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Sony SCD-XA5400ES-Best SACD for under $10,000

This Sony player supplanted my Ayre C5-XE 3, which I still have, months ago. I paid $6000 for the Ayre after determining that it was the best-sounding unit for under $10,000. The Sony blows it away!!!
A unit costing $1500 besting all others under $10,000? That is exactly what it does!
For reference, I am using Audio Research electronics and Vandersteen speakers and subwoofers (about $30,000); a similar system has repeatedly been lauded as "best of show" at CES, so we are NOT talking second-rate stuff here.
This Sony is the only SACD/Cd player I have EVER heard that puts a classical piano live in my living room; nothing I ever had before even comes close.
This unit is a small miracle. I would have gladly paid $8000 for it, but if they want to give the thing away for $1500, who am I to argue?
This unit is going to send the engineers at Audio Research, Luxman, Esoteric, and Ayre back to the drawing board; their current units at 4 to 5 times the price are not even close. Some engineer at Sony is a freaking genius!!!
wa6itd
chayro
2,997 posts
 
"The EMM has a you-are-there feeling that the Sony does not."

Well, that's sort of what it's all about, isn't it? Once you've experienced that in your hifi, it's very hard to go back. Of course, if you've never experienced a player that brings the performance into your room (to the extent possible) you won't miss it.
rgs92
974 posts
 
@Chayro, yes it is hard to go back. But I've never been a believer in the absolute sound concept. Different perspectives keep things interesting. That's why I have lots of headphones and love to listen to something first on one phone than others. The Sony is more gentle than real live music, but it is, well, gentle on my mind. It is NOT some mid-fi thing that makes me think I would be better off listening to talk radio with my time. The Sony has a golden-glow style, a coloration I guess, but with digital, there are far worse evils. Long ago I had a Sony SCD777ES that was just plain terrible to my ears (with vocals that sounded like a cheap radio) so I guess I am a little shocked at the how much better the 5400 is. FWIW, it sounds really nice through a pair of Grado PS1000 headphones.
tgyeti
84 posts
 
The last 3 posts are comparing apples and oranges. The EMM is a $10k set up, while the Sony is 1/10 that cost. Most of us in the real world can't spend the value of a used car on a CDP.
chayro
2,997 posts
 
Tgyeti - point of this thread is that the Sony is the best player under $10K. If that's true, the Sony should be as good as the EMM. The Sony is a nice machine that does a lot of things well, but it doesn't cost 10K or sound like it does. Or 8K or 6K. If you think it does, then it does.
fuqua
5 posts
 
IF YOU WERE TO HAVE JENA-LABS OF OREGON MODIFY A STOCK $499.00 BASIC OPPO-83 LIKE I DID THEN YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT EVEN BE INTERESTED IN THE SONY. JENNIFER CROCK ROCKS!
WHAT AN AMAZING VALUE.UNLIKE ALL OF THE OTHER OPPO MODDERS SHE IS A TRUE SONICS ENGINEER AND NOT JUST A HOBBYIST WHO SWAPS PARTS.
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