SONY SCD-XA5400ES vs all Accuphase models

VERY ,Very long ramble...
I am STILL constantly suprised by some stuff I hear. I have (many times) thought I owned stuff that sounded really great. Then, with time, I listen to something new that blows away all my preconceptions of what upper mid-fi can sound like.
I remember when I bought a Rotel CD transport, with an Adcom 700 DA converter. Years later I bought a Sony SCD777ES and compared the Rotel via Adcom and the Sony (digital out) via the Adcom 700. The Sony blew the Rotel so far out of the water, I was embarrassed to offer the Rotel for sale! (Curiously, the Sony SCD777ES analogue out sounded about the same as the Sony-as-transport via the Adcom 700DA.)
So clearly the Rotel was superceeded, whereas the Adcom was still up to current standards. (AT THAT TIME)
Then I had an Audio Research SP-10 preamp, I bought an Audio Research SP-15 and was impressed with the far better sound of the SP-15. The SP-10 has a 'Following" and is reguarded as a 'classic' where not as much praise is lavished on the SP-15. To my ears the Sp-15 was a quantum jump ahead of the SP-10. So some 'audiophiles' will scream HERITIC! at me. I use my ears.
Another wake up call came recently, when I auditioned some speakers and amp. They made my current system sound like a pile of old horse dung. I am going to buy the new speakers and amp, but until I do.. I am listening to my old "music in a box" (once glorious sounding but now junk) and waiting for Nirvana (new stuff) to arrive soon.
So what I am telling you is YES, stuff gets buried in the dust by new, and sometimes cheaper stuff. And NO, sometimes folks are so attached to what they think they know, that they refuse to hear what is there.
So, as always you have to hear it for yourself.
Also, be aware, old CD transports are find themselves in the dumpster because they do not have laser assy's available. So think about that when buying classic Cd players. I know Sony has no Laser parts for the SCD777ES, not does Audio Research have any for the CD1 CD2 CD3 players they sold. As many of the used high end CD player buyers are discovering.. the stuff is obsolete, partly because of progress, partly because the parts are no longer available to fix them.
So, advice is always to be taken with a grain of salt, you might be suprised how great the Sony sounds, or, you might not. It is your hearing. But yes it could be true.

I remember years ago taking a Sony 707ES cd player in to a shop that was displaying the new Rotel $1400 CD player that had gotten an absolute rave from stereophile. The clerk told me I shouldn't even bother, the Sony would blow it so far out of the water it was ridiculous. He did set it up fo rme and he was right. TO get comparable sound from new units that he sold, we had to move up to a $5000 EAD player. I kept the Sony.
Unfortunately, I have no experience with Sony vs Accuphase.

I spent October 2009 listening to 5400 versus Simaudio Eclipse and Andromeda. I prefered Sim products to 5400. Yes, 5400 has nice midrange, smooth, silky, and ravishes the ear. Sim products had liveliness, complete tonal range (esp Andromeda), dynamics.

When it comes to tonal balance it does not compete to above Sim products. Sorry I cannot comment on Accuphase. But I would think that Accuphase is superior to Sony, but that is a conjecture. All above in my opinion of course.

Many thanks for your answers Billeames,Honest1 and Elisabeth.Your post is very usefool not only for me,(I think/hope so),also for another audiophils from here.
Please who have direct contact with this Sony,please post your opinion here!

I would say the original statement you received is fairly accurate.
Digital converters and class D amps are about the only evolving technologies. Everything else is just being fine tuned.
Have a 5400 and am quite pleased.
Anything with the new Sabre chips should be checked out.

I have not heard the big buck Accuphase CD players, but I have compared the 5400 to many multi-thousand dollar CD players and it sounds preferable to all the others.

The Sony 5400 takes at least six weeks to "bloom" and break in!

Thanks Magnumpi205 and Don c55.All of you put me very serious to think better and how soon is posibil to buy a Sony 5400.I promise when I have one,I write here a real comparation on my Accuphase and the Sony player.

Well I haven`t heard the Sony SACD-5400 but I`ve heard the Sony XA50ES, XA555ES and the SACD-777ES and they all sound ok but compared to the Accuphase DP-67, they all sound IMHO DIGITAL ! The DP-65 was a fine cd player and one of the best at it`s time, and the DP-67 is even better! If money were no option I would prefer the Accuphase DP-65 or DP-67 every time ! I`ve had a DP-65 myself and now I own the DP-67, which can also be used as a stand alone DAC, which is a nice feature !

I have the model DP-65V,and the people who have the 2 model one with V and one without V,said lyke is very big diference in this 2 models, the V models said is much more musical and some peoples sai lyke he is in some directions better lyke upper models lyke DP-75V and DP-67.I don't know if is so or not(I don't have the posibility to hear only my model and I am very happy with them),....but I here so much good things about the new sacd from Sony,things who made me to buy a sony to convinceded me personal of the true.(or more exactly the true in my mind).

I have had the 5400 for 2 weeks, I have owned Marantz SA11-S1, S2, NAD M5 most recently. The Sony in my opinion beats all of them, it is more honest in it's representation, the NAD is the closest to the sound of the Sony but the Sony beats in detail and low end responce. The Marantz are great players if you have brighter components since they do add a liile warmth. I have never listened to Accuphace but I bet the Sony would be a step up.