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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
 
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.
tgyeti
84 posts
 
Chayro - I don't believe the title of the thread, I know the Sony probably doesn't sound as good as a 10k player. That's not MY point. I just find your conversation silly.
My Rolls is better than your Kia! Well, no kidding ..lol.

*as an aside .... didn't a first generation Ipod beat a 10k - 20k CDP in a BLIND test before a large audience*
chayro
2,997 posts
 
Well, I don't know much about Ipods, but if you're saying that more expensive players sound better than cheaper players of the same generation, I agree with you.
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,184 posts
 
As far as quality the Sony 5400 has very good build quality just because the plant moved to Malaysia does not mean this quality went with it .While in Europe I seen a writeup that shows a state of the are Co. that are trained my Sonys best and have tight QUALITY CONTROL , very good internal components The dual R core transformers are make in Japan as well as the capacitors and the transport is only 2nd best behind Esoteric, the Burrbrown dacs and reciever chips are made in the U.S.A -aka Texas instruments.If this was still made in Japan where labor is 3x higher this unit would be over $4500 this is what Sonys
rep said which a is true of the labor costs ,also inside is very well layed out .This unit does take some 500 hours to fully runin myself and several others have logged hours at least 2 fell weeks 24-7 just for it to smooth out .

I will say one thing though I Heard the New Modwright Ultimate mod for the Sony 5400 while out west against a Esoteric 03-SE which is a very good unit the Sony was a much more musical unit ,you wil see I am sure some exceptinal reviews coming out on this .It was so good My unit is now at Modwrights getting transformed IMO one of the best deals in all of audio ! I will tell you exactly how it sounds once back in my system by mid July .
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