Sony CDP-701es Single CD Player
Sony CDP-701ES
The first and very well built ES unit and THE high-end best-seller in Japan in 1983/1984.
One of the very few 1980s component that, although adorned with many a button, manages to remain elegant.
The all-metal quality is in it for something :
felt-covered 3 to 4mm anodized aluminium plates, steel chassis, copper everywhere and massive copper-plated heatsinking.
The finish is in it for something, too :
a work on textures and colors à la Sony (still unmatched by anyone, anywhere, anytime) and a feel of use which Sony carried on so well until the last of the X7 CD players and the original 1999 SACD bestsellers : SCD-1 and SCD-777ES.
However, the multi-display programming is a bit nightmarish and the sound now isn't on par with said X7 players.
Long-term-wise, problems may come from the encased LPF which are previsibly not available anymore.
ICs are all Sony, like on the CDP-101 or Yamaha CD-1 ; the d/a IC was at first the CX890, then the CX20017.
The optical block itself, however, despite its Sony name (KSC-100A) is a Toshiba OPH-32. Strange. And the ailing STK6922 are also present :(
Although Sony never made a dedicated ESPRIT CD player (or tuner, or turntable...), the CDP-701ES was the one accompanying the last of the ESPRIT series : APM-4, TA-N902 and TA-E901.
Description
Sony CDP-701ES
The first and very well built ES unit and THE high-end best-seller in Japan in 1983/1984.
One of the very few 1980s component that, although adorned with many a button, manages to remain elegant.
The all-metal quality is in it for something :
felt-covered 3 to 4mm anodized aluminium plates, steel chassis, copper everywhere and massive copper-plated heatsinking.
The finish is in it for something, too :
a work on textures and colors à la Sony (still unmatched by anyone, anywhere, anytime) and a feel of use which Sony carried on so well until the last of the X7 CD players and the original 1999 SACD bestsellers : SCD-1 and SCD-777ES.
However, the multi-display programming is a bit nightmarish and the sound now isn't on par with said X7 players.
Long-term-wise, problems may come from the encased LPF which are previsibly not available anymore.
ICs are all Sony, like on the CDP-101 or Yamaha CD-1 ; the d/a IC was at first the CX890, then the CX20017.
The optical block itself, however, despite its Sony name (KSC-100A) is a Toshiba OPH-32. Strange. And the ailing STK6922 are also present :(
Although Sony never made a dedicated ESPRIT CD player (or tuner, or turntable...), the CDP-701ES was the one accompanying the last of the ESPRIT series : APM-4, TA-N902 and TA-E901.
