I agree with you to a certain degree. Quality relates nothing with reviews and retail price. When I "upgraded" to a Sony DVP755V I actually heard a degradation in redbook cd sound quality from my dad's old 14+ yr old Sony changer (which I still use as my main CD source, for its sound quality and disc changing convenience). On the other hand, SACD sounds great and video quality is impressive for such an inexpensive set.
The psychobabble, my mind should have told me the "new" player should have sounded better (SACD quality is excellent) but my "ears" told me it didn't.
I think I will be sad when I have to replace it. I'll probably stick with a Sony (probably a megachanger) due to it's impressive lifespan.
