Okay. While that may be true, that isn't the full extent of the differences. Precisely what they aren't, I can't say. However, the SA5ES does have a lower THD and S/N ratio specification, indicating higher quality in some areas.
The SA5ES is basically the same circuit design as the ST-S730ES or ST-S707ESX and possibly one other that I'm forgetting right here. What Sony may have done, however, was to correct a board layout problem that resulted in terribly reduced sensitivity on the ST-S730ES.
Still, David Rich in The Audio Critic did note that there are some problems in the front end of the SA5ES that remain. It has a problem with tailbiting and still isn't as sensitive as it should be on paper.
That said, I would strongly suggest you seek out a Yamaha TX-1000/2000 if you're after a digital tuner with a remote, flywheel tuning, and respectable performance. In many important respects, this tuner utilized the same basically principles as Rotel's RHT-10 and RT-990BX, long noted for great sound. With a marginal amount of capacitor and opamp swapping, they are truly superb tuners. Even in stock form, they're quite amazing for the money. The earlier T-85 also utilizes the same basic principles.
