What's the best Sony CD/SACD player?

I haven't heard DVP, but my XA5400ES does not sound strident. However there is this Sony house sound that I also heard on DAP9000ES preamp as I remember. I wonder if that's what you are referring to. Other than the house sound, it sounds exceptionally neutral and detailed.

Allen,

My DVP-S9000ES had a bit of stridency. When it finally failed to play SACD discs reliably, I sent it to Sony Larado. According to their report, Sony overhauled it and brought it up to specs. Whatever they did, the stridency is gone and it is an improved player. So much so, it replaced a 9100ES in my primary system.

db

I've used a Sony NS999ES for quite some time, primarily for SACD as almost all of my RBCD is ripped to a music server and played via a Squeezebox. RBCD that is played on the Sony goes through an external DAC, but as far as SACD performance goes, the need for a change has been hard to justify!

On the subject of SACD performance, does anyone know if there's ever been any kind of upgrade path for the SACD decoding chips from Sony? They essentially own the technology, right? If they've never changed the decoding chip architecture at all (like has been the case in a myriad number of ways with RBCD chips...), should there really be that much difference in SACD performance amongst Sony players (or any other for that matter?)? I'd imagine there's been changes to things like power supplies, output stages, transports etc., but has Sony ever introduced an "updated" SACD decode chip... just some food for thought and conversation.

How do you tell what kind of SACD decoding chip is used on which model? Unlike other high end manufacturers Sony employs their own custom chipset and AFAIK it's not published anywhere which chips are used.

Guys-I think you're all missing the point for the existence of the 5400; that is passing multichannel SACD data over an HDMI interface to a proper decoding processor. The fact that it plays stereo CD and stereo SACD well is just a bonus

Give it a try; multichannel blows away stereo, by miles and miles! None of that darker, warmer, more neutral, etc., stuff - you are just there, right at the performanace.

Russ