Sony SACD 5400 ES: how to get it in standby ?

Not so, Rsfphil. On the unit itself, simply hold the power button down, wait a few seconds after the "Standby" message and it turns off.

Regards,

Metralla. I've tried it both ways. Held the power button down for a split second and held the power button down for a few seconds and I got exactly the same results. The standby message flashes for a few seconds and then the unit clicks off. Is it clicking into standby or is it turning completely off? This is with the remote and with the unit itself. I read the instructions and I can't find where it says to hold the button down for a few seconds to turn it completely off. Granted the instructions are unclear. This is from the instruction manual.
Power Switch
"Turns the power to the player on or off.
To let the player enter power-saving mode (standby mode), press power on the remote or the player"
It doesn't mention how to turn the power completely off.
My guess is that the unit is always in standby.

The standby message flashes for a few seconds and then the unit clicks off. Is it clicking into standby or is it turning completely off?

OK, I see what you are saying. To be honest, I have no idea. I only do this when (a) I go away for a couple of weeks on business or holidays (b) I want to move the SACD player to apply a little mineral oil to the soapstone shelf on which it sits.

In (b), after I turn it off I pull out the power cable and move it. Then when finished, plug it back in, turn on.

In (a), I just leave the house. I honestly don't know if it is still in standby.

Thanks for posting. You could be right when you say "My guess is that the unit is always in standby." My problem is that I have never put it into Standby to see what that state looks like.

Regards,

If you can turn it on/off with the remote, it must be in "Stand-By." It could not respond to the remote if it was really powered off.

Kal