Sony CDP-X707ES

The last of the classic ES line.
Or : the last of Sony's great years.
Or : bar none, one of the best compact disc players ever made.

The ultimate version of the "X7" series, built exactly like its direct predecessor (CDP-X779ES), but adding even better componentry, more Pulse DACs and a digital filter capable of 20bit resolution.

The mechanical base is also the same : based on the "G" compound with a complex mechanical silencing system. "G" base is somewhat reminiscent of the "Cerasin" base used in the CDP-555ESD landmark ; this ultimate one however rests on a sapphire bearing - a common practice in Sony's high-end mechanisms, be it for tape or CD.

The little brother of the X707ES is the CDP-X505ES.

As for the previous AL base found in the X7/77/777ES, Accuphase naturally used Sony's drive for its own components ; even if those are now FPMs, Accuphase still stands by Sony.
However, by user's comments, the old AL base/motor assembly was more robust and long-lasting than the newer "G" system - can't have it all. But -give or take- we're still talking about a minimum of 10 years of use and an average of 15 years - by today's standard a phenomenon worthy of the Guiness Book of Records.

Building to such exacting standards and with such fine work on textures, finish and "feeling" is not possible anymore - built today, an X707ES would cost 5000€, if not more...

As always, ES units appeared at least a year earlier in Japan (or later elsewhere ;-) so this explains the long production run of the X707ES, along the fact that, depending on the market considered, these sold like hotcakes : there is plenty of them in Germany and even more in Japan - the X707ES really is among the best and the non-billionaire audiophiles didn't make mistakes.

Unfortunately, after this last version, Sony went the way of cheaper and gradually lowered the quality of ES units which ultimately led to the dismissal of the whole series in some markets.

The QS series came up as the market went down and ES is now a sort of incoherent DSP-filled lineup consisting of two or three units in all.

The glorious suite of amazing units, from the ST-5000 and PS-8750, the TA-E88 and TA-N7B, the TC-880-2 and APR-5000, the PS-X9, SS-GR1 and TA-ER1 ended with the release of the CDP-X707ES.

If the equivalent but FPM-charged CDP-XA7ES carried that quality, it wasn't replaced by anything with a "7" in it : the X707ES was, at Sony, the last statement for music, sans bean counters, sans wild marketing whatever and sans bat-like supersonic bandwidth.

The end.

Curtain.