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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 7 responses by paulfolbrecht

paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 

This Is from Japs Stereo Sound Magazine:
The Best CD/SACD Players for 2009:
1. Denon DSD-SX
2. Pioneer PD-D9 Mk2
3. Marantz SA-13S2
4. Sony SCD-XA5400es
5. Esoteric SA-10
6. Esoteric SA-50
7. Link Majik CD
8. Accuphase DP-700
9. Metronome CD1 Signature
10. Playback MPS-5

Is that a joke - the Playback behind all those other machines? Or is the list not ordered?
paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 

missing from the conversation is the implicit connotation that what is "best" is not absolute and hence dependes upon on'es criteria.

it has often been said that there is no best, so while it is entertaining to discusss the merits of the sony player, it is a philosophical and/or rhetorical question--it has no definitive answer.

Indeed, audio is *highly* subjective. I recall a few years ago a lot of people preferred a Sony Playstation as a digital source over units an order of magnitude or more expensive. In fact, with digital sources I think the level of subjectivity is highest.

Still, there are common and prevailing opinions. For example, it would be surprising to see any audio journal rate the Playback machine behind those others if that is actually the case - such a take would be counter to what's typical, in the audio press itself as well as outside of it. (As for me, I've never heard it.)


there is no best anything in life, period.

There's a bit of a silly statement, philosophically. :) So the only absolute is that there are absolutely no absolutes? I disagree.

In audio there may be no absolutes.
paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 
Food, art, and literature indeed have no absolutes.
paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 
Too bad the Weiss won't play DSD.

I find the Sony 5400 quite excellent on SACD and good on RB too, but the two very good redbook/PCM DACs I have are better (driven by a Mac Mini).
paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 
Rfogel8, what kind of music do you listen to? I am curious for this reason: I have learned that comparisons of digital to vinyl are very music-sensitive.

This is what I mean. I listen mainly to 40s-60s jazz and have found that, while good digital recordings on good players can be very good, good records on vinyl are still substantially better. And, even more importantly, there are many many more good recordings of this genre on vinyl than digital.

(I had a MW 5400 but ultimately sold it. It was truly great - best digital I have heard - but a vinyl setup not much more expensive was still much better. By "much better" I mean much less fatigue and more enjoyment over long listening sessions.)
paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback. I used NOS 6SN7s but not the better cord. Perhaps my specific favorite recordings are just better on vinyl.

P.S. My listed system here is very out of date. I still have my Audio Note DAC, though. I had a hard time deciding if I liked the MW Sony or AN DAC better on redbook. Good SACDs edged out the best redbook which were invariably XRCDs on both. Also the MW as transport into the AN DAC was substantially better than the Mac Mini I was using (and am still using).

Good jazz SACDs are just so rare. I take it you're listening to mostly redbook in that genre. XRCD?
paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 
Audioholik, did Kal compare the 5400 and Oppo on both redbook and SACD?

Funny - I had that issue and threw it out without reading the article.
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