Basically trying to go with the times, the DAC section in the SONY has seen better times and is probably very outdated. I can hear from my 802’s (with the help of Cardas clear cables) very analogous reproduction of red book cd’s that is sometimes tiring. Perhaps more musicality without the loss of detail. I mentioned Benchmark DAC3 B but it might sound analogous and boring too, I don’t know.
Best DAC for SONY SCD XA5400es
Looking for recommendation as to which DAC would pair best with my SONY SCD XA5400es CD player. I want to use SPDIF coax output to the DAC. The rest of my system is McIntosh MA7000 integrated and B&W 802Diamonds. I am not looking for preamp function in the DAC. Price range $2-3k. How would Benchmark DAC 3 B sound?
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The Sony 5400 was listed class A+ by Stereophile when it was current. dCS at $100k was also listed A+ at the time FYI. I own three and love the warm analog type sound. Could not be happier . Still great today IMO, and can not be beat, without spending much more. If it fails you probably can not get it repaired. That is why I own three. |
So I decided to try the latest Bryston DAC - BDA-3 and ordered it yesterday. Just curious to see if/how the HDMI output will work. Thanks for your suggestions.l100 OP Hi; I would be very interested to read some news from you: did it work? I mean... do the Bryston DAC (via HDMI) read the DSD file (SACD disc) from the player Sony HDMI output? Thank you very much. |
mahler1231,259 posts05-03-2020 12:44pmThe Sony can also output DSD over HDMI. If you have a DAC that has an HDMI input, then you are getting DSD. For that reason I recommend the Bryston DAC3. You are welcome to add something :) |
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