Sony XA-5400ES used a system called HATS only compatible with matching Sony AVR to send the DSD layer, like PS Audio does. I switched to Marantz SA-10 when PS discontinued their transport. You could use this as a transport via coax but it plays sacd and upconverts everything including pcm to DSD 11.2. The "dac" tech is proprietary. Not a chip, not a ladder, not a ring dac. New model SACD-10 just released, way more expensive, making lightly used or open box or even new old stock SA-10 very affordable if you can find one. Listed for $7k, which was way less than new Luxman or Esoteric. Has not been reviewed yet and I'm hoping it will. SA-10 predecessor never had a really thorough review I could find.
SACD Player/Transport Choices
I am planning to acquire a McIntosh MCT500 to go with my C53 (proprietary MCT connection). But I am wondering if there are other good SACD transport choices that will send a true DSD stream to an external DAC on a non-proprietary basis, either through USB or I2S. I’m trying to research this, but it’s difficult to find definitive answers regarding the actual digital stream from SACD - often I discover that the stream is converted to PCM. I do know PSAudio has a scheme similar to McIntosh.
I realize simply purchasing DSD and streaming from an SSD is probably more practical these days. But I am sort of fixated on a physical disc player. Budget-wise, most interested in transports around or below that of the MCT500 (~$5K). Thanks for your thoughts and advice.