[RickG]

I agree 100% MacDEF, and I will no doubt upgrade in the next year or so depending on SACD format's success.


Rick

 

[dngl]

Yeah, there's a huge difference between the C333ES and the non ES SACD players in the sony line. Go to a goodguys and listen to the difference- it isn't pretty.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Heck there's a huge difference between how my Playstation 2 sounds compared to this 775 even, and it ain't pretty.

That's what makes me raise the eyebrows at this 775.

 

[BenG]

The headphone jack on the 775 is a bit of a boom-fest if that's how you auditioned it.

 

[Mumrik]

I'm concidering upgrading my cheap but beloved stereo (Denon DRA-585RD reciever, Denon DCD-735 CD-player, Dali 104 speakers) and the 333ES sounds quite interesting, but...
I have absolutely no need for a CD-changer, is there a trade-off in sound on modern changers? should I concern myself with this?

It would mainy be used for my collection of "normal" CD's

 

[Vertigo-1]

BenG, I'm directly going from the Line Out to my McCormack MID, to my V6s/R10s. Of course I did just come off of a Rega Jupiter 2000, so compared to that the 775 does sound quite muddy. But, the last time I actually dared to try hooking up my McCormack + V6s to a gaming console, I didn't even think it was muddy as my first impression on the 775.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Well, I got to audition the 500V yesterday after returning the 775, and I must say I found it much better sounding than the 775. A much cleaner, drier presentation, with no warmness on the lower end. Tighter bass, clearer highs. I'm thinking about going back today in fact and maybe picking that thing up.

I also got to audition the old reference DVDP the Sony DVP-S7700, and while it sounded better in audiiophile terms (more air around instruments, better depth, etc), I actually didn't like it as much as I liked the 500V. The way the player made the sound better at the same time seemed to detract from the tonality of the sound, such as smoothing the highs a little too much.

 

[dngl]

Modern changers have no degredation in sound quality. The tray and the transport are separate entities!

Anyway, you don't know the joy of a changer until you have one. Seriously, they're great.

 

[Mumrik]

Thanks for the info, I think I'll see if the 333ES is available here in Denmark...

 

[KurtW]

Well, this isn't a full report on the Sony 333ES but it may be a little late as it is, since I heard Good Guys no longer has them. The bottom line is that I'm very impressed with this machine and highly recomend it as a redbook player with the bonus that if you want to play SACDs it can do that too.

This is used primarily with a system with speakers (NHT 3.3), and it is by far the cheapest component in the system, even if you used the Sony's original list price of $1200. Originally I was using the older Rega Jupiter/IO and then later upgraded to the Linn Ikemi. Substituting the Sony for the Linn has been a real surprise, as I could (and plan to) easly live with this substitution, unlike some other players I've tried. The bass is excellent, it's got very good soundstaging and dynamics and it's only a little less refined sounding than the Linn, which costs around $3400.

The headphone jack on the 333 sounds pretty decent and has lots of gain and it's own analog volume control, so it's pretty useful. It doesn't quite have the refinement and bass depth as a good dedicated unit, which would likely cost more than I paid for the 333.

This is my first CD changer. I'm not a fan of changers. They are big, slow and make lots of clunking noises, and you have the added problem of keeping track of what's where. I'm sure it will come in handy once in a while but usually I know exactly what I want to hear, and it's easier and faster to just pop it in and hit play in a single disk player.

In summary this is a very good player, probably worth what Sony originally asked for it. At anything near the $400 I paid for it it's a no-brainer.

 

[jude]

KurtW,

Thanks for the mini-review. Like you, I also find there's a lot to like about the 333, especially considering the price some folks are finding them for nowadays (including you).

 

[dngl]

Seriously, I think the 333ES is truly an amazing player for $400. Sorry for the excess verbiage, but it is a superlative deal.

 

[morphsci]

(Trying to keep verbiage low)

 

[KurtW]

Let's hear it for Team 333!

 

[Hirsch]

Oh well. I've had SACD for almost a year now, but I'm still a member of Team 33.3