techradar realy praises this cdp, but comparison is made with xa9000 only, which it bettered for much less money, this is promising. however they mentioned the yamaha s2000 as a competitor for sony xa5400, and they wonder what would be result in a competition... this realy implies no high leage presence, since they would say mcintosh, accuphase, nagra,wadia or whatever otherwise... i would be interested in any direct comparison of this cdp... on the otherhand stereophile reviewers use quite a few times sony xa9000 (or other sony, if i remember well) as a reference (which surprised me at first, because i thought sony had small reputation among audiophiles), which again means xa5400 could be in reference leage...
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
Levinson 39, 390S, 360S
Wadia 851
Krell SACD Standard
MF A5
BAT VK D524bit
ARC CD 3
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
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- 201 posts total
- 201 posts total