Sony SCD-1 SACD/CD Player - ES "1 Series" Complete Collectors Set!

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This is *the* legendary Flagship and world's first SACD player from Sony.

The best player they ever made.

Weighs more than most amplifiers, and is built of solid aluminum, copper, and steel.

The top SACD/CD loading door works smoothly and the display is bright and clear.

In excellent cosmetic condition too, as the single owner of this piece took incredible care of all of his equipment.

This is also a most unusual collectors set because it includes the original BOX, Manual, and remote control! 

Tested in our lab and working as it should.

The super rare Sony TA-N1 Amplifier and TA-E1 pictured are also currently available here. They are not included with this purchase.

Sony SCD-1 SACD/CD Player - ES "1 Series" - Manual

From a Stereophile review written by Jonathan Scull:

Sony's $5000 SCD-1 is a two-channel Super Audio CD player. Right out of the box, it impressed me with its hewn-of-a-piece construction. This is a serious high-end device, and built accordingly. The lavish engineering thoughtfulness is matched by every satiny panel and control surface. Fit'n'finish come no higher. The SCD-1's base unit is made of 6mm solid aluminum plate—very rigid, very firm. The cutout for the traveling spindle assembly is reinforced by an additional plate drilled for lightness and rigidity, thus avoiding vibration-induced "squeaking." Ahem. The whole construct floats on four thick pillars mounted directly to the chassis with "a minimum number" of rubber dampers.

The spindle motor sits in a die-cast aluminum housing incorporating sapphire bearings, with a ruby bearing on the spindle shaft. A substantial weight—Sony calls it a "disc chuck"—is placed on the CD before play. If you forget, a warning is displayed.

Symmetrical double-sided glass-epoxy circuit boards are arranged for short signal paths. A discrete analog power supply is located directly on the audio circuit board. A copper bus bar runs down the center, creating a low-impedance ground path for the current-pulse D/A, the digital filter, and the pulse generator. The ground terminal of the analog board is connected by a three-layer insulated-element bus bar to the back panel for a firm connection to chassis ground. There are two transformers: one for the audio side, one for the servo and digital circuits. These are potted in a resin-sealed case to reduce magnetic flux leakage and eliminate vibration.

More from The Vintage Knob:

The original SACD player

If the format has yet to become market-wise successful, Sony's SCD-1 became very quickly -and remained so- the reference SACD player for a good many years.
Price-wise a little too expensive for many, so the similar SCD-777ES made most of the sales for Sony. The SCD-1 was however much more successful than the 1992 CDP-R10 and DAS-R10.

Given what is left of the high-fidelity market, SACD might remain a niche until the next (un-necessary ?) (r)evolution. But with the overwhelming craze over anything downloadable and conveniently compressed (quantity vs quality), I sincerely doubt SACD will remain a "niche" market as long as LP replay has since its demise as worldwide standard for the masses.

Because SACD so far didn't become a worldwide format for the masses, and didn't have the time to either.

I for one believe SACD to be the last worthwhile audio format : a great step forward which would've needed to be launched only a couple of years earlier - before mp3 landed on the scene and forced manufacturers to adopt a deadly dual-language :
SACD is great but expensive, mp3 is great and free.

It was easy to spot the winner even before the race started.

After the "1" lineup (SCD-1, TA-E1, TA-N1 and SS-M9ED), Sony gradually shelved all 2-channel high-end audio development, thus becoming the last of the japanese majors to exit that ever-diminishing market.

Production was planned at 500 units /month for the SCD-1 and 700 units /month for the SCD-777ES sibling.

There were at least 2500 made in total, the last batch bearing the post-2000 Sony EMCS T-tag sticker pasted over the original Sony Kitakanto.

You can see three SCD-1 prototypes in the Invisibilia section of TVK.

Please click here for detailed specifics regarding our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.