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Hi-Rez Highway: REVIEW: Sony SCD-CE775 CD Player/Recorder by HFHalligan@aol.com

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REVIEW: Sony SCD-CE775 CD Player/Recorder

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Model: SCD-CE775
Category: CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price: $199.95
Description: Modified by SACDmods.com
Manufacturer URL: Sony
Manufacturer URL: Sony

Review by HFHalligan@aol.com ( A ) on April 26, 2002 at 19:11:32
IP Address: 66.66.198.69
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for the SCD-CE775


About six months ago I saw an inexpensive SACD player - the Sony CE775 multichannel SACD changer - on sale at my local Tweeters. The salesman encouraged me to take it home “and try it out”. I thought I would most likely end up returning it.

I bought a couple multichannel SACDs (have since bought a number more) and right out of the box they sounded better than I expected when played on the 775. However, except for the added dimension provided by multichannels they generally did not sound better than my redbook CDs after being processed through my Perpetual Technologies P1A and Dan Wright modified P3A. Since these remarkable devices cost over $2000 vs. the less than $300 cost of the 775, I was not surprised.

Yet the 775 did sound better than I expected and then a strange thing happened. Over the next couple hundred hours the 775 got better and better and better. To the point were the SACDs, particularly the DSD multichannel ones were beginning to sound better than the Perp Tech hyped redbook CDs. However in terms of bass the 775 was really kind of muddy and boomy. Also in the mids and highs which soared far better than I expected there were artifacts of the CD/digital/transistor “sound”. Something that had disappeared with Dan Wright’s mod of my P3A. I should point out that I use Klipschorns and LaScalas for my system and they are notorious for their ability to accurately reproduce the CD/digital/transistor sound’s blemishes and toss them right in your face. So I decided to keep the 775 until I could afford something better like the 777ES.

Then I went to the Midwest Audiofest where a young man named Matthew Anker was demonstrating a 775 he had moded. Since a number of old and new horn loaded systems were in attendance, I heard Matt’s 775 first played through some JBLs and Altecs. I was amazed. Tight clear bass and clear soaring highs from SACDs and fairly remarkable redbook CD playback. So I went to his SACDmods.com web site when I returned and decided to buy another 775 from Crutchfield for an amazing $199. And send it to matt for modification.

I have now lived with it and run it on continuous play for over 10 days. I continue to be amazed by the genius of Matt’s mods. The clarity, definition, realism. width and depth of soundstage are all incredible and clearly surpass the playback of redbook CDs through my Perp Tech devices. Even on a direct comparison between redbook CDs processed through the 775 and the P3A, the P3A is only slightly better. However redbook CDs played through the P1A and P3A are still better than those played through the 775, in fact they sound almost as good as stereo SACDs played through the 775.

Yet with the mods we are talking about a total cost of the 775 and the mods of only around $550! I have heard the Sony 222ES (not much different than the unmodified 775), and the 555ES and 777ES. I heard them in a store environment through speakers not as good as my own, so a comparison is difficult. All I can say is that my modified 775 in my system sounds better than either the 555 or 777 through the store systems. I think the modified 775 would stand up quite well to both Sony ES models. I suspect it would win out over the 555 and give the 777 a run for the money. If that is so, (I am trying to arrange a side by side comparison (my local Tweeters does not have the ES models in stock at the moment - anyone?). If I do manage a side by side I’ll report the results. In the meantime Matt’s mods and the price drop in the 775 offer an inexpensive way to obtain a higher end level SACD player at an incredible price. Highly recommended.


Product Weakness: Build quality is not quite as heavy duty as ES players. Unmodified version has slightly muddy and boomy base, mids and highs have slight metalic CD sound - both probably not in evidence on all but the most revealing speaker systems. Not so with modified version.
Product Strengths: 775 is very good multichannel SACD player at a very low price. Unmodified it is a true bargain which will sound great in all but the best of systems - the modified 775 is right up there with the high end SACD players I have heard.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Outlaw 1050 Direct inputs
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Dynaco PAS-4
Sources (CDP/Turntable): SONY CE 775
Speakers: Klipschorns & LaScalas
Cables/Interconnects: Outlaw
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical, Jazz, Pop classical SACDs
Room Size (LxWxH): 24' x 12' x 6'10"
Room Comments/Treatments: Diffusion, absorption panels and bass traps.
Time Period/Length of Audition: 6 mos - stock 775 - 10+ days moded 775
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Outlaw ICBM bass management
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Sony SCD-CE775 CD Player/Recorder - HFHalligan@aol.com 19:11:32 04/26/02 ( 25)