The E2000ESD has some pretty funky EQ controls that I've yet to fully understand. Lots of presets, but setting the EQ manually is tedious, at best. Still, I find for the loft environment, the DISCO setting seems to work pretty well. Sound quality is excellent, and, as with the other two components, the rosewood side panels add that gentile, old-world elegance vintage gear lovers appreciate. BTW, found one for sale HERE. I'm not responsible for this sales listing, quality or merchandise, etc. etc. Just stumbled upon it :)
The 730ES tuner is exceptional! I wasn't expecting a "digital" tuner from the 1980s to be so well designed or sound so good. The tuning flywheel is smooth and has that confident heft of well-built vintage tuners. Even though I live in the greater LA metropolitan area, radio reception near me isn't great. This tuner brings in stations every bit as good as the McIntosh 4200 receiver you see sandwiched between it and the preamp in the full system photo above.
The Sony 55ES power amp is no monster, by any means, but have seen specs that rate it at 110 wpc at 8 ohms, which isn't bad at all. The sound is perfectly adequate. Haven't A/B'd it with any other amps, and you know by know my take on amplifier sound... Any amplifier with high input impedance, low output impedance, flat frequency response, low distortion, and low noise sounds the same. After all that's all the human ear can hear.
The CD player in the system is the Sony C8ESD. Just had the drive belt replaced on that unit and it sound terrific.
Have any experience with Sony ES components? Chime in!
