When I bought the 714, the store had one with a cedar top. The store owner really pushed it. He said that "brand new" it sounded like the top had already been "played in." (Incidentally, I attended a Doyle Dykes workshop a few years ago, and he made the same comment about cedar top guitars.)
Never having owned a high end guitar, I did not know what "played in" sounded like. I did prefer the tone of the sitka top to the cedar, and I liked the looks better. The owner said it would take a few years of playing it for the sitka to "open up" and sound as good as the cedar.
Well, having played the crap out of it for the last four years, the guitar has mellowed a bit. It still rings like a bell, and has what I would call more bass response than when I first got it. (I added a bone saddle shortly after buying it, which I also believe improved the tone.)
I still have never owned a cedar top guitar, so I can't really make a real comparison. All I can say is that I really like the sound of the 714 with a sitka top, especially finger style. One thing though, the guitar will only stand medium strumming (more like medium-to-light strumming), and sounds bad if you strum with any vigor. Maybe the cedar stands up to the strumming better, so that is why they switched.
Anyway, you've got to play what makes you happy. This guitar makes me smile a lot.
