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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
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,695 posts
 
Well, now we are getting to some gnarly stuff. There is no way you can be certain that a particular device sounds one way or the other without listening to it. You may say that you know it has no tubes and that is sufficient. However, I maintain that it is not.

There are ways to "voice" a component to sound one way or not if the designer so chooses. Bob Carver demonstrated that he could make a SS amp sound like a tube amp. Conversely, the SF Line3 and Power3 that I once owned sounded more like SS than tubes.

In addition, to go back to the garlic analogy, you are assuring that every disc you play on this modded player will sound a particular way which, although you may like that flavor, will obscure the subtler differences among your many recordings. Sort of like having the garlic obscure any other flavors that the chef might be inspired to create. Of course, you can say you don't want to taste anything but garlic. If so, that's a limited palate.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,695 posts
 
And, now, of course, this interface prevents me from editing or deleting my posts despite being logged in. So, I guess, both posts will remain despite some redundancy.

Kal
billeames's avatar
billeames
36 posts
 
My older Simaudio Eclipse (2002 model) sounded more larger and dynamic. 5400 has great midrange, compared to Sim, its thin sounding. For the price 5400 good, but more expensive players better.
Even CD on Sim sounded better to me than SACD on 5400. Just my opinion. This is a subjective opinion. Others may feel differently.

Bill
mystang
74 posts
 
I'am a Master Gardnener and there are quite a few different types of Garlic and they all taste different.So unless you grow your own no way to know for sure what you are getting.Even if you grow only one type changes in the amount of sun and water it gets will change the flavor.
So how can you predict how it will taste/sound?

I have a Sony on the way and I will for sure listen to what I just purchased before even considering any other option.
edorr
714 posts
 
I'm with mr Tennis on this one. He is not necessarily buying the "mod". He is in the market for a tube player and has a budget of $3,500. So you look at the contenders in this space and a modded sony is one of them. He is not interested in a $1,500 solid state player.

In food analogy; you want to go out for a Italian dinner on a $50 budget and are thinking of getting saltimbocca at Restaurant "Mama Sonia". Would you order their $20 pasta dish first to make sure their cooking is OK, and get the saltimbocca on a second visit? No. You order the saltimbocca and if you don't like it you never come back.
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