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Review: Sony SCD-XA5400ES CD Player

Category: Digital

I love natural recordings that capture the full acoustic envelope of the performances. The Shostakovich Sonatas performed by Ax and YYMa comes to mind...the Sony portrays the entire event in such an unforced and natural manner that it triggers ones acoustic memory into believing it is real. A player that offers no tone color or openness would be my worst nightmare. I replaced my BAT VK D5 24 bit CDP and was amazed at how much resolution and color was lost on the older design. The Sony re-creates the space, music and acoustic tones with overtones so completely that you start to smile and realize that you have been given a great gift...a peak into the performance as it occured at the recording session. My opinion of the Sony applies as much for the redbook section as it does for the SACD section. This player will become a classic product for digital playback....much better it does not get! It's a keeper at any price,,,for $1500 USD it is a freakin steal. This is Sony's best effort to date and manages to break new ground in the digital domain:)

Associated gear
Wilson Sophia speakers
Krell 400xi amp
Harmonic Tech Cables
MIT Oracle AC 2 power cord

Similar products
Sony SCD-1
Sony SCD-XA9000ES
Sony SCD-XA777ES
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Wadia 851
Krell SACD Standard
MF A5
BAT VK D524bit
ARC CD 3
128x128dave_b
steelhead
318 posts
 
Interesting, would you rate it significantly better than the SCD-1 on SACD?

How did it compare on redbook on the SCD-1.

thanks!
schipo
1,268 posts
 
Interested in knowing why you only compared it's cd section to the BAT while ignoring Krell and other Sony's?
dave_b's avatar
dave_b OP
3,159 posts
 
Steelhead, the Sony SCD-XA5400ES was just another experiment for me in the latest digital offerings available to us audiophiles. At it's price point, it was an easy decision to give one a try. What strikes me about the new Sony is how utterly complete, vivid and distortion free the sound is while maintaining musicality, transparency and oodles of detail. The acoustic space of any given recording becomes as much a part of the sound as anything...refreshing! Piano is rendered so believably that I almost have to force open my eyes to check if someone didn't sneek a grand in-between my Sophias. The SACD-1 was fairly brilliant sounding and clear but without the deep rich harmonic textures of the XA5400. I can't believe that SONY could deliver such an amazing player for so little with a sound so engrossing that I wish every audiophile could hear one and understand the frivolity of pursueing other, would be state of the art players...this is as good as it needs to be, period!
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