| Author |
SCD-XA5400ES |
highfidelity
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Nov 19, 2007
Posts: 43
From: Edgware UK
 |  Posted: 2009-04-23 03:27
Kal Rubinson in his May Stereophile review says the 5400ES is a clear winner over the 9000ES which I sold off because I found the sound was on the bland & sterile side compared to my 20 year old modified Marantz CD94 still the best player I have audioned for RB CD better than expensive players e.g. Marantz SA-7S1 & dCs P.8i
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bbeacham
Rank: Sony Fanatic
Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 360
From:
| Posted: 2009-04-23 21:48
Yes. He said it was the best SACD/CD player he has heard yet, and a more detailed review will be coming in the future. I a very happy with mine at this time. Initially I felt running the CD digital out into the Dac1 sounded better, but now I feel the CD output is at least equal to the Dac1, and perhaps a tad better.
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tcgalo
Rank: Sony Addict
Joined: Oct 13, 2007
Posts: 270
From: denver
 | Posted: 2009-04-23 22:26
On 2009-04-23 21:48, bbeacham wrote:
Initially I felt running the CD digital out into the Dac1 sounded better, but now I feel the CD output is at least equal to the Dac1, and perhaps a tad better.
Can you tell me more please about the DAC1 vs the XA. My dilemma is I have now owned my XA for exactly 2 months now and I was considering getting the DAC1 for CD output. But if what you are saying is true, then you just saved me over 700.00.
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It All Depends
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bbeacham
Rank: Sony Fanatic
Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 360
From:
| Posted: 2009-04-24 03:36
On 2009-04-23 22:26, tcgalo wrote:
On 2009-04-23 21:48, bbeacham wrote:
Initially I felt running the CD digital out into the Dac1 sounded better, but now I feel the CD output is at least equal to the Dac1, and perhaps a tad better.
Can you tell me more please about the DAC1 vs the XA. My dilemma is I have now owned my XA for exactly 2 months now and I was considering getting the DAC1 for CD output. But if what you are saying is true, then you just saved me over 700.00. -----------------
I initially got the Dac1 to use with my Wadia/iPod music server. Since it has multiple digital inputs I also used it as DAC for my 1999 Sony DVD player, which I was using as a CD digital transport. After I got the 5400ES for SACD playback I did a quick listen to the CD output, and attached the digital out to the Dac1. Since I was so used to using the Dac1 for CDs I didn't really pay much attention to the CD aspect of the 5400. After reading the review I started listening to the 5400ES in CD mode and realized it is pretty good. Maybe it was burn-in, maybe I didn't give it a chance, maybe it is all psychological, but as a CD player it does sound pretty good.
The drawback to the 5400ES is that it does not have a digital input so you cannot use it for anything else. If you ever get a music server you will need an external DAc, and the Dac1 is a great DAC. Pesonally, now that I have the iPod/Wadia I only use the CD player to audition a CD to see if it is worthy of going on the iPod.
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RWetmore
Rank: Sonyphile
Joined: Dec 02, 2006
Posts: 486
From: New Jersey
| Posted: 2009-04-24 10:24
I've never heard the Dac1, but the CD playback sounds fabulous on mine.
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highfidelity
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Nov 19, 2007
Posts: 43
From: Edgware UK
| Posted: 2009-05-01 03:39
Yes almost as good as my heavily modified 20 year old Marantz CD94 and the XA5400ES is improving all the time. However have heard that it has been discontinued by Sony ?
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highfidelity
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Nov 19, 2007
Posts: 43
From: Edgware UK
| Posted: 2009-05-01 12:30
May Stereophile arrived today at Borders. 'Music in the Round' I agree with every word Kal Rubinson says about the now discontinued Sony XA5400ES and look forward to reading Part 2. I would like to know what the replacement if any will be.
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bbeacham
Rank: Sony Fanatic
Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 360
From:
| Posted: 2009-05-01 21:37
Wow. Discontinued after 6 months. Sony is slowly going down.
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tcgalo
Rank: Sony Addict
Joined: Oct 13, 2007
Posts: 270
From: denver
| Posted: 2009-05-04 03:50
For those with the XA5400ES...here is a link with it stripped naked http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=3235a0f27b00d46bd3406e154f9ca368&t=1061055&page=16 .
According to Kal Robinson responding to one of the forum members, there is no noticable difference between RCA and XLR connections. In case you wondered.
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It All Depends
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highfidelity
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Nov 19, 2007
Posts: 43
From: Edgware UK
| Posted: 2009-05-06 04:08
I am more interested in any difference between HDMI & Analogue connections for CD playback. When asked Kal said he did not have any CD's in his multi-channel set up ?
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bbeacham
Rank: Sony Fanatic
Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 360
From:
| Posted: 2009-05-06 20:03
The HDMI sound quality will be dependant on the DAC in the AVR (and whether the AVR supports HATS), while the analog is dependant on the DAC(s) in the 5400ES. It is an apples to oranges comparison.
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msilverz
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Jun 30, 2008
Posts: 32
From:
| Posted: 2009-05-11 14:05
On 2009-05-01 12:30, highfidelity wrote:
May Stereophile arrived today at Borders. 'Music in the Round' I agree with every word Kal Rubinson says about the now discontinued Sony XA5400ES and look forward to reading Part 2. I would like to know what the replacement if any will be.
Now discontinued? What evidence is there that Sony has already discontinued the SCD-XA5400ES?
Matty
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msilverz
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Jun 30, 2008
Posts: 32
From:
| Posted: 2009-05-11 14:08
Does anyone know whether either the US or the UK version of the SCD-XA5400ES is dual voltage? (That is, will it work with both US and European voltage standards?)
Thanks!
Matty
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highfidelity
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Nov 19, 2007
Posts: 43
From: Edgware UK
| Posted: 2009-05-13 02:40
My UK model XA5400ES is 230 volt 50 Hz only. Superfi Web site states the Sony SCD-XA5400ES player is discontinued.
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msilverz
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Jun 30, 2008
Posts: 32
From:
| Posted: 2009-05-16 11:17
Here's a random question. I used to have an old 5-disc Sony ES CDchanger from the late 80s. One of the things I liked about it was thatwhen I pressed the scan forward (fast forward) button, the player wouldzoom ahead at a fairly rapid clip. When I first paused the music andthen hit scan forward, it would go even faster (through a 10-minutetrack in less than 10 seconds). This made fast-forwarding to aparticular part of, say, the 35-minute first movement of Mahler's 3rdsymphony fairly painless.
My current player--a Sony DVP-NS9100ES--takes forever and a day to fastforward, perhaps because it doubles as a DVD player. It's veryfrustrating, since it makes comparing various snippets of differentrecordings (one of my favorite pastimes) take much longer than I wouldlike.
So, my question is: how is the Sony SCD-XA5400ES in this regard? If atrack is playing and you hit scan forward, how quickly does it go? Ifthe music is paused, does it go even faster?
Thanks in advance!
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