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Sony XA-5400ES


JBLoudG20

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Hopstrecth I am not aying anything about you, don't get me wrong, in fact I am grateful you let us examine this. Let's see.

No worries. I'm not emotionally invested in it and don't own one. :)

I have no idea at this point what the fact of the matter is. It would be pretty strange, though, for them to so explicitly state things that simply weren't true, would it not?

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I'm running mine off of the RCA's currently. I don't have any XLRs, but maybe now I won't bother with them after reading that.

In regards to the dacs, I have no proof, but I really do remember reading about how it uses different dacs for SACD/Redbook, and different ones for SE and balanced.

I don't know how I'd prove that, considering I know jack shit about internal parts.

Oh well.

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I have no idea at this point what the fact of the matter is. It would be pretty strange, though, for them to so explicitly state things that simply weren't true, would it not?

I would have to agree. Sony isn't some small company if you can prove what they claim is false then sue the crap out of them. I'm sure you can find someone to take it to class action.

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:o no legal matters, at least for me...

I just took loan of both units to see, ok mostly hear, how they work. And I was mucho curious about the CD-RB capacity of the player, after this thread and some reviews around. I should add it is sounding real smooth right now, around 6 hours after (speaker rig).

As for the DAC etc... well just download the paper and look at the analog board pics. You will see just one 1796 chip and some opamps, no 'magic'. A well done chasis, transport and quite good PSU. And yes, there is some 'magic' on the digital board, but that's it. Hey, after all this is a 1k CD player, and for the price it offers more than usually one founds outside China Co!

And as for the paper: someone had done over-rated marketing and some guy/gal got te wrong image on it; no big deal. We saw greater offenses to the logics so much times... but yes, it is a bit shocking coming from this company.

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24h upgrade: the 1k CD player with some digital magic is doing well.

A real smoothie, I am liking it, extended 3dimensional soundstage with precise imaging, maybe it needs a bit more of bass oomph and 'guts'.

Operationally is a charm (silent, quick, smooth) but the remote needs to be pointed to the unit or it is just a remote with no control. In my unit.

And after realising how to make the damn (someone said 'intelligent') HDMI connections to work for the STR5400 receiver, I see the HATS logo light up.

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I've also wondered about the bass at times, but with some music it seems to be all there and then some. I may end up deciding it is ever-so-slightly bass-lite with more listening, but even if thats the case, it will be of no consequence to bass depth.

Throughout my source evolution, I've definitely come to appreciate accurate, controlled bass over a larger quantity of sloppy bass.

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Ok well I think I will be sticking with my DAC now. Methinks that I will be investing in the hhb player that was in Headroom's room at CJ:

HHB UDP89 | Sweetwater.com

It does downsampled SACD out the AES/ABU at up to 16/88.2 which is sweet:

HHB UK | UDP-89

I'm looking on page 40 of the manual but page 33 contradicts.... dunno. Tempted to email the manufacturer. Fucking Sony and their restrictions.

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So i contacted my friend at sony about this...

His answer was completely not what i was expecting.

The dsd1796 and the "cheap" opamps are used for one thing

and one thing only.

wait for it...

wait for it...

this is a headphone forum afterall ???

yepper, the built in headphone jack.

What a waste of extra parts...

I've ordered the schematics to verify this.

Sony is coming out with a new $3k beast the very beginning of

next year. Also a hats balanced digital preamp, also about $3k.

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Please let us know what you find out. If the DSD1796 is only being used for the headphone output, then what is being used for the analog outputs?

It does downsampled SACD out the AES/ABU at up to 16/88.2 which is sweet:
That sounds like an HDMI spec, but that's just a guess (converting DSD to PCM etc.). If you find anything out about that, I'd be curious about that, too.
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The dsd1796 and the "cheap" opamps are used for one thing

and one thing only.

yepper, the built in headphone jack.

...

I've ordered the schematics to verify this.

Kevin,

I apreciate very much yor knowledge. Your opinion on this player pointed me in fact to try it out.

However even without schematics at hand, just make a look at the analog board pics (on the document whose link is above). I had this board in my hands and one does not need to spend much time looking at the board traces to realise things are as I described.

Yes the 1796 is used for HP out, off course, because it is the only DAC chip inside the machine! But its main use is for the rear stereo outs...

And yes there may be some other cheap opamps in the front board were the HP circuit is, but those two JRC2114 on the analog board close to the XLR, to me, are not good news to say the least.

Regards

Josep

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks Penger.

This internals are exactly what I saw on my unit, hence my findings about it... Shame on me I have not shot it and put here the pics, yes.

I concurr it is an excelent SACD player, be it stereo or multichannel (via the HATS-compatible 5400ES receiver I loaned too), and it seems an okay CD to me, at least when its smoothness is fine with you music tastes. But no better than my (beloved) G08, no way.

Regards

Josep

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  • 2 weeks later...
Sony STR-DA6400ES Owner's Thread - AVS Forum

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/4104900111.pdf

It looks like you need a "DNLA-complaint' device, and have to go though a network. You can't straight from the computer to the receiver. It also sounds like it only does internet streaming. No mention of other types of players, like Foobar or iTunes.

More trouble than its worth...back to the disc player for me.

Of course you can go straight from the computer to it using ethernet.

You just have to install DLNA server software. Then you use it's interface to browse the database. Works for video too, and there are NAS products that support DLNA.

Examples of computer DLNA software servers:

How to choose a DLNA Media Server for Windows, Mac OS X or Linux | Robert Green's DIY

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  • 2 months later...

I'm thinking of getting the Sony STR-DA6400ES to pair with my 5400ES for home theater use once I move.

There is a review somewhere that mentions you have to tell the unit via the GUI if you're using 4 ohm speakers, as it alters itself to avoid being overworked.

This would probably not be until I get my tax return, but I'd probably like to get the Thiel SCS4 monitors for basically everything; left, right, center and surrounds. Since they are 4 ohm speakers, I'm trying to get an idea of how much power the receiver would supply to them. Its stated to be 130 watts X 7 for 8 ohms, but I don't know if its double that at 4 ohms, or if the receiver adjusts itself to be 130 x 7 at 4 ohms. I can't seem to find anything about its output into 4 ohm loads.:confused:

Is it as simple as a doubling of watts? Anyone know?

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