I own both Pioneer DV-F7272s and Sony DVP-860 and 895. Both of the former units are much shallower than the 985. I have only used them for DVDs, so I can't say anything about CD playback quality. The 727s are better in terms of physical reliability and user interface, the 860 in terms of picture quality. I would not say that either of them are totally reliable, but both can be fixed at home without electronics expertise, and are wonderful when working! The SACD of the 985 is absolutely great BTW...