Nice CD player and vibration to this unit amazing/ out put all types,,out put of optical is uncovered plz Keep it covered from the dust..good video thank you very much.
People listen to music on units now with one button (on'off) one knob (multi-function jog wheel) and the music itself is lo-fo mp3 junk. Hi-fi is minimal and music sounds like corn flakes. I still have 'seperates' and lots of them. They are cheap now too. I draw the line at year 2000. Most of the stuff poor unless made in Japan in the last decade. (I'm not talking about special handmade hi-fi by the way). One of my hobbies is collecting vintage cassette deck, CD players, MD players, Amps, EQ and Enhancers. Separates are the best and I feel sorry for people with iPods and media player docks for they do not know what they are missing! Nice player, long may she spin those digital discs!
Very good demonstration and introduction. So after you sold it as parts did you continue to own any Sony Cdp or change to other brand like Marantz CD94mkII or Philips CD880 ?
i remember this player, it's a giant killer ! no other player in its price range can even come close ! it's organic and analogue sounding with battleship build. this 1-bit player killed all the 24bit players that were coming out ! i'll bet my last dollar this oldie can still whip the latest players at the same price !
That is an awesome player. Extremely good results can be achieved if you connect the variable output directly to a high quality power amplifier driving a good pair of speakers. Compare that to the fixed output through a pre amplifier. On second thoughts don't, it will only reveal how much your pre amplifier messes up the sound.
highfiguy, guess what? I bought a CDP-707ESD in 1991. It was my favorite 2-chan CD player ever! Guess where it is now? In some landfill, somewhere. Sony Japan stopped making repair parts for it. So, around 2003, I had to trash it. It lasted over 12 years.
I have cdp-x333es from 1991 - nice player. Bought from recycling, After cleaning, replacing several capacitors and adjusting - works great. A great sound though is the lower shelf. It was not possible to restore one function. Disc memo, When you turn off the Power CD button, you forget your saved notes. Maybe someone knows how to restore full functionality of this function?
TOTL is an overused term, perticularly as this was one of many XA ES units above this. That said it is an excellent well made unit. Show us what it sounds like that is what is most important.
yes, a great shame since Sony cd players never sound harsh or glaring and fantastic on female vocals................plus bomb-proof build quality. i think Pioneer also stopped making hi-end players now.
Great player, but has a lot of weird features, like the balanced XLR outputs. I mean, what audiophile really needs that? And the puck is really just a gimmick. Should something go wrong with this transport, you are screwed as they are extremely hard to find and very expensive when you do. I'd rather find a mid-level unit with the KSS-151a transport. At least I could afford to repair it.
Nice CD player and vibration to this unit amazing/ out put all types,,out put of optical is uncovered plz Keep it covered from the dust..good video thank you very much.
Maybe Sony's best CD player ever? This thing is beautiful
this model is right behind the SCD-1.
@@HiFiInsiderbut that one is a SACD player. I understand it is still a better CD player in the end 👌
People listen to music on units now with one button (on'off) one knob (multi-function jog wheel) and the music itself is lo-fo mp3 junk. Hi-fi is minimal and music sounds like corn flakes. I still have 'seperates' and lots of them. They are cheap now too. I draw the line at year 2000. Most of the stuff poor unless made in Japan in the last decade. (I'm not talking about special handmade hi-fi by the way). One of my hobbies is collecting vintage cassette deck, CD players, MD players, Amps, EQ and Enhancers. Separates are the best and I feel sorry for people with iPods and media player docks for they do not know what they are missing! Nice player, long may she spin those digital discs!
Well said. 👌👍🎊
Thanks for posting, I loved the attention to detail on this unit. That drawer is probably the coolest one I've ever seen.
Very Nice , I have always loves the 80-90 Sony's the build Quality was just top notch ( High end products ) Thank you
A buddy's father had that thing. I loved the sound quality of well-mastered CDs. And the mechanism is a real looker 😬
Nekem meg van az egész torony
Thank you so much for showing this player. What an awesome piece to own. I hope I have the chance to find one some day.
I have this one in Champagne color. Sounds great.
I love your reviews ! Thank you for sharing !
thanks for watching! :)
Very good demonstration and introduction. So after you sold it as parts did you continue to own any Sony Cdp or change to other brand like Marantz CD94mkII or Philips CD880 ?
I belive everybody want's that beautifull Focal speakers review now :))
i remember this player, it's a giant killer ! no other player in its price range can even come close !
it's organic and analogue sounding with battleship build.
this 1-bit player killed all the 24bit players that were coming out !
i'll bet my last dollar this oldie can still whip the latest players at the same price !
That is an awesome player. Extremely good results can be achieved if you connect the variable output directly to a high quality power amplifier driving a good pair of speakers. Compare that to the fixed output through a pre amplifier. On second thoughts don't, it will only reveal how much your pre amplifier messes up the sound.
Depends on your pre-amp...
turn the lights on next time
What are your latest recomendations? What are you using for amp and speakers? Thanks for sharing!
Please show us your speakers! Or maybe a room tour/ collection video?
That dampening material isn't a spray. It is what that chassis is made of.
It's a proprietary ceramic composite, which Sony branded "Gibraltar."
It appears in your video that you have the salamander synergy single cabinet ?
Love at first sight. To keep it in such an immaculate condition for 14 years, one really needs to be a 'Lover'.
Hello Mike. Do you still own this XA7ES? And if so, is it still operational?
fantastic cd player
Thank you
Very nice
Thank you, for your video, do you believe this player is worth buying today? if I could find one. thank you.
no, I wouldn't' recommend. There are no parts from Sony. Additionally the Sony HAP-Z1ES sounds better. I own that now.
Nice review. Thanks for sharing.
Sony always make some good stuff
highfiguy, guess what?
I bought a CDP-707ESD in 1991. It was my favorite 2-chan CD player ever! Guess where it is now? In some landfill, somewhere. Sony Japan stopped making repair parts for it. So, around 2003, I had to trash it. It lasted over 12 years.
No, you didn't have to trash it. There are donor units everywhere. I would have given you $250 for it sight-unseen.
Wow the player is like new.
Sony CDP-XA7es TOP CD
After buying this cdp-x555es i'm going for the ta-f555esx amplifier or a ta-f555esg and maybe some nice speakers
we love you
very nice. Sony did make some very high quality gear. I have ES units myself; but not as nice as this one.
I have cdp-x333es from 1991 - nice player. Bought from recycling, After cleaning, replacing several capacitors and adjusting - works great. A great sound though is the lower shelf. It was not possible to restore one function. Disc memo, When you turn off the Power CD button, you forget your saved notes. Maybe someone knows how to restore full functionality of this function?
Musisz wymienic kondensator, ktory podtrzymuje napiecie dla kosci pamieci. Sprawdz na schemacie serwisowym.
@@ykhm9778 Exactly, it's C990 in service manual, a 0.1F 5.5V double layers capacitor.
Very good player. I would like to hear it with a outboard dac.
the internal DAC and discrete output stage are pretty amazing, even today.
gold colour available in japanese market
龍門陣 Even in Europe both versions were available for ES series throughout whole 90s
I have one in Gold, imported from Japan, 100V. Gorgeous. The Japanese version doesn't have remote variable outputs for some reason...
Great Cd player. Do you still have it???
unfortunately the laser started to fail and I sold the player for $200 a few years ago. :(
@@HiFiInsider Could it have been fixed ?
Thanks.
@@virgilnaf9217 replacements lasers are available these days, thankfully 😊
@@ShazeemKhanhow? Is there stil laser for x sony cdp x55es
@@miyamotomusashi692 I haven't looked for 1 for that specific model but I know there are units can be had from ali express etc
I have that player!
TOTL is an overused term, perticularly as this was one of many XA ES units above this. That said it is an excellent well made unit. Show us what it sounds like that is what is most important.
yes, a great shame since Sony cd players never sound harsh or glaring and fantastic on female vocals................plus bomb-proof build quality.
i think Pioneer also stopped making hi-end players now.
still working?
sadly no... :(
Hi-Fi Insider any idea what component failed? I hope it wasn't the reader..
it started to skip so I sold it for $200 as parts. I am sad about it.
It's not all aluminium, but mostly copper plated steel and zinc and the feet plus some tray elements was ceramic.
for Christs sake turn on the lights
first. FUCK YEAHHHH
Yeah,yeah……………………………………….just play something!!
Great player, but has a lot of weird features, like the balanced XLR outputs. I mean, what audiophile really needs that? And the puck is really just a gimmick. Should something go wrong with this transport, you are screwed as they are extremely hard to find and very expensive when you do. I'd rather find a mid-level unit with the KSS-151a transport. At least I could afford to repair it.
A lot of people want xlr outputs. The benefits of the fixed laser are dubious but you can't say it isn't unique