5+ years old $5k player vs. current $2k player

Regarding PS Audio Perfect Wave, I have no experience with the DAC. The PWT I own and know well. There are several past threads where PWT users compared them to their older expensive/highly rated transports, most found the PWT a definite step above once broken-in.

The PWT has been sincerely wonderful in my experience.
Best Regards,

Everyone will have their opinion, but mine is that many recent DACs and CD players, especially the more entry level ones, have become more and more lean and detailed whereas many older ones are often richer and more "musical". The technology has changed but so has the desired sound. So, I would think about what sound you want and then go from there.

Get the sony 5400, new, and you are set for another five years.

I completely agree w/ Dtc. My experience is that the newer players (and DACs) are more revealing and offer "features" which accommodate computer inputs. However, from a listening "experience" standpoint, many 5 yr old (or even older) digital sources sound better to my ears. For example, I owned a Berkeley DAC a few months ago (also a W4S DAC 2). It was very good but I prefer such older classics as the Museatex Bidat, Camelot Uther, Audiomeca Enkianthus, Audio Aero Capitole, Accuphase DP75V. To me, the older units are more enjoyable (musical) -- the midrange is simply more fleshed out and solid - top end is less bright. Again, this is simply my experience.

Jeffga and Dtc I hear you both. Although I can't comment so much on older units I can equate this to some of the newer ones I have listened to lately including the Oppo 95, W4S2 and MHDT Havana with a Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus on the way. Both the Oppo and Wired for Sound are more similar than different but both are very good and you have to look at these in the context of their price and the ESS Saber 9018 chip they both use which provides the extra detail that is quite notable compared to the Havana. The NOS Havana DOES have the richness, timbre and musical involvement than either the W4S or Oppo but LACKS the detail and frequency extension. My preference for any of the three is dependent on the music. The SACD presentation of the Oppo is astounding for orchestral and piano music at this price point along with everything else it offers and I would say it is an amazing value HOWEVER it does sound somewhat lean with small ensemble and vocal music which I am currently trying to ameliorate with cabling and tweeking with varying success. BTW, it is still breaking in. The reason I ordered the Eastern Electric, which also uses the 9018 chip is that it has both the tube and op-amp output with separate power supplies. The S/N ratio has been improved dramatically which should bring its performance up a notch or two, I haven't heard the original but it seems to be widely regarded at the lower end of the spectrum. I'm hoping the plus will provide the richness of the Havana, another great bargain in my estimation, and the resolution and frequency extension of the others = "musicality", we shall see. What I do find exciting is that low cost digital is closing the gap and I expect within a very short time this will become less an issue.