I got an SD702 last month
Mazel Tov
! I have just ordered mine, it is on its way as I write.
I decided to get the 702 because it would run longer on battery without a built-in HDD,
Exactly. I must admit, I had reservations (as instinctively as stupid) to "make do" with the runt of the litter, but in this case it was the logical choice: It would be silly to pay for features I don't use or appreciate, and the differences between the 702 and the other machines (702T, 722, 744T) are
only in the features, not in the quality. The 702 represents a very minimalist approach, and I feel there's a certain elegance to that.
And this 702 totally kills any Nagra ever made
.. at least if you disregard the Nagra V, the Nagra VI, and possibly the Nagra LB.
what does that Nagra digital unit cost, $7000?
Yes, and the Aaton Cantar X2 goes for $16000 or somesuch. These machines are in a whole different ballpark, I believe.
Finally, I read many SD forum posts where professionals and amateurs alike said it was the best piece of audio equipment they ever owned in 20 years and no one had the slightest regret in buying one. A couple guys said don't spend too much time looking at other units, just get an SD 7xx and you'll never look back.
In all fairness, we'd have to consider that most of these statements were made before the new machines from Nagra (LB) and Sonosax (SX-R4) appeared on the horizon. I sat on the fence a very long time, and in the end it was the reputation for service (or lack thereof) that swayed my decision against the Sonosax.