the SCD-1, includes variable filter coefficients for CD playback. After experimenting wtih both listening tests and measurements (out of band noise rejection, phase linearity, square wave behavior), I settled on the DF3 filter mode as the preferred filter option. Many previously problematical CD's acquired significantly greater harmonic naturalness all through the spectrum, and a generally more coherent and lifelike tonality. This includes bass guitar sounding more like bass GUITAR, not a synthesizer, and a more realistic reproduction of brass and cymbals, particularly high level cymbal crashes, as well as ride cymbal tone. Piano is another intrument well reproduced by this player, using the DF3 mode.
The previously reported complaints about slow load times and track searches are quite valid, but tend to pale in signficance when revisiting many familiar CD's and finding a new level of musical integrity; even when working at the computer while listening, and finding myself drawn out of my work because of hearing something previously familiar, and now notably more lifelike.
Build quality is impeccable, and I suspect the mechanical solidity contributes to the performance of the transport, as well as isolation from acoustically born disturbances for the electornics.
I have worked a few years in small studios, and have also done live classical recording, so I have some familiarity with what live mic feeds sound like. The SCD777ES does offer a closer approximattion to that than any other one piece playback unit I have auditioned in it's price range, and I can readily recommend putting it on your audition list before spending your hard earned (or easily earned!) dollars.

REVIEW: Sony SCD777ES CD Player/Recorder Review by Jonmarsh at Audio Asylum