New Sony SCD-XA5400ES supports DSD over HDMI!

Looks real nice, but I'm surprised it doesn't include analog multichannel outs.

The implication is that they are no longer needed.

Unfortunately if Sony would check with their software division they would conclude the same for the player.

Touche....................except for those of us who have already amassed an SACD collection.

Check this out new Blu Ray Player

http://scr3.golem.de/?d=0808/sony-bl...er&a=62060&s=1

Looks good, but a little too late to the market and too pricey. Typical HT consumers will just buy Oppo, and typical audiophiles don't have HDMI capable processor.

But they still are for the vast majority of people which don't yet have an amp or receiver that can decode DSD via HDMI.

I only listen to SACD in stereo - so I don't care, but they are excluding a huge number of potential buyers by not including them.

From the link it seems to imply that DSD over HDMI will only work with the matching Sony AVR. For other AVRs, you have to either use 2-ch analog or MPCM over HDMI.

The vague wording leaves that possibility open.

I'm still wondering what this $1500 Sony player offers that my $100 Pio Elite DV-48 doesn't over HDMI connection? The new Sony's anti-jitter technology sounds cool but you have to spend another grand or two for a matching Sony receiver to use it.

they wouldn't

I'm wondering what it has over my inexpensive OPPO DV-980H other than NOT being able to play DVD-A? I like to play a DVD-A or SA-CD without having to think about which is which.

No DVD Audio support as expected so its useless.

it is too bad to see yet another single manufacturer high-resolution audio link. But at least it's more choice than before.

FYI to those looking for a Universal player that does DVD-A AND SACD over a jitter-free high-resolution link, the Denon DVD-2930ci (and up) players with DenonLink3 can link up to Denon high-end receivers and the new uber-PreAmp the AVP-A1HD and stream BOTH DSD and high-resolution PCM to these units.

As an AVP owner (and prior Meridian owner), I can attest that it is pretty sweet.

My PS3 plays SACD over HDMI.

Is this just another HDMI 1.2a player (DSD over HDMI) or is this something else?

Not DSD.

It is beyond just DSD over HDMI. Sony incorporated its own anti-jitter technology in both the player and matching receiver. It's not clear whether it will output DSD over HDMI to other HDMI 1.2 capable non-Sony AVRs.

if that's the case they would have to embed the anti-jitter whatever in the signal being sent out on the HDMI and scupper non-Sony (and older Sony) receivers i.e the DSD signal going out would be out of spec as far as HDMI is concerned?

According to this release, it will not:

If the player is used with other amplifiers or AV receivers it employs its high-quality Super Audio CD conversion system, which uses the equivalent of 12 separate digital-to-analogue converters, to output the audio as stereo analogue, either on phono or balanced XLR connectors, or as conventional multi-channel audio via HDMI.

what's "conventional multichannel audio over HDMI" ? 5.1ch PCM?

did they fiddle with HDMI to implement H.A.T.S?

ugh.

AFAIK HATS once again is in fact using an open standard (It did on ILink too). That standard is the flow control option with HDMI 1.3 CEC, Sony could allow pure DSD output without flow control over HDMI to other brands and they could probably allow it to work with other brnads that use HDMI CEC flow control (Eg. Pioneer). If they will allow it though will probably come down to marketing, I suspect HATS will deliberately check the Brand before enabling (Their ILink implementation did).

So it does this mean no DSD over HDMi if you don't have the Sony receiver? That sucks, I think I will just save my money and continue using my SCD-XA777ES with analogue outputs. or may be just buy an Oppo

I'm using a PS3 as my SACD player as well...but considering buying the Pioneer Elite DV-48AV.
Am I not getting the full effect of SACD by using the PS3?

Hector, yes you are. Don't get hung up on DSD purity

First review I've seen:

http://www.techradar.com/products/au...view?artc_pg=1

Some very good points made there by Kal Rubinson. In my experience, even an A/D/A conversion with bass management/time alignment (let alone the more sophisticated "room correction" available today) that my receiver allows with its analogue MCH inputs trumps the "pure DSD" signal my gear is capable of--because I don't have the "perfect room, ITU configuration and full range speakers" mentioned in Kal's post. I've made the comparison. (easy enough to do with my gear).

I am looking forward to utilizing my PS3's SACD capability with an HDMI receiver in the future--though my current set up is reasonably satisfactory with SACD at the moment.

Many people (as for example even some stereophile mag reviewers) are agree that the last Sony top sacd player (SCD-XA9000ES, $3000) sounds almost as natural, analog and realistic as the ten-times-more-expensive dCS sacd combo (that even mastering engineers agree that is the world best digital audio player sistem)
Because the new Sony SCD-XA5400ES has balanced XLR analog outputs, their audio analog board and discrete components must be more professional (far better) than the XA9000ES. At only $1500 the SCD-XA5400ES would sound as good as the $30000 dCS sacd combo !!!!! I can´t wait for buy the new Sony, guy

It appears the SCD-XA5400ES is also the first SACD player (besides PS3) that supports playback of the DSD Disc format.