Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re:  Sony CDP-X111ES
From: vanz@tragula.equinox.gen.nz (Martin Nieuwelaar)
Date: 21 Dec 92 09:36:16 +1200
Organization: Not an organisation

In article <1992Dec18.084412@trc.amoco.com> znpt01@trc.amoco.com (Norman P. Tracy) writes:
>
>In article <1992Dec16.154014.980@cmkrnl.com>, jeh@cmkrnl.com writes:
>> In article <6063@rosie.NeXT.COM>, Matt_Watson@NeXT.com writes:
>> > Anyone have any experience with this beast?  I need a decent CD player  
>> > with optical digital out, and this seems to be a contender...
>> 
>> I'd look elsewhere.  The stories of problems with Sony CD players, both -ES
>> and non-, are legendary.  
 
[stuff deleted]

>Second non-legendary data point:  I have a CDP-507es which for about 5 years
>now has given me excellent sound and reliability.  It just runs and runs and
>runs and runs.  This in spite of the fact that I've opened it up and run all
>sorts of crazy audiophile mad scientest experments on the poor thing.  It
>hasn't seen its stock op-amps in years.

[more stuff deleted]

>I would like to advance the notion that the reason you see so many complaints
>re. Sony reliability (the stuff of net "legends") is that Sony sells so much
>product.  There failure rate % could be lower than a smaller company but
>because they sell so many units it translates into a greater number of people
>with problems.  And we all know somebody with a bitch is much more likely to
>post a slam than somebody who's happy as a clam will post a praise.

Speaking from my limited experience, I'd like to say that I haven't had
a great run from what Sony equipment I own.  I bought a Sony 338-ESD
CD player (CDP-608ESD in the States) about three years ago.  As it
happened it was in the middle of winter at the time.  Anyway, when
summer came around I noticed the player would produce a sound like
ticking.  As the player warmed further, the ticking, which sounded more
like distortion by this stage, was getting longer and longer - sort
of obscuring more and more of the music.  Funny, to start with I thought
it was some new sound that I hadn't previously heard in the recording.
After sending it away for two months (gee), the laser was replaced.
Luckily it was under 1 year old, and still in warrenty (Laser 1 year,
the rest 3 years).

A friend also had to have the laser replaced in his Technics SL-P1200
player.  I'm not sure what the symptoms were, but I find this pretty
amazing in a pretty high-end player.  Other people I know use and
use their budget players without anything going wrong.

The only other piece of Sony equipment I own, is a pair of DR-S100
Boodo Khan headphones, around $70 US, though they used to usually only
be sold with Sony's megabass walkman.  Well, I haven't used them
very much, and the ear-pads are just disintegrating.  I've had
a good look at them, and it doesn't look as though there are any
replaceable parts.  not that you could probably buy them these days.
While they are about 5 years old (wow, time passes) they simply
haven't had much use.  The Fountains that I used before these are
still going strong, and cost about $10.  Shame about the sound quality.

I must say, that in the price range, the DR-S100s are
the only headphones I've found with such extreme bass capability.
I'm not sure what I'm going to replace them with.  Ideas anyone?
As for the CD player, everything else about it seems great.  It's very
solid, has nice tactile feedback, and even sounds quite reasonable.

>Also keep in mind we're discussing a company here whose product range goes
>from $9.95 Wallmart headphones to million dollar plus CD mastering factories.
>Like any product you have to look at the individual unit and decide for
>your self if it has the quality you desire for the price you are willing to
>pay.

Perhaps I should buy cheaper Sony equipment in future...