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
The last 3 posts are comparing apples and oranges. The EMM is a $10k set up, while the Sony is 1/10 that cost. Most of us in the real world can't spend the value of a used car on a CDP.
Tgyeti - point of this thread is that the Sony is the best player under $10K. If that's true, the Sony should be as good as the EMM. The Sony is a nice machine that does a lot of things well, but it doesn't cost 10K or sound like it does. Or 8K or 6K. If you think it does, then it does.
IF YOU WERE TO HAVE JENA-LABS OF OREGON MODIFY A STOCK $499.00 BASIC OPPO-83 LIKE I DID THEN YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT EVEN BE INTERESTED IN THE SONY. JENNIFER CROCK ROCKS!
WHAT AN AMAZING VALUE.UNLIKE ALL OF THE OTHER OPPO MODDERS SHE IS A TRUE SONICS ENGINEER AND NOT JUST A HOBBYIST WHO SWAPS PARTS.
Chayro - I don't believe the title of the thread, I know the Sony probably doesn't sound as good as a 10k player. That's not MY point. I just find your conversation silly.
My Rolls is better than your Kia! Well, no kidding ..lol.

*as an aside .... didn't a first generation Ipod beat a 10k - 20k CDP in a BLIND test before a large audience*
Well, I don't know much about Ipods, but if you're saying that more expensive players sound better than cheaper players of the same generation, I agree with you.