SONY CDP-X33ES

Pre owned. In good condition. Shows minor signs of wear. Comes with remote control, no original packaging.

The Sony CDP-X33ES is one of the most refined CD players of the 1990s, the decade in which the Compact Disc firmly established itself as the standard for music. While it may seem relatively ordinary and slightly dated in style today, at the time of its release it embodied the elegance and sophistication typical of Sony’s ES series products. It occupies a mid-level position within the ES range, which included series 2, 3, 5, and 7, and marks a clear evolution compared to more consumer-oriented players: from series 3 onward, the build quality became sturdier and more robust, with technical solutions derived from higher-end models. The X33ES delivers a high-quality experience at a more accessible price, without compromising on the features of its more expensive siblings.

Its standout features include a direct-access track keypad and a large dot-matrix fluorescent display, which shows the “music calendar” and all the classic programming and repeat functions in clear, well-defined colors. The Sony KSS-270A mechanism ensures incredibly fast track access times, allowing jumps from one point of the disc to another in less than a second, an achievement that just a few years earlier would have been unthinkable.

Aesthetically, the CDP-X33ES maintains the solidity and quality of the ES series: the black painted steel chassis and casing enclose a substantial metal body with an elegant brushed aluminum front panel. Despite weighing 10 kg, most of this weight comes from the stable base and generous power supply, elements that contribute to impeccable sound performance. On the rear panel, there are fixed and variable analog outputs, the latter controlled by a motorized volume potentiometer operated via the included remote, as well as an optical digital output.

At the heart of the player is the 1-bit Sony CXD2552Q digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a next-generation chip that combines precision and low noise, building on Sony’s Super Audio CD experiments. This Bitstream design outperforms traditional 16-bit oversampling chips, offering greater efficiency and production cost savings without sacrificing audio quality. A frequency response of 2 Hz – 20 kHz with ±0.3 dB tolerance, total harmonic distortion of 0.002%, channel separation of 110 dB, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 113 dB confirm the player’s excellence and fully justify the ES designation.

The Sony CDP-X33ES, with its combination of solid construction, advanced features, and exceptional audio quality, perfectly exemplifies how CD technology of the 1990s achieved unprecedented levels of sophistication and reliability.

Technical specifications:

• Type: CD player
• Reading system: Non-contact optical reading (semiconductor laser)
• Laser: GaAlAs dual heterodiode
• Rotation speed: 200 ~ 500 rpm (CLV)
• Playback speed: 1.2 m/s ~ 1.4 m/s (constant)
• Error correction method: Sony Super Strategy Code; Cross Interleaved Read-Solomon
• Number of channels: 2 channels
• Frequency response: 2 Hz – 20 kHz ± 0.3 dB
• Total harmonic distortion: 0.002% or less (EIAJ)
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 113 dB or more (EIAJ)
• Dynamic range: 100 dB or more (EIAJ)
• Channel separation: 110 dB or more (EIAJ)
• Output level: 2 Vrms (fixed); 0 V ~ 2 Vrms (variable)
• Digital output level: Optical: -18 dBm (wavelength 660 nm)
• Headphone output level: 28 mW (32 Ω)
• Power consumption: 18 W
• Dimensions: Width 430 x Height 125 x Depth 375 mm
• Weight: 10 Kg