XA777ES Questions (1 Viewer)

[Mike Loiterman]

KeithH:
Who said you could use the left and right 5.1 jacks to play stereo CDs? That'd be an interesting link to look at since it is certainly NOT that way on my player.
Also...the $1760 was before shipping. Paid $1820.01 with overnight shipping.
I probably won't be upgrading ANYTHING else for a long while. This thing broke the bank...and then some. But I'm sure I'll be looking around for some cords regardless.
On a whim, I threw in the Peter, Paul & Mary Greatest Hits redbook cd and was floored. Granted I only listend for a few minutes, but it sounded almost as good as an SACD. It was that good...and the recording is not that great. Listening to discs through my 300 disc changer, the CDP-CX350, is like listening to the music through a thin film of grim. The XA777ES reveals detail and dynamics that I didn't think exsisted on redbook cds! I am very impressed by this player.

 

[KeithH]

Mike, I seem to recall reading here awhile back that one could use the front left and right jacks of the 5.1-channel outputs on the 'XA777ES for playback of stereo discs. However, people on Audio Asylum have said for months that you have to use the stereo analog outputs to play stereo material. Don't worry. Your player is fine.
So, did you have to haggle to get the 'XA777ES for $1760 or did J&R quote that price right off the bat?
I have compared my Sony CDP-CX333ES megachangers and SCD-777ES in CD mode, and the difference is night and day. The 'CX333ES is from the same generation as your 'CX350, and, no offense, is a better player than the 'CX350, so I would expect the difference between the 'CX350 and 'XA777ES to be huge. I still remember the time I played the Bee Gees "How Deep Is Your Love" for my girlfriend on the 'CX333ES and then on the '777ES. I knew what to expect, but didn't tell her what to expect. Her jaw literally dropped when she heard the song on the '777ES. It was quite amazing.

 

[Joe Casey]

This doesn't really apply to me, but I feel a bit cheated by the crappy remote. This is a (retail) $3,000 player! The remote is the same one they supply with their $150 5 disc changers. I would like to think that the extra money went into the design, construction, materials, and engneering of the player, but I suspect I'm fooling myself. As I said, I'm not using the remote, but I would have liked to have seen a little bit of a more beefy controler, considering the price.

Hey, I warned you above .

 

[KeithH]

Joe Casey said:

Also, 2-channel only discsc can be output to the front 5.1 outs (read the manual carefully, its not that clear but it can be done ).

Thanks for the info. I guess the manual has confused some people on Audio Asylum. Anyway, isn't it true that you have to use the stereo analog outputs to take advantage of the parallel DAC configuration (three DACs per channel)?

 

[Michael_T]

Actually, the only way you can play 2-channel discs from the front left/right 5.1 outputs is if you play around with the MCH management settings. This is directly from the manual:

"Playback mode - 2CH + SW*

* The audio signal is output from the ANALOG 5.1CH Front L/R jacks and no signal is output from the ANALOG 2CH OUT jacks."

So for SACD you have to go into the MCH menu and set up 2CH playback for 2CH + SW as opposed to 2CH DIRECT.

On the other hand, I think the only way you can play a regular CD is through the 2-channel ANALOG outputs as the MCH management settings only work for SACD. (Unless of course you utilize either the coax or optical digital output for redbook CD - then you can let your outboard DAC do the work for you).

Personally, I leave the XA777ES set to MCH DIRECT and 2CH DIRECT all the time.

 

[KeithH]

Michael, that makes sense.

You said:

Personally, I leave the XA777ES set to MCH DIRECT and 2CH DIRECT all the time.

That's how I have my 'C555ES set. Works great for me.

 

[Mike Loiterman]

Micahel_T:

I stand corrected...

If you are listeing to a 2 channel disc and set it to 2CH + SW you can get it to output through the L and R 5.1 jacks. Of course you can also have the 5.1 discs play through the stereo L and R by switching to 2CH mode.

The manual is confusing in this regard as it explicitly states:

During playback of a conventional CD or a 2CH Super Audio CD, no signal is output from the ANALOG 5.1CH FRONT L/R jacks. Instead, the signal is output in high quality from the ANALOG 2CH OUT jacks (see page 7).

I guess you just have to read between the lines and keep in mind that this is a translation of Japanese to English!

Thanks for the heads up though.

I'm leaving mine in MCH and 2CH Direct modes also.

 

[KeithH]

Mike, I have read the second quote from the owner's manual over on Audio Asylum before. Apparently, that statement has caused a good bit of confusion. Hey, a manufacturer wrote a poor owner's manual. What a shock!

 

[Mike Loiterman]

That is just piss poor quality on Sony's part. This is Sony we're talking about, not some fly by night small time operation.

And this is a big issue, not some random setting to display the time in a different format.

I guess they figure people will buy their stuff regardless...which, me included, is obviously true!

 

[Doug_B]

Can someone please tell me the difference between the SCD-777ES and the XA777ES? I'd like to know the retail price, general feature set, build quality, perceived audio quality (redbook and SACD), and availability of each. Are the model numbers of each clearly marked? I may be coming across one or both of them this weekend.

Thanks.

Doug

 

[KeithH]

Doug, here you go:
SCD-777ES: A first-generation stereo SACD player, meaning it does not play multi-channel SACDs. The '777ES has been out of production for over a year. It shows first-rate build quality as evidenced by the fact that it weighs 55 lbs. Discs are loaded into a chamber from the top of the player. A motorized door slides to the right to allow access to the chamber. The disc sits on a spindle within the chamber, and a brass weight (stabilizer) is then placed on top of the disc to hold it in place. The '777ES has separate lasers for playback of CDs and SACDs. The player is slow to read a disc's TOC, especially when switching from a CD to an SACD or vice versa, as the player has to switch lasers.
The '777ES has two settings for playback of SACDs that differ by the high-frequency cut-off. The "standard" setting cuts off at 50 kHz, while the "custom" setting cuts off at 100 kHz. It is recommended that you check with the manufacturer of your pre-amp, amp, integrated amp, receiver, etc., and speakers before using the custom setting to be sure that your equipment can handle the higher frequencies. Some say that the custom setting sounds better, though I have never tried it. A switch on the back panel allows one to change between settings, though a metal plate is fastened on with screws by Sony to prevent accidental switching to the custom mode.
The '777ES also has different filter settings that only apply to playback of CDs. These settings are explained in the owner's manual and change the frequency roll-off, which is offered for different music genres and possibility for better matching to specific systems. Many say that the differences between filter settings are subtle, and that matches my experience. I use the "standard filter".
Finally, the '777ES has a few nice features that one would expect to see in a well-designed component. These include a detachable power cord, the ability to turn off the front-panel display, and gold-plated RCA outputs. The '777ES has a coaxial digital output and an optical digital output for use as a CD transport.
I've had the '777ES since October 2000 and absolutely love it. It is a wonderful CD player, and SACDs sound amazing.
SCD-XA777ES: The 'XA777ES is a multi-channel SACD player, and it plays stereo SACDs and CDs as well. The 'XA777ES isn't built as well as the '777ES, but it is a very solid component. The 'XA777ES weighs about 35 lbs. Discs load in a more conventional drawer that opens from the front panel. The drawer is silent, indicative of the excellent build quality.
The 'XA777ES has six DACs. One DAC is used for each channel during multi-channel SACD playback, and three are used per channel in stereo (SACDs and CDs). Some have said that the six-DAC system renders the 'XA777ES better than the '777ES, but some people on Audio Asylum have found them to be very similar. The Absolute Sound recently found determining the better player "too close to call".
The 'XA777ES offers two filter settings for playback of CDs, which are called "standard" and "option". These filters operate in a fashion similar to the filters on the '777ES. The '777ES, however, has four filter settings.
The 'XA777ES has no switch on the back panel to change the frequency cut-off during playback of SACDs like the standard/custom switch on the '777ES. I don't view this as a major omission.
Like the '777ES, the 'XA777ES has a detachable power cord, gold-plated RCA outputs, and a coaxial digital output and optical digital output for use as a CD transport. The display can also be turned off.
In the end, both are great players. I highly doubt you will be able to find a new '777ES (i.e., sealed box) now. However, the 'XA777ES is now available for $1800 from J&R Music World and is an excellent value. You can't go wrong with either player, but seeing as the 'XA777ES is available new and offers playback of multi-channel SACD, I recommend you go with this model.

 

[Joe Cole]

Keith and other SACD users have you seen that Telarc has reduced the cost of their SACDs from $25 to $20. Hopefully more will follow.

 

[Doug_B]

Keith,
Thanks. But I was expecting something less terse from you .
Does the XA777ES have any bass mgmt functionality?
Changing the subject somewhat, Keith, have you been keeping up-to-date on what Dan Wright will be doing to mod the Ah! 4000? Any thoughts? I just noticed today that he's gearing up to offer this soon.
Thanks again.
Doug

 

[KeithH]

Joe,
I saw today that Telarc dropped the price on SACDs. Chesky is also selling its SACDs for $20. That is very good news, indeed.
Doug said:

Thanks. But I was expecting something less terse from you

The 'XA777ES has bass management for SACD, though you cannot dial in the crossover frequency. As far as I know, it operates similar to Sony's other multi-channel SACD players.
I did not know that Dan Wright is offering mods on the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000. I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the tip. I am also looking forward to the 24/192 upsampling chip and op-amp "Flavor Pack" that Upscale Audio is offering.

 

[KeithH]

Doug, I just went to www.modwright.com and saw nothing whatsoever about mods for the Ah! I also saw no mention of it on Audio Asylum or www.upscaleaudio.com . Where did you read about Dan Wright mods for the Ah!?

 

[Doug_B]

Keith,
I guess I could have saved you some trouble if I had posted the appropriate link in the first place, but I guess this info isn't as widespread as i had thought:
Ah! 4000 Mods
On a similar note, on the same forum Dan posts his intentions for modding the 47A, and he thinks positively of the stock unit:
Pioneer 47A Mods
Doug

 

[KeithH]

Doug, thanks for providing the links. I have not visitied Harmonic Discord (though I've heard of it), but that is certainly going to change. Time to register! Thanks again.