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 Levinson 39, 390S, 360S Wadia 851 Krell SACD Standard MF A5 BAT VK D524bit ARC CD 3
Metralla rising...and with candor! Good to know there is hope afterall. The XA5400ES is an amazing player, especially considering the cost. It has pure grainless accurate tone across the spectrum with great dynamic range. Extension is beyond reproach and it operates flawlessly:O) I must say that it has an uncanny sense of just enough warmth and humanity without being colored..of course it demands the best connections.
Aarif's comment was mildly funny. What really put me over the top in laughter was the comment about $15K products and hifi tuning fuses. :-) I suppose there was a point there, though.
All humor aside, thanks for the review and break-in reports, Dave b. Much appreciated! I'm considering this player and quite interested.
Anyone compare this player to separates or SOTA one boxes like Esoteric, Levinson, Meridian, etc? Any comparisons to computer audio systems? Thanks for commenting. And Dave you've done a great job with the review so far!
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