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
Wywires Juice II is a really nice power cord. It bested Lessloss DFPC on the Sony in my system at half the cost. Also,try an Audioprism rca ground control on the Sony. This addition really opened up the sound of the Sony.
I just got my stock XA5400 about 2 weeks ago and am 'stunned' at what I'm hearing on redbook.
And the player isn't fully burned in yet!!

I'm also curious as to what others are using for an interconnect to their preamps. I'm using a Madrigal XLR CZ Gel 1 between my Levinson 38S and so far it's very smooth and holographic. No harsh edginess or fatiguing qualities.
What other great cables are there to match with the Sony?
I use a pair of Jenna Labs Symphony for me they get the tone better than others that I have tried.
I finally finished the comparison of the Playback Designs cd player vs the Modright Sony XA5400ES. The Playback did sound better after the 500 hour mark. I probably ended up with 800 hours on it. In the end I sold it. I thought the Modright was more musical and more organic in the midrange. Detail of both were great. The bass on the Playback in the Upper Mids were just a touch tighter, that is it. The Playback is five times the price of the modright and should be better in every way.
Well price is not always a factor. I will not miss the Playback.