April 10, 2009

  • Sony CDP-X707ES, Part 1

    20 years ago, there was an electronics store on Market, near Castro.  It was called Eber.  In the main area, Eber had the usual mass market stuff -- TVs, VCRs, stereo systems, Walkmen, cameras, accessories.  But in a locked corner room, only the privileged customers could check out, among others, the Sony ES line and Infinity Kappa.  With Eber's snobby attitude, it's no wonder that customers looking for higher quality gear said, "F--- that," and got into high-end audio instead.

    My very first CD player, a Sony CDP-520ES II, came from Eber.  I have no idea where the next Sony ES dealer, in those days, was located.  And in 1989, I had to beg to get into the locked room, where I could check out, and buy, the TAE-1000ESD preamp/surround sound processor.  That would be the last Sony ES product I bought from a store.  Everything else came from other audiophiles or online.

    Whoa!  Just two weeks ago, our ginkgo trees were dead as twigs.  But look -- leaves have sprouted.

    Here's a close-up of those budding ginkgo leaves.  Too bad it's the leaves, not the tree, which grow.  Every time I crouch down to water the ginkgo trees, there's no shade.  Heck, the wooden pole supporting the tree provides more shade!

    20 years ago, all sorts of positive reviews sprouted up for Jody Watley's Larger Than Life album.  But for whatever reason, this album never sold well.  Maybe that's how Sony feel about their CDP-X707ES CD player:

    Anyone who has actually played with a CDP-X707ES knows it is has many strengths, strengths not reflected in the competition.  From what I gather, the CDP-X707ES was made in the early-to-mid 90s.  This was the time when thousands of music lovers left mid-fi, and embraced high-end audio.  And with dealers like Eber, it's no wonder that the Sony CDP-X707ES got overlooked, and did not sell as well as it should have.  In the next few days, I will go over this player in detail.