[Review] Sony Scd-xa3000

Sony Scd-xa3000

Has anyone heard the SCS-XA3000? I've seen advertised new for £600 and wonder if they could be a match for a dedicated £600 CDP. I have a NAD S300 and Celestion A2 speakers and have been wrestling with what source to go for for far too long.
It would be nigh on impossible for me to cart my kit to a dealer due to several reasond (weight, lack of dealers keeoing Sony stuff and their rivals, being in Belgium). I have also considered SH Meridian 506 and NAD S500 (if one ever comes up). Any advice much appreciated.

 

scd-xa3000

Does it compete with other £600 cd players....no. It competes with £1200 cd players and possibly beyond.

I tried one at home for a week and was amazed how good CDs sounded. I used to have the big Sony SCD-1 2 channel SACD player which I found cold with CDs, but this new generation Sacd player has a big rich detailed smooth sound by comparison with plenty of detail. And it plays SACDs which on a quick scale of judgement I reckon are about 10% better sounding than well recorded CDs. And it does multichannel if you've got an AV to plug it into.

I reckon its a better player than the Cyrus CD8 + PSX-r that I also tried, and almost as good as the Marantz CD7 I'm downgrading from. I also tried a meridian G07, it was superb, mu8ch more alive and presence than other Meridian players I've tried but more thn I want to pay.

For £600ish the SCD3000 is superb.

 

Can't comment on the Sony, but I'll put in a good word for the S500 - it's the perfect partner for the S300.

 

Thanks to both of you for the feedback.

Alanbeeb,

Did a Sony dealer loan it to you?

dd.

 

Sony SCD XA3000ES

No - i did not get a loan of one, just decided to take the plunge as it was available in UK from an online electrical store for we below what a Sony dealer would charge. I paid £600, as opposed to something like £900 RRP. I'm glad I did. I'd already tried the Cyrus CD8 and Meridian G07 and liked both, especially the Meridian but it was way out of my price range.

The Sony is a superior player to the Cyrus, as good as my old Marantz CD7, but the Meridian G07 was something else (but £1600).

Alan

 

NAD S500s are very hard to come by - as far as I'm aware I got the last one to come up on Ebay, HFC, Hififorsale or here and that was about 6 months ago You shouldn't have to pay £600 for one though (or at least I certainly didn't )