Sony CDP-X779ES
Sony CDP-777ESA
(october 1991 - 1992)

Part of Sony's worldwide bestsellers. It also seems the xx9 units were the ones that sold better, better than the CDP-X777ES or, naturally, the ultimate CDP-X707ES...

"G" base drive, "G" tray, GIC analog LPF, Fet-powered RCA analog outputs, Sapphire bearing and BSL motor, copper-plated chassis, multiple structural reinforcements and triple-plates, Advanced PULSE digital-to-analogue converters, tightly implemented servos and signal paths, acoustically sealed tray (very efficient), TOS+coaxial digital outputs, XLR balanced analog outputs, motorized ALPS headphones pot (which also acts as variable analogue output) etc.
The build quality is second to none, really - no other japanese manufacturer ever came close to such kind of finish, mechanical integrity and luxurious feel of use.
You can see the previous CDP-X777ES in detail - same basic structure with only the audio board changing, the TWIN-CORE transformer replacing the two dedicated audio/digital trafos and the drive system with more "G" material and less aluminium. Also a switch was added to turn on/off the balanced output ; the switch to turn on/off the digital output is on the front panel, as it was on the previous CDP-X7ESD, CDP-X77ES, CDP-X777ES and would be on the ultimate CDP-X707ES.

The digital filter is a CXD-2560M ; the eight digital to analogue chips are CXD-2562Q ; op'amps are NE5532P ; the laser block a KSS-272A, the latter being used on all players of the series (X779ES, X559ES, X339ES) and quite a few others, thus easier to replace nowadays than that of the X777ES...
Available as CDP-X779ES worldwide and as CDP-777ESA in Japan ; the X779ES in black with matte square sideburns or gold with shiny rounded sideburns, the 555ESA with rounded sideburns whether the player was black or champagne.

You can see all the boards with very much detail and in-depth descriptions of the original circuits here, from a fellow who started modding his 777ESA - I cannot agree with his assessment of Sony's "typical sound" (and neither would the thousands of Sony's X7 Series owners) but the many pictures (and mad modding) are worth a look... even if ending on a disappointing result :) Another page describing in detail the circuits and parts used in the (non-modded) CDP-777ESA is here.

I think if I hadn't been so lucky finding two new-old-stock X777ES, it is the X779ES I would have scouted for - the upgrade is easily audible when stepping from the X777 to the X779... but who cares : SACD is now king and the SCD-1 would flatten them both out, right ?