Sony SCD-XA5400ES-Best SACD for under $10,000


This Sony player supplanted my Ayre C5-XE 3, which I still have, months ago. I paid $6000 for the Ayre after determining that it was the best-sounding unit for under $10,000. The Sony blows it away!!!
A unit costing $1500 besting all others under $10,000? That is exactly what it does!
For reference, I am using Audio Research electronics and Vandersteen speakers and subwoofers (about $30,000); a similar system has repeatedly been lauded as "best of show" at CES, so we are NOT talking second-rate stuff here.
This Sony is the only SACD/Cd player I have EVER heard that puts a classical piano live in my living room; nothing I ever had before even comes close.
This unit is a small miracle. I would have gladly paid $8000 for it, but if they want to give the thing away for $1500, who am I to argue?
This unit is going to send the engineers at Audio Research, Luxman, Esoteric, and Ayre back to the drawing board; their current units at 4 to 5 times the price are not even close. Some engineer at Sony is a freaking genius!!!
wa6itd

Showing 4 responses by mystang

I use a pair of Jenna Labs Symphony for me they get the tone better than others that I have tried.
Kr4, "I've never understood that"

I would have thought you burn in the stock unit first,that way you do not to subject the tubes to the added hours?
I'am a Master Gardnener and there are quite a few different types of Garlic and they all taste different.So unless you grow your own no way to know for sure what you are getting.Even if you grow only one type changes in the amount of sun and water it gets will change the flavor.
So how can you predict how it will taste/sound?

I have a Sony on the way and I will for sure listen to what I just purchased before even considering any other option.
Mitch2
I have both and the Oppo is the warmer one and to me it is obvious on a short listen but I would not call it a great difference.