It's pretty sad when people review a mainly dvd player and complain about it not playing CDRs. Review it on its performance, not on something like that.

What's worse is the people complaining and saying it is inexcusable probably have no idea about CDRs and think they are exactly like CDs. Nope.

Audio and video performance

This is a very high quality product. Even without using its progressive scan feature, the video quality is extraordinary and with SACD you realize what you have been missing on CD. Many qualities of the music are simply not there on CD.

The reviewers below gave this unit heavy deductions because it does not play CD-R. I feel it is unfair to judge a DVD/SACD/CD player on this parameter. You don't judge a CD player poorly if it doesn't play SACD, so don't deduct points from this unit if it doesn't play CD-R. The reason it doesn't is because of the laser which is required to function at two different wavelengths.

In the review below, this product is called a "flagship product" but it really isn't. Sony's top of the line SACD player, the SCD-1, is the real flagship and it features two separate lasers, enabling it to play CD-R. You get what you pay for. If you're interested in CD-R, look elsewhere, but if you're interested in DVD, CD and SACD high performance in one unit, this is what you're looking for.

Multiple formats, cutting edge technology, PERFORMANCE! and of course, build quality and styling

CDR playback----absolutely inexcusable!!

When I first saw this machine, I went gaga. Sony has always made great sounding CDP's (no matter what anyone says!), and obviously also made great video products. The performance is there, in scads. This was the machine I was gonna buy because it could do it all---let me enjoy my fave music, play the new SACD's if I desired, and give me first class theater performance too. Unfortunately I have a lot of CDR's and some of my favorite music is on them. Too bad for sony---but one question---WHY, if the DVPS7700 can play them, can't this marvelous machine????? You may think this is a petty gripe, but even if they had to raise the price a bit, it only makes sense for a flagship product.

I am disappointed, at best. My search for a new source continues. It gets 5 stars for performance, but the cdr issue really dumps the rating for me.

Similar Products Used:

pioneer dv05, dv37, sony dvps7700, scd1

Great Picture , and Sound

No CDR playback ? - see below

This is by far the best picture and sound I have seen from any DVD or CD player.I like the on screen menu's. The unit is built like no other, 27 lbs ,Heavy Duty.

The big problem I have with the unit is no CD-R play back of any of my discs,as I like to make my own custom discs this is a big problem for me ,and I'm wondering if anybody else on this page has noticed this problem.All my players before this one played the cd's fine.I'm very disapointed with Sony for doing this on a unit that I paid this much money for.Is anybody interested in trading a Toshiba 9200 for this unit,the 9200 claims to play CD-R's.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 7000, Toshiba 5109

Magnificent Picture, build quality, excellent sound.

Remote could be better, menus awkward compared to others, all buttons don't light. Front buttons do not project enough and are hard to push. (Not really hard, just awkward.)

Most of what has already been said I agree with so why repeat? This is a preliminary review because I have only had it for a week. First the looks are not as exciting to me as the pictures of the unit. This is not important but there is a curious retro look to the bottom front panel, like something from the sixties/seventies with the small square buttons that are not labeled themselves but only in hard to read symbols above the buttons. They hardly move, so to get a reaction you really need a good push, and the display is kind of small and hard to see from 12 feet away. Since most actions take place with the remote this is not important but a disappointment in a "signature" piece. Pushing those buttons leaves fingerprints on the front panel too.

The picture is nothing short of mesmerizing, especially if you have a display that takes the progressive out. Most of the gain in quality of progressive is not easily seen unless you have a front projector, but here you can see the difference on much smaller screens. The inclusion of separate memories for color, tint, bright, black level, sharp, gamma (the most extensive video equalizer ever) on a non-professional unit, and noise reduction is remarkable and can be memorized for up to 300 movies so that when you play them back a second time the machine remembers all these "tweaks" you made - a home run for Sony. I wish some of the buttons were larger (this is a large remote) but there is lots of empty space on it. The DVD menu key is small and squeezed in. The loading drawer is smooth and elegant but shallow to the point of not being sure the disc is centered. I wish a button on the remote switched from standard to progressive (a la Toshiba) instead of having to press buttons many times to reach the item in the menu. The menus cover the whole screen or most of it (Panasonic has the best menus, just across the top in three layers)and Sony's graphics are not very intuitive to use. But you can read the manual and learn. CD sound is very good, and SACD that loads as fast as any CD is better than the 777ES player or SACD 1, which take up to minute to load a disc!

$1500 gets you an aweful lot of great features and a great picture. At short experience so far, I would say it equals the Panasonic 1000, passes the Pioneer 37, and betters the Toshibas 6200, 9200. This is a great product that suffers only in the interface of front controls, menus, and less than perfect remote.

By the way, while it does sound very good, I also have the 777ES SACD player. This is a killer unit. I have never heard better sound at any price, including the Wadia $8000 unit. Your CD's will sound spectacular and the SACD's sound is even better, but depends on whether you have a remastered recording from the fifties (lots of Columbia old classics)or something recorded in SACD new. Old recordings sound better, new ones are simply astounding. This should be the last CD player you will need. The 9000 sounds good but the 777ES will blow it away, but then that CD player costs twice the new DVD player.

I have been watching some of my favorite DVDs over on the Sony and have never been more impressed. The video and audio (movies) is as good as it gets. This player will send people scurrying to upgrade processors, amps and speakers. I just watched Titus, the Shakespeare play (certainly not for everyone)with the commentary turned on. There is a scene when Anthony Hopkins lies down on the paving stones in absolute grief over his daughter, and the commentary says "its a shame that you can't see the single tear that falls from Hopkins eye on DVD as you could at the movie theater. You CAN see that tear with the 9000 playing on my Pioneer 710! It is simply an astounding picture coming from the Sony, if your display can handle it.

I am giving it four stars only because of the details of the interface, otherwise it would be perfect!

Similar Products Used:

Sony 7000, 7700, Toshiba 6200, Panasonic 1000, Meridian 800

Listening to people like YO-YO

YO-YO from NJ.This site is not to put people down for there reviews on what they and many other people think are good and bad about the units. What may not seem important to you may be for many people.I doubt you even have the unit or did not read the manual, page 7,right side of page, DISCS THAT THE PLAYER CANNOT PLAY -- CD-Rs, ect.And as for buying are cd's, I buy them all,has it occurred to you that a lot of people like to make cd's of there favorite tracks from ther collection of cd's.I know being from NJ you are quick to judge others,keep your comments to yourself. I have owned many cd and dvd players and all of them played cd-r's and even sonys new 555 multi disc cd/scad unit play's cd-r's.I think the unit is very nice, but for this much money I'm disappointed that sony did this.

high end quality sound and picture with beauty and elegance

none

Here is the ES DVD player with beauty and elegance, with state of the art performance for us, the ones that want high end sound and picture second to none. And no, nothing stomps this into the ground, even at 5000 dollars, you will not find better video and audio. The overpriced Pioneer and Panasonic may seem a bit sharper at times with overly enhanced outlines and a lot of motion artifacts, which the Sony DVP-S9000ES refuses to do.
The Sony renders the most natural picture and colors that is most film-like than the most expensive machines try to do. And if that wasn't enough you get high end cd, dvd and sacd technology with sound so detailed and dynamic with superb quality, that it makes perfect sense to put these all together for the ultimate entertainment.
Yes, dreams do come true for us audiophiles and videophiles, when we can get all this in one high quality piece of equipment and the Sony DVP-S9000ES makes the fantasy become a reality.

Similar Products Used:

krell theta levinson

Everything that Sony advertizes

Reviews by Scott, Doug, and Ed

This player does everything that the other people that gave it 5 Stars in both overall and value rating described already, no need to repeat anything, just that this player's CD playback quality seems indeed to become even better after about 200 hours of burn-in.

I cannot believe that some people here knock this fabulous product. Sony sells this player as a prog scan DVD player. And as such it does a fabulous job even for $1500. Now that it also plays SACDs and CDs in far better than average quality, sweetens the deal, but it is not suitable to discount the player's rating as a DVD player for any of these qualities.

Scott is comparing it to $8000 equipment for SACD and CD playback and gives it 3 Stars - even though he admitts that the DVD picture, which is it's main purpose "is superb". By suggesting to use the 7700 in it's stead he completely misses the point; this player is a prog scan player, and I doubt that he has actually watched the player on prog scan capable set. Otherwise he would have to admit that it beats the 7700 by a great margin.

Scott how can something that is superb in it's main capacity be only good for three stars, even when it offers additional functions? Think before you post.

And here's to Doug and Ed, the CDR bootleggers from MI: First off I have heard that some people were indeed able to play CDRs, secondly if you are too cheap to buy the original CDs, why do you buy a $1500 player to play them?

Plays DVDs, SACDs, CDs, CD-Rs -- all of them extremely well.

????????????

This is a followup in response to those suggesting that the s9000es doesn't play CD-Rs. Here's the answer...it does. I just put some in 5 minutes ago and they played flawlessly. This is irrelevent for me since I buy my music, but my buddy has a collection of CR-Rs he uses in his car. We tried a handful and all of them played perfectly. Of course the main function of this unit is the DVD playback which with the Genesis chip, 12/54 videoDAC, etc. is the best on the market. Better than the Panasonic H1000 and the Toshiba SD9200. They all use the Genesis chip, but the Sony has better color fidelity, and better detail. As for the CD and SACD playback... they are both superb as well. People with very expensive gear are invariably peeved when something newer, better and less expensive comes along. For audio playback only, you can shut down the video components to prevent any unnecessary noise. I would give this unit 6 stars if I could.

Video quality, sound quality, build quality -- all are top tier.

Ergonomics. The buttons are small, fussy and hard to read. The disk tray is too shallow

The best to far. Well, I suppose the Toshiba 9200 and the s9000es are close (both using the Genesis chip). The Sony has the edge over the 9200 in color processing for smooth gradients (12bit in stead of Toshiba's 10 bit). But I think it comes down to the choice between SACD and DVD-A, since no player offers both as yet. The Sony will still play my 24/96 PCM DVDs from Chesky, etc. It also plays the ever growing catalog of SACDs. I have nothing against DVD-A, but I believe that the Sony monster will ultimately prevail with SACD -- not because it's better (cause it ain't) but because of Sony's power.
The video quality on this deck is nothing short of stunning. I have a large CRT front projection setup in a dedicated theater. It reveals EVERYTHING a DVD player does right and wrong. This players color fidelity, freedom from artifacts, and detail are the best I've ever seen (short of HiDef). If this player could upsample to 720p or 960p, I'd be in heaven. I await the player which will do DVD-A, SACD, HDCD, 480p, 720p, 960p, 1080p at 60Hz. Till then, I'm very very happy with the s9000es.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba 9100