Sony SACD Player SCD-XA5400ES; YAY or NAY?

Balanced to avoid problems in long complicated runs backstage, ok.

home, a 1 meter cable, no interference ever with anything, HOW can a balanced VERSION of Analog (after all processing) be better???

thanks generally, I will comment to specifics later,

please remember, I don't/won't stream, it's just not for me.

I am the one who started 'upgrade CD to SACD', (I found that from stereophile, below) so I am posting some of what I found online:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-4hMRMWIbYmp/p_158XA5400E/Sony-ES-SCD-XA5400ES.html

 

digital-to-analog converters, which employ 12-layer digital filtering and direct DSD-to-analog conversion to deliver superlative SACD performance.

https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/audio-player/sacd-players/sony-scd-xa5400es-player/

 to criticize the Sony for making a bad mastering job sound bad isn’t right,

the cost, but for just a couple of dollars per recording to make everything in my collection (400 cds) sound so much better

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/4000/40006911M.pdf

Dual Laser Optical Pickup

Super Audio D/A Converter

CDs are recorded in the PCM format). The DSD format, using a sampling frequency 64 times higher than that of a conventional CD, and with 1-bit quantization

https://www.stereophile.com/content/new-sony-5400-sacd-player-has-made-your-8000-cd-player-obsolete-1

https://www.stereophile.com/musicintheround/music_in_the_round_36

finger-pointing about direct conversion of DSD to analog vs conversion via intermediary transcoding to PCM.

Sony's Technical Background paper spends a lot of words on SACD processing but says little about the player's CD processing, except to describe an 8x-oversampling filter and a noise shaper that result in a 2.8224MHz signal-sampling frequency—the same as that of DSD. "In this way, the SA-DAC presents both CD and SACD signals to the final converter stage in the identical 1-bit/64fs form." The explanation, presumably translated from Japanese, is not entirely clear, but if Sony is implying that CDs played on the SCD-XA5400ES should sound pretty close to SACDs, I think they have a good case.

differences between the two-channel SACD and CD tracks of many discs disappeared, and better CD recordings were revealed as sounding detailed, spacious, and luscious.

 

July 2020:
It is a multichannel SACD player – the last great one from Sony, massively built

 

https://www.hifinews.com/content/sony-scd-xa5400es-%C2%A31200

but jitter has always been an issue - until now

With stereo SACD the often slightly edgy upper frequencies, wrought by producers trying to make SACD sound sharper, are buffed smooth without any adverse softening of their impact.

SCD-XA5400ES’s bass is inherently fast and deep.

The balanced XLR output offers a further advance, bringing the 5400ES closer still to XA9000ES quality.

................................................

"In this way, the SA-DAC presents both CD and SACD signals to the final converter stage in the identical 1-bit/64fs form."

Contradicted in writing anywhere?

 

I demoed a used sony at a local dealer several years ago and wanted to buy it.  It sounded smooth but bland and lacked detail, dynamics and presence.  

a mid line marantz player sounded better to my years.  

i wound up purchasing the marantz sa8005 which sounded spectacular and levels above the sony.  

for me the XA5400 was a dosappointment considering the reputation.  

The 5400 is a fantastic player all around. They are no more notorious for laser problems than other CD players. They also do not  “upscale" your CD's to SACD, as the member soix mentioned. 

I'm glad you mentioned that jafant ... streaming is on ascendancy but has not eclipsed Sony's ability to do shiny disks!!  Or many others for that matter .... 

2nd-

 

No streaming replaces a CD/SACD.

 

Happy Listening!

mountainsong

 

Nice! collection of CD/SACD players. Besides the SACD playback capibilty, can you talk about the sonic difference(s) between the Luxman D10x and D03x ?

 

Happy Listening!

I’ve got one and I can attest that this is a hefty, well-built piece of gear. The DAC in it is circa 2000’s; I replaced a California Audio Labs Delta/Alpha set with it and it was definitely an improvement in detail but not in musicality. But when I got my Schiit Yggdrasil, the difference was astounding. I listened to a few SACD’s for comparison with streamed versions, and put the unit away in my basement as a backup. The Yggdrasil was far, far superior in all respects to the dac in the Sony, even with SACD recordings compared to the 44/16 versions.

Absolutely. Sony's last great SACD PLAYER. Love mine.

Also plays DSD disc's.

 

I have Luxman D10x in one system 

Luxman D03X in another 

And the Sony 5400es in another one. I bought three extra laser units so it might Outlast me lol.

Great piece of audio.

I noticed that no streaming replaces a CD.

 

 

I've been using one for years and it is bulletproof to say the least.  The sound is excellent on both CD & SACD, particularly if you use the Balanced XLR outputs.

I use mine every day and the only way I've been able to improve the sound is by hooking it up to my Chord Hugo TT II using a best-in-class SPDIF cable for CDs.

I vote "YAY"

Substantial piece of hardware with good SACD sound, but CD sound that is inoffensive, but was far bettered by a $750 Bel Canto dac.  You might consider it if you have a lot of SACDs, but otherwise I would pass unless you are willing to add a dac for CDs. Then again, others seem to think the CD sound is adequate, so you might think it's fine.

Personally I wouldn’t want my CDs “upscaled” to SACD.  No thanks.  Otherwise it seems like a solid piece. 

very good unit

So is Sony still making any great players?

I continue to enjoy my XA5400ES.  SQ-wise, it competes with (though truly seldom surpasses) both my vinyl and internet sources even when it is just spinning CDs. It definitely sounds better than did my previous SACD/CD player, a Marantz. I hope I'm not laying a curse on the thing, but it has also yet to fail on me.

The only Sony "uber-" SACD player I heard was WAY too long ago: SCD-1 (at a dealer); and that was enough.  Sony knew how to design around its format, and you literally had to drag me out of the listening room.  The sound was so good for DSD I forgot which speakers they were playing through as well.

I'd figure the later iterations of Sony's flagship SACDs would be just as good; my only concern would be the age.  If you've got a local, good audio shop close by that knows Sony - that would melt away some of my reticence.