What's new

New SACD titles/lack of new stand alone player announcements= 222es for me (1 Viewer)

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
Did you get yours yet Justin?
Yes Peter, I actually received my unit today.
Initial Impressions
Equipment
I consider my audio system decidedly "mid-fi", but it brings me a great deal of enjoyment. The applicable equipment I am using is as follows:
Pioneer Elite VSX 35 TX (in pre/pro duty)
Parasound HCA 855A
JBL Studio Series all around (S38, S26, S-Center)
Infinity BU120 Sub (Weakest Link in my system, though adequate for my listening space)
Build Quality
This player from a build quality perspective is a definite upgrade from the CE775. Everything about it is more solid. If I had one thing to complain about, it would be the noise level of the player when discs are spinning. Seemed louder then I remember when i tryed this player out in the store, but not really noticeable unless you have the volume turned low.
Sound Quality
I did not get a chance to do extensive demoing tonight, but spinning Rolling Stones Hot Rocks and Diana Krall The Look of Love left me with a smile on my face. This player added what I would consider a three dimensionality that was just not there before in my system. Doing a comparison for my girlfriend (who was never really sold on SACD), between the redbook and SACD layers on Hot Rocks, she noted that the SACD layers to her sounded notably better. This endorsement, from a casual music listener, validated the purchase for myself. I did not get a chance to do any real multi-channel listening, though hope to over the next couple days.
Gripes
My only gripe has nothing to do with audio quality, but in the actual player J and R sent me. It seems that my unit came from Canada, and the warranty card inside was for 3 years instead of the 5 years for the US. Their website specifically states this player has a 5 year warranty, and when I bought the player over the phone, the salesman used the 5 year ES warranty as one of his selling points for this player. I will have to check into this with them next week. Hopefully the Sony 5 year warranty applies since I live in the US, or if not J and R will extend it themselves or offer a refund of some sort.
When I get to play with the player some more I will post some more feelings here. Right now I would have to say I am extremely happy with the player and its performance. Easily one of the best upgrades I have made in some time.
J
 

Lee Scoggins

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2001
Messages
6,395
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
Real Name
Lee
Easily one of the best upgrades I have made in some time.
Justin,

I am glad you are enjoying it. I think you will really like the Super Audio titles. If you like jazz and blues, check out the APO and other labels that are part of Acoustic Sounds. Their new stuff is very, very good.

As for pop, definitely get the new Beck Sea Changes. It is awesome!

I have done many demos for my wife and she really like Super Audio every time. She thinks its a black and white difference in most cases.

Hi-rez may just reignite a few people's interest in music again since it offers (almost IMHO) sound as good as that from a good vinyl rig but with the convenience of digital.
 

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
I have done many demos for my wife and she really like Super Audio every time.
I had to twist my girlfriend's arm to even get her to do a demo with me. Afterwards her comments were along the lines of "Fine, SACD sounds better, can you not bother me with tests like this again". I guess she does not have the same passion as myself for all things audio.

J
 

Emil Stoica

Second Unit
Joined
Dec 20, 1998
Messages
271
It seems that my unit came from Canada, and the warranty card inside was for 3 years instead of the 5 years for the US.
Justin,

Do not worry about this at all. My XA-777ES had the same thing. When I called Sony, they verified that I get 5 years since I live in the US. You will have the same.
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Ted,
We're talking music here. No one ever said it was going to be cheap. ;)
Justin,
Glad to hear that you are happy with the 'C222ES. It has been said here by some folks that the 'CE775 is just a rebadged 'CE775. I have always said that is a bunch of hooey. :) There are some similarities, but the 'C222ES is a definite step up from the 'CE775. Glad you noticed that and that you received validation from your girlfriend. That always helps. It's helped me with my fiancee. :)
Also, Emil is right with respect to the warranty card. I have bought several ES components over the past few years that have come with three-year Canadian warranty cards. You are covered for five years since you are a US resident. All you need is your receipt for a warranty repair. You don't have to show a five-year warranty card.
 

Rich Malloy

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2000
Messages
3,998
Justin, have you got a TOWER RECORDS nearby? 25%-off everything, including SACDs, through Monday.
I picked up an armload at the Boylston St. location yesterday, and am taking the bus to Harvard Sq. to pick the bins of that one in a few minutes... if you happen to see Isaac Hayes' "Hot Buttered Soul", I've already got dibs!
(Keith, Mike, I'm looking at you!) ;)
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Justin,

Get to the Tower Records in Cherry Hill!


Rich,

I am perusing towerrecords.com. In addition to 25% off, they have free shipping on orders above $49. Right now, I'm looking at pre-ordering The Who My Generation and also getting CCR Cosmo's Factory. I'm not sure what else I may pick up.
 

Mike Broadman

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2001
Messages
4,950
(Keith, Mike, I'm looking at you!)
:laugh:
Don't worry, I've moved out of Boston. The disc is all yours, pal.
Unfortunately, I have not seen a Tower since I moved here. I know there is one in Manhattan, but I haven't visited that store since SACD took off.
Hmm, 25% off you say? Off to visit the web site...
NP: Mozart, The 5 Violin Concertos, Itzhak Perlman. CD
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Rich, you convinced me! I just pre-ordered The Who My Generation for $20.99 and also ordered CCR Cosmo's Factory and Miles Davis Cookin's With The Miles Davis Quintet for $18.74 each through towerrecords.com. Standard shipping is free. Great deal! :D
 

Rich Malloy

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2000
Messages
3,998
Damn. It looks like I'll have to go online for the Isaac Hayes SACD - not at the Harvard Sq. Tower either!
(And I think Keith and Mike doth protest too much - you guys had better not be listening to "Hot Buttered Soul" right now!) ;)
Today, I only picked up "Ella and Louis", Sonny Rollin's "Sax Collosus", and Dylan's "Live 1975 Revue". The latter (CD-only) title was on sale for $14.99 minus 25%-off, ringing up at the low-low price of $10.99. The "ella and louis" came to $11.99 after discount. "Sax Collosus", being an APO title, was a bit more expensive, but I got it for a little over $18. Not a great deal on this last one, but I really wanted it today!
I also noticed some pricing discrepancies between the two local Towers. The Boylston St. store had the single-disc Miles Davis titles, plus "Headhunters" and "Stardust" and some other Sony records titles for only $15.99 (and then 25%-off that price), but the Harvard Sq. store had all those same titles marked at $19.99, pre-discount.
Happy shopping! :D
 

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
Justin,

Get to the Tower Records in Cherry Hill!
Keith,

I am kind of mad I did not know about this sale. I made a trip into Philly on Wednesday and visited the Tower near City Hall. If I had known about the sale, I would have delayed my trip until later in the week. For a B&M, Tower has probably the best selection of in store Hi-res (though at MSRP). Since they have free shipping for orders over 50 bucks, I will just order online this time.

J
 

Peter Loan

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 13, 1998
Messages
355
I got my 222ES from J&R on Monday so as requested, here are my initial impressions. I'm stealing Justin's review format:)
Equipment
Outlaw 950 Preamp (80HZ analog crossover engaged on 6 channel inputs)
Rotel RB-985 5 channel Amplifier
Paradigm Mini Monitors (Main)
Paradigm CC-350 (Center)
Paradigm ADP-170s (Surrond)
Hsu VTF-2 Subwoofer
Build Quality
The build quality of the unit is quite robust and aesthetically appealing. It is a step up from Sony's regular line but for some reason I was expecting a bit more here. I haven't picked up my Rotel RCD-951 CD player in years so I was surprised to discover that it was only a few pounds lighter than the 222ES, which is surprising because it's only a single disc player. The loading tray is pretty decent and as Justin stated in his evaluation, the player does make a bit a noise when loading and playing discs. I was also hoping for a detachable power cord but that's only a minor offense in my book.
Sound Quality
I still have my Rotel RCD-951 for comparison with redbook material. Honestly, the RCD-951 was the first decent CD player I ever owned, so I was interested to see how it stood up to the 222ES. My initial reaction to the sound quality of the 222ES was quite positive. Good detail and soundstage, but the bass seemed a little bit off. Switching back to the Rotel RCD-951, the soundstage opened up further and the bass seemed more pronounced, with more definition.
I switched back and forth several times and the RCD-951 just seemed to impart more immediacy into the music. The 222ES sounded flatter, and and in complex passages of music, things sort of mushed together while the RCD-951 retained that "air" between all of the instrumentation. Perhaps it's because the 222ES hasn't burned in yet? I've owned the RCD-951 for around three years now so that could be part of it.
Now for the positives...the SACD playback! This is my first experience with SACD in my listening environment so I was in for a real treat here. I broke open my Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks and Beck's Sea Change SACDs and listened intently. Keeping it simple, SACD simply rocks. I've had DVD-Audio for about a year now and it never got past a trial run with me. I bought a disc here and there but the format just didn't grab me. After one night with SACD, I am a fan. I heard what everyone else has stated again and again regarding the high resolution audio formats...more detail, greater soundstage, that "you are there" aspect of the music is heightened.
Gripes
My only gripe is not with the 222ES, but with the RCD-951 it was meant to replace. In a perfect world, the Rotel would have been sold off with the 222ES handling both SACD and redbook material. Unfortunately, the Rotel is just too damn good! As much as I like SACD now, the 222ES is precariously close to not being worth the investment for just high resolution playback. Hopefully, SACD has a long life ahead of it and I will be able to confidently say that it was worth the investment. Perhaps the 555ES would have been the best of both worlds?
 

Rich Malloy

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2000
Messages
3,998
I was advised that the Red Book playback was rather significantly improved on the 555ES, and so that was a big reason why I purchased that model. But I've never had the opportunity to compare it against a 222 (or an excellent Rotel CD player like yours), so it's all hearsay from here!

As for the "worth it?" analysis, I'm so thrilled by the great variety of titles that appeal to me on SACD (YMMV) that I'm nowhere near purchasing all of them I want. I got a bit of a late start compared to some around here, but I'm three months into my SACD player ownership, and my "to-buy" list is longer than ever... even though I got another 8 titles over the weekend!

My big "worth it?" question was in regard to the Outlaw ICBM-1. Were there enough multichannel mixes that I liked to justify the $199+cables? Though I had second thoughts when I first got it, especially as I tend to prefer more of the two-channel titles, I've found that my system's performance is so improved as a result of the ICBM and I've now amassed a fairly good number of multichannel mixes that I actually like, that I no longer have second thoughts even about this "accessory purchase"!

As for burn-in, I don't know what to think. I really didn't believe it would be that much of a factor, if it was a factor at all, but I'll be damned if it doesn't seem like the soundstage is expanding and the bass is becoming both larger and better defined. I still don't know how much "credit" should go to burn-in for this, but the character/quality of sound does seem to keep improving.
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Justin,
Sorry that you missed the sale. As you said, at least you can free shipping if you spend more than $49. :)
Peter,
Thanks for the review. I'm not surprised that you found the Rotel player to best the 'C222ES with CDs. The 'C222ES is a quality CD player, but I would not expect it to compete with a Rotel single-disc model. That said, continue to play CDs on the 'C222ES to see if it grown on you. If it doesn't, you still have the Rotel player and a changer for SACDs. :)
In my opinion, the 'C555ES is a decidedly better CD player than the 'C222ES, but the 'C555ES is about impossible to find new. Even if you find it, it is a bit more expensive than the 'C222ES.
 

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
Peter,

Glad to hear you finally received your player from J and R. The 222ES is better at Redbook then the previous Sony changers I have owned, but as you said, no match for a quality stand alone player such as a Rotel.

Enjoy your SACD player. I just picked up the O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack and have been very impressed with this recording so far.

By any chance, did you notice if you received a Canadian model as well?

J
 

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
Sorry that you missed the sale. As you said, at least you can free shipping if you spend more than $49.
Yeah, I was a bit disappointed, but I ended up ordering online instead. I pre-ordered The Who, and also threw in GetzGilberto and CCR Willy and the Poorboys to reach the $49 level. It was nice seeing CCR discs available for less then $20 bucks.

J
 

Peter Loan

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 13, 1998
Messages
355
I didn't realize how spoiled I was with the RCD-951. I paid $350 three years ago, not quite an astronomical amount. Still, the 222ES is an amazing value. It's feeling quite cozy on my audio rack right now.

Justin,

The warranty insert is for three years so I guess I got a Canadian one too.
 

KeithH

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2000
Messages
9,413
Justin,

I have the Getz/Gilberto and Willy and the Poorboys SACDs, and they are great. I think you will like them. Let us know how you like the CCR SACD versus the K2 remaster. As I recall, you bought the K2 remasters.

Hopefully My Generation will not be delayed since I pre-ordered from Tower as well.


Peter,

You got a great deal on the '951. It sounds like you will keep it and use the 'C222ES for SACD.
 

Justin Lane

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2000
Messages
2,149
Hopefully My Generation will not be delayed since I pre-ordered from Tower as well.
I am hoping this as well since they apparently do not do partial shipments unless you have multiple advance orders. CCR was also a "special order" which means I might get screwed on that end as well if for some reason they don't get discs in. I will have to wait and see, but hopefully The Who is not delayed again.

J
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top