>   reproduction of the recorded dynamic makes it possible to play these tracks at incongruous levels. This comes from the CDP-777 having virtually no sonic signature to colour the sound of discs being played.
   Ultimately, no player is entirely transparent and this one has its character; a slightly rich, dark and velvety texture that ever so slightly sweetens up the sound of the recordings. But, you're hard pressed to find this character, as it's often masked by recording quality. The player is staggeringly faithful to the recording. It's also extremely transparent. The two don't necessarily  go hand in hand, and the CDP-777 shows why. The ‘faithful to the recording’ bit comes in when you find yourself listening to every last instrument in the Augustin Dumay Mozart Violin Concerto 3 on DG. The ‘transparent’ bit is when you can focus on the glorious midrange and his deft (albeit slightly saccharine) violin solos, clearly delineated within a perfect midrange.
   This is a surprisingly hard player to write about, as it seems to change its spots with whatever disc you put on – that's how transparent it really is. Put something with a bit of gusto in the sled and the player will turn in a powerful, gutsy performance, regardless of whether that gusto comes