kelly
Herr Babelfish der Übersetzer, he wore a whipped-cream-covered tutu for this title.
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- Jan 1, 2002
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I've searched the web, inclusive of Audio Asylum, to no avail. Modwright modified XA777ES reviews seem few and far between.
I auditioned the unmodified Sony XA777ES player yesterday and compared it to my modified Perpetual Technologies P3A which I must soon decide whether to keep or return/exchange (30 days approaching fast). (Thanks to dparrish for the audition of his player.)
My conclusions were that the XA777ES was a nice player but that the P3A easily bested it in redbook performance--mostly owing to greater depth and smooth gradients of detail. The differences were not subtle.
The options for me are:
1) keep the P3A, buy an upgraded PSU and search for a suitable transport
2) return the P3A, purchase the XA777ES from Oade, have Modwright do the initial $1100 or so of mods after the player has broken in (and seems to be functioning ok, since I'm voiding the warranty) and then later on have the option to move forward with the $1500 tube output stage mod and outboard custom power supply
3) keep the P3A, buy the XA777ES and use it as a transport for redbook and a source for SACD playback (note: this option compared to the modified player would entail buying an extra interconnect and digital cable, with my future cable purchases in mind--an extra $600 or so in cost)
3) return the P3A and opt for a different player entirely
Priorities:
I would like SACD. I do believe SACD is inevitable and I do believe SACD is a worthy format. However, the majority of my playback for now and perhaps for the life of the player will be redbook. For this reason, redbook must not be compromised simply to get a player that includes the format. I have not had the luxury of comparing SACD playback but believe from the reviews that the XA777ES is excellent for its pricepoint.
I'm looking for a flat and neutral sound that maintains honesty with the source recording. Both the P3A and the XA777ES are excellent in this regard. Both strike me as extremely neutral in redbook playback. I have no complaints with either product in this category.
Depth and detail are my next priority. Playing back Beach Boys Pet Sounds through the P3A using the XA777ES as a transport in dparrish's rig gave an uncanny sense of depth and space around musicians. When a triangle rang, I perceived it to be in an exact space in the soundstage. The Classe amp helped the P3A achieve incredible cymbals that had both a perfect strike and shimmer.. and again with a definite space in the soundstage. This quality is quite elusive in players and DACs in this price range--the P3A was certainly an excellent value.
The XA777ES' redbook was by no means terrible. However, it struck me that the P3A found a home exactly in the middle between the XA777ES' redbook performance and the its SACD performance. From a standard CD, the P3A was quite preferable and has made my decision all that much harder. The SACD performance was that much better again.
dparrish and I extensively ABd recording after recording, both with standard redbook and with a hybrid disc to ABC compare with the SACD. I'm very certain of our findings.
So again, the question:
Can Dan Wright's modified XA777ES equal or better the depth and gradient detail of the modified P3A? Any links to existing reviews of the modified XA777ES appreciated.
Meanwhile, those of you who have patroned Modwright or other mod companies, what kind of audible differences did you perceive with the power supply and other transport mods? I understand that the blackness and bass response could improve easily from such mods but worry that my priorities are more centered in the digital to analog coversion which Dan's mods don't seem to focus on.
Also, have any of you had the opportunity to AB a modded vs. unmodded player at all? If I do go the Modwright XA777ES route, you can expect that dparrish and I will do this and the results will be published here.
Thanks to anyone who can help. I hope someone considering one of these excellent sources have found what I've written so far to be somewhat informative.
I auditioned the unmodified Sony XA777ES player yesterday and compared it to my modified Perpetual Technologies P3A which I must soon decide whether to keep or return/exchange (30 days approaching fast). (Thanks to dparrish for the audition of his player.)
My conclusions were that the XA777ES was a nice player but that the P3A easily bested it in redbook performance--mostly owing to greater depth and smooth gradients of detail. The differences were not subtle.
The options for me are:
1) keep the P3A, buy an upgraded PSU and search for a suitable transport
2) return the P3A, purchase the XA777ES from Oade, have Modwright do the initial $1100 or so of mods after the player has broken in (and seems to be functioning ok, since I'm voiding the warranty) and then later on have the option to move forward with the $1500 tube output stage mod and outboard custom power supply
3) keep the P3A, buy the XA777ES and use it as a transport for redbook and a source for SACD playback (note: this option compared to the modified player would entail buying an extra interconnect and digital cable, with my future cable purchases in mind--an extra $600 or so in cost)
3) return the P3A and opt for a different player entirely
Priorities:
I would like SACD. I do believe SACD is inevitable and I do believe SACD is a worthy format. However, the majority of my playback for now and perhaps for the life of the player will be redbook. For this reason, redbook must not be compromised simply to get a player that includes the format. I have not had the luxury of comparing SACD playback but believe from the reviews that the XA777ES is excellent for its pricepoint.
I'm looking for a flat and neutral sound that maintains honesty with the source recording. Both the P3A and the XA777ES are excellent in this regard. Both strike me as extremely neutral in redbook playback. I have no complaints with either product in this category.
Depth and detail are my next priority. Playing back Beach Boys Pet Sounds through the P3A using the XA777ES as a transport in dparrish's rig gave an uncanny sense of depth and space around musicians. When a triangle rang, I perceived it to be in an exact space in the soundstage. The Classe amp helped the P3A achieve incredible cymbals that had both a perfect strike and shimmer.. and again with a definite space in the soundstage. This quality is quite elusive in players and DACs in this price range--the P3A was certainly an excellent value.
The XA777ES' redbook was by no means terrible. However, it struck me that the P3A found a home exactly in the middle between the XA777ES' redbook performance and the its SACD performance. From a standard CD, the P3A was quite preferable and has made my decision all that much harder. The SACD performance was that much better again.
dparrish and I extensively ABd recording after recording, both with standard redbook and with a hybrid disc to ABC compare with the SACD. I'm very certain of our findings.
So again, the question:
Can Dan Wright's modified XA777ES equal or better the depth and gradient detail of the modified P3A? Any links to existing reviews of the modified XA777ES appreciated.
Meanwhile, those of you who have patroned Modwright or other mod companies, what kind of audible differences did you perceive with the power supply and other transport mods? I understand that the blackness and bass response could improve easily from such mods but worry that my priorities are more centered in the digital to analog coversion which Dan's mods don't seem to focus on.
Also, have any of you had the opportunity to AB a modded vs. unmodded player at all? If I do go the Modwright XA777ES route, you can expect that dparrish and I will do this and the results will be published here.
Thanks to anyone who can help. I hope someone considering one of these excellent sources have found what I've written so far to be somewhat informative.
