New Sony SCD-XA5400ES supports DSD over HDMI! - Page 8

I am only referring to DSD over HDMI, for multi-channel SACD this is the best way. My main interest now is to compare the sound of the Sony XA5400ES player to the new Oppo Blue Ray but this will not be possible without buying both as neither are available in UK retailers and I burnt my fingers with the well reviewed Sony XA9000ES .Some of you are saying that there will be no difference in sound quality So it seems best to buy the new cheaper Oppo ?

An Oppo 980 will give you DSD over HDMI, no need to buy the BD player for that. There will be no difference in "sound" between any of the available players that offer DSD over HDMI. None, zero, zilch, nada.

My OPPO 980 sends DSD over the HDMI connection, and my Onkyo 706 shows DSD on the display. With that said I am sure its sending out DSD over HDMI...............

let me get this straight, compared with an OPPO BDP-83, besides the internal DACs, the only advantage (on paper at least) of Sony SCD-XA5400ES is the balanced STEREO XLR? but also that the Sony has no video output, no M-CH analog outputs, nor USB input? not to mention the Blu-Ray support???

so in essence the Sony only excels in analog STEREO?? how superior is it compared with OPPO? there are more choices for SACD analog stereo performance at or below this price point, like the Marantz SA8003 or the older SA8001, although both the Marantz models have no balanced XLR outputs. but bet they can be auditioned in most hi-fi shops.

hmm, something is not right here...

cheers,
wps

This is not a correct statement, is it? Wouldn't that be very upsetting to the DSD purists?

I agree the only real reason to purchase this player is for its exceptional stereo analog. It's worth the price alone just for this, IMO.

I would suggest anyone who simply wants to bitstream DSD to a receiver look for something much cheaper like the OPPO.

Eric M407 I suggest that you ask Oppo to confirm their email to me that states their players are designed to convert DSD to PCM with the possible exception of their new universal Blue Ray player.

Junchoon 29 The Sony SCD-XA5400ES is available from Stone Audio for £929 but from my experience with Sony products I would not buy one without first having a demonstration not available in the UK from any retailer that I know of.

does foreigner needs to pay VAT as well?? thanks...

cheers,
wps

An Oppo 980 converts DSD to PCM which I do not want.

Junchoon , You can I belive obtain a VAT refund when you leave the Country. As I have a first class CD player Marantz CD94 , I will not buy the Sony SCD-XA5400ES the first review Hi-Fi Choice says the CD sound of this player is better than the SACD. Also Sony is a firm you can not trust and their consumer relationship is one of the worst in the business.

I can't believe you are this ill-informed. the 980 sends DSD over HDMI. It always has and everyone knows it. I'm using one for this very purpose right now.

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv980h/dv980h_features.asp


Read the specs if you don't believe it.

rdgrimes, It seems that I am much better inforned than you. The Oppo web site shows the DV-980H . DSD/PCM over HDMI and Oppo have already confirmed in their email that ALL their players convert DSD to PCM. So you are misleading yourself together with all the others you mention.

I forgot to mention in my last reply that I have the Onkyo 706 receiver that decodes DSD direct to Analogue in the PURE DIRECT Listening mode. Very good value for money receiver which I use for decoding and rear channels only. My integrated stereo amplifier sounds better with my large front transmission line speakers.

Are you really suggesting that, in order to send DSD out via HDMI, the 980H is converting it to PCM and then back to DSD? If so, it is the first player, under the $$$$ Esoterics to have a DSD encoder on board and, moreover, it is stupid.

The conversion to PCM is for the analog outputs, not the digital outputs.

are you saying that I have been misinformed by Oppo ?

Disbeliever,

From your earlier post Oppo said, ".... no other player on the market which supports DSD straight to Analogue without a PCM conversion first". They are clearly talking about analog output from the player, not the HDMI-output from the player.

Karl & Sherbona, I admit that I am confused by your replies, therefore I have emailed Oppo to clarify the issue and trust they will respond.

Well, I give up. you call me a liar or an idiot, I'm not sure which. and you don't even own the player in question.

You are able to read, correct?

Read this:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv980h/dv980h_features.asp

If that doesn't sink in, then read the manual:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv980h/do...h%20Manual.pdf

Page 48:

SACD OUTPUT To select the audio output format for SACD, the options are:
* PCM...
* DSD SACD DSD data is output over HDMI without any conversion. When this option is selected, the player does not decode SACD audio, and its analog audio output is muted.

Good. BTW, it's Kal.

Disbeliever, here's something that may help - let's say you are playing a SACD using a 980, conceptually this is what happens:

-- If you are using the player's analog output...
After reading the SACD the player sends the DSD data to its DAC (digial to analog convertor). The DSD is converted to PCM, and then the PCM is converted to analog audio and sent out the player's analog outputs.

-- If you are using the player's HDMI (digital) output...
After reading the SACD the player either converts it to PCM or leaves it as DSD and then sends it out to your receiver/pre-amp via HDMI. If the receiver/preamp has the capability it can then convert the DSD to analog without going to PCM.


Further detail regarding HDMI, PCM and DSD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_code_modulation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Stream_Digital

alrite then, so if i have a hdmi receiver which can decode mch dsd, i can forget about the Sony as OPPO is a much better deal?

cheers,
wps

Hi rdgrimes I am not calling you a liar and it appears that you are right from my reading the full spec. However it seems that Oppo have misled me by not giving the full info in their email. I have telephoned them but they are closed for Martin Luther King Day, so will phone again tomorrow.

Yes.

As to whether it's a better deal, that's up to you. But yes, among other things the Oppo 980 has to offer, it does deliver DSD over HDMI.

It's also good to note than among the few AVRs which do accept DSD over HDMI, most of them convert it to PCM for digital signal processing before sending it off through D-A converters to the amp. If your AVR is one of those, then it becomes a question of whether the player or the AVR is doing a better job of DSD-to-PCM conversion. Your ears should be given the job of deciding that. There's nothing inherently wrong or inferior in converting DSD to PCM, however some hardware is better at this than others. The vast majority of people cannot hear any differences, and the main differences are theoretical at best.

So the 64 housand $ question is with the Oppo 980 which sounds best the DSD direct or the PCM ? or should I stick with my Pioneer DV-LX50 which sounds very good but is very annoying as it switches itself off if not played after 20 minutes and also does not have full DiVX capability.

Depends. I have tried this both ways with the Oppo and the Pioneer DV-58 and the results vary. Of course, you can try it yourself and decide.

well, to be fair, Sony has these advantages:
1) Balanced XLRs
2) ES range quality (yeah, i know, Malaysian made, where i am now)
3) better DACs
4) which translate to better analog out
5) can read DSD disc like PS3, which i doubt the OPPO BDP-83 could do.

for the buck, it is the best deal in analog STEREO SACD player, at least on paper as i have yet to hear it. or if you only have amp that could not accept hdmi.

cheers,
wps

I'd agree that the Sony is set up best for 2-ch analog systems. Seems like a lot of money, but who am I to judge.

The Oppo BDP-83 has a completely new analog section that will surprise many folks. Including a discrete 2-ch D-A converter and separate stereo-only outs. So I'll wager that in a side by side comparison it will hold it's own with the Sony.

it ain't cheap, but not sure which other SACD player have balanced XLR outputs at that price point.

cheers,
wps