Onkyo C-7030 vs. Yamaha BD-S677

For anyone in the know... I am considering purchasing the Yamaha because of its ability to play SACD's. The Onkyo of course will not do that. Here is my question, which of the two units would do the most justice to 60's and 70's era Rock. That's the majority of what I listen to. I do have some hybrid SACD's (Living Stereo classical type) that I would like to hear in that form, and the Yamaha would fill that bill, but not if its performance is more lacking than the Onkyo in the type sound I'm looking for. Thanks!

 

The bulk of the work is done by your speakers really. Have a look at which DACs both have then think it over. Probably not a huge difference. IMO of course.

 

James, I have both of these units. The onkyo 7030 is a splendid sounding unit and is overbuilt. The Wolfson Dac and analog stage are so beyond it's price that it's not even funny. The Yamaha 677 Sounds excellent also. The main difference is build quality between the two. The Yamaha is lightweight compared to the 7030, but it plays SACD'S and DVD A. Both units sound beyond their pricepoints. You win with either one. One other thing is the 677 plays HDCD'S, although it's not advertised as doing so. I played my HDCD of 'Time Out' by Dave 'Brubeck' and it indeed eclipses the the standard cd sound so if you have a fondness for hdcd's then the Yamaha is your choice.
He beave

 

Thanks guys. I'm leaning toward the Yamaha because of its extra capabilities, but man, the Onkyo seems like such a bargain, and I hear great things about its build quality, especially with the Wolfson DAC. Decisions, decisions...... It may come down to a coin flip!

 

I have a C-7030 and I prefer to play my hybrid SACDs on it rather than play them on my Cambridge Azur 650bd -- the CD layer sounds better on the Onkyo than the SACD does on the Cambridge, imo. And the Cambridge is a good player.

 

I have the Onkyo and can tell you it sounds great. In a particular case of 70's Rock, I compared the MFSL Elton John "Honky Chateau" CD to a UK DJM first vinyl pressing on my Music hall MMF-7 with a high output MC cartridge and they sounded identical. This is the only case where I've been able to do such a comparison thus far, but it speaks to the Onkyo's ability to play a well mastered CD very well indeed. I've played pkenty if other 60's and 70's rick on the Onkyo and it does a great job. In my case I play SACD on a Denon DVD/CD/SACD player so don't have your need to find a player for both. But if I only wanted straight CD play the Onkyo is a winner.

 

I have the Onkyo and it sounds very good. My circa 2005 Sony does not come close to the sound quality of the Onkyo.

 

LOL! Isn't that something?? Amazing how different gear sounds on different peoples stereo.
And Yes, the Cambridge IS a very nice player.
And so is the Onkyo. That thing still makes me shake my head everytime I play something on it.
the beave

 

Well, after reading the posts I think I'm going to go with the Onkyo. I only have about 4 or 5 Hybrid SACD's, but I have about 500 CD's, and I think the C-7030 is the better choice. All right you Yamaha fans, last chance. I plan on pulling the trigger sometime tomorrow, so if anyone wants to extol the virtues of the 677, now is the time!

 

I don't think you can go wrong with the C-7030 at that price point. You can always save up for a nice combo CD/SACD/DVD-A player down the road and migrate the Onkyo to a secondary system. In the meantime you can enjoy the heck out of your Onkyo - I know I sure am.

 

Just ordered the C-7030 from Amazon. I'll reply back with more when I've had a chance to play some CD's. It "feels" like the right choice!

 

I've played a couple of CD's on my new C-7030. All I can say is a very heartfelt thank you to the guys who have responded on this thread. What a great machine! I've listened to EL&P's "Trilogy" and Wings "At the Speed of Sound". Neither one would be considered audiophile masterpieces, but they were what I had been listening to most recently. I know both of these albums pretty well, or at least I thought I did. I am hearing clarity that I had not heard on the old player, and noticing instruments that I hadn't heard before! And the depth! Wow! I can't believe what I'm hearing considering the price I paid. What an unbelievable value! Guys, thanks again!! I love my vinyl but I think I'm going to be spending this weekend listening to all of my old favorite CD's.

 

Consider the price, the performance, and the quality of construction, the C-7030 should be one of the best audio deals on the market. Enjoy!

 

I am also looking at these:
Yamaha 677 - $200 (refurb) $250 (new)
Onkyo C-7030 - $170 (new)

I dont have any SACD and few DVD-A, but I have read the C-7030 is amazing.

Does having the extra playing capabilities make the 677 the no-brainer?

 

I'm going with Yamaha to also play DVD and Blu-ray discs. Ill also try streaming ALAC from my NAS