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Oppo-95 or Sony XA5400ES - Page 4

post #91 of 393
1/29/12 at 5:25pm
Thread Starter 
The XA5400 is still available via Sony Canada and the Canadian local dealers. Check the sonystyle.ca web site.

http://store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/stor...52921665537319

I have purchased the unit via local dealer. It arrived a week ago.
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post #92 of 393
1/29/12 at 6:43pm
i have one... i use it with my LX85... in all honesty i compared playing SACDs with this and my BDP LX55 but the Sony came out tops.

If you want to play SACDs get a dedicated player. No matter what they say, blu ray players cant play SACDs as well
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post #93 of 393
1/29/12 at 6:52pm
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Originally Posted by vagpwner View Post

i have one... i use it with my LX85... in all honesty i compared playing SACDs with this and my BDP LX55 but the Sony came out tops.

If you want to play SACDs get a dedicated player. No matter what they say, blu ray players cant play SACDs as well

What is the reason that a blu-ray player with SACD capabilities could not play SACDs well? Or a streamer? Or anything else that can read an SACD and send the bits on their way?
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post #94 of 393
1/29/12 at 8:25pm
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Originally Posted by Tank_PD View Post

This player has been discontinued according to Sony's website --at least in the US. Sony doesn't appear to be selling much of any high-end audio in the US, unless they have a separate website I cannot find. They may be lucking out and finding a store that has one in stock still? The Oppo has much better availability.

Sony do still have a website for ES products (https://dealersource.sel.sony.com/ds..._products.html). They are trying to control distribution to authorized dealers and custom installers.

They do not give a lot of information on the website, but you can take a model number and search the Sony esupport.sony.com site to get data sheets and user manuals.

The ES site is a little sloppy on model numbers too. For example, they mistakenly identify a new ES receiver as STR-A5700ES. This might make it difficult to look up on esupport unless you know that Sony receiver model numbers should be STR-DA5700ES.
John
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post #95 of 393
1/29/12 at 10:09pm
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Originally Posted by hoganj1 View Post

Sony do still have a website for ES products (https://dealersource.sel.sony.com/ds..._products.html). They are trying to control distribution to authorized dealers and custom installers.

They do not give a lot of information on the website, but you can take a model number and search the Sony esupport.sony.com site to get data sheets and user manuals.

The ES site is a little sloppy on model numbers too. For example, they mistakenly identify a new ES receiver as STR-A5700ES. This might make it difficult to look up on esupport unless you know that Sony receiver model numbers should be STR-DA5700ES.
John

Thank you, thank you!
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post #96 of 393
1/29/12 at 11:18pm
I wonder in a blind test just how many posters could pick out their preferred player?
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post #97 of 393
1/29/12 at 11:33pm
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Originally Posted by mlknez View Post

What is the reason that a blu-ray player with SACD capabilities could not play SACDs well? Or a streamer? Or anything else that can read an SACD and send the bits on their way?

im honestly not sure. For all the technology that my BDP-LX55 (53fd) has, it still sucks at playing SACD. The highs come out screechy and mids come out muddy
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post #98 of 393
1/29/12 at 11:35pm
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Originally Posted by oztech View Post

I wonder in a blind test just how many posters could pick out their preferred player?

honestly its night and day in my case
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post #99 of 393
1/30/12 at 12:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vagpwner View Post

i have one... i use it with my LX85... in all honesty i compared playing SACDs with this and my BDP LX55 but the Sony came out tops.

If you want to play SACDs get a dedicated player. No matter what they say, blu ray players cant play SACDs as well

Clarity, tonality well defined bass and a dead neutral midrange is what I hear from my Oppo 95 and wait for it, that's on Sacd (2and multi-channel) Usb,Redbook and oh yeah the things most likely the best Blu-ray player on the market. It gave me 4 components in one not counting five should I ever get around to using it as a preamp.It measures like a dream and performs like one as well. All the formats listed above and I mean all! perform at or above reference levels of playback
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post #100 of 393
1/30/12 at 10:29am
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Originally Posted by alebonau View Post

I don't think oppo 96 hi end either

what is this "Oppo 96" you speak of? Or were you only speculating?
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post #101 of 393
1/30/12 at 12:00pm
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Originally Posted by WestCoastD View Post

what is this "Oppo 96" you speak of? Or were you only speculating?

No just responding to kal, typo. Meant 95
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post #102 of 393
1/30/12 at 2:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by unidisk View Post

The XA5400 is still available via Sony Canada and the Canadian local dealers. Check the sonystyle.ca web site.

http://store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/stor...52921665537319

I have purchased the unit via local dealer. It arrived a week ago.


A rep at abt.com said that XA5400 is not discontinued in the US. Instead, it's simply been unavailable for an extended period for some reason and that, according to their contacts at Sony, the XA5400 will once again be available in the US in March.
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post #103 of 393
1/30/12 at 2:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by oztech View Post

I wonder in a blind test just how many posters could pick out their preferred player?

I could pick out my Sonys (BDP-S5000ES and SCD-XA5400ES) from the Oppo BDP-95 any day and would wager $1,000.00 I'd get it right 5 out of 5 times. In my opinion, the Oppo has a distinct unmistakably warm, full, woolly sound whereas the Sonys have a more opened and neutral sound. The Oppo had a sound that I tried to MAKE myself get use to, but in the end I wound up missing my Sony. When I finally packed up my Oppo BDP-95 and replaced it with my Sony S5000ES, it put a smile on my face as that familiar opened, detailed, dynamic and neutral sound was back.
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post #104 of 393
1/30/12 at 2:27pm
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Originally Posted by mpedris View Post

A rep at abt.com said that XA5400 is not discontinued in the US. Instead, it's simply been unavailable for an extended period for some reason and that, according to their contacts at Sony, the XA5400 will once again be available in the US in March.

Its probably true. Google "Sony ES Product Line" and you'll see that the 5400ES is still available along with other ES products. I would not be surprise if sony did not come out with a new processor with the analog stage of the TA-P9000ES. It would be another giant killer that I'd purchase in a heartbeat.
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post #105 of 393
1/30/12 at 2:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiofan1 View Post

Clarity, tonality well defined bass and a dead neutral midrange is what I hear from my Oppo 95 and wait for it, that's on Sacd (2and multi-channel) Usb,Redbook and oh yeah the things most likely the best Blu-ray player on the market. It gave me 4 components in one not counting five should I ever get around to using it as a preamp.It measures like a dream and performs like one as well. All the formats listed above and I mean all! perform at or above reference levels of playback

Oppo-95 as a reference player? Can it beat the LINN Unidisk?
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post #106 of 393
1/30/12 at 9:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpedris View Post

A rep at abt.com said that XA5400 is not discontinued in the US. Instead, it's simply been unavailable for an extended period for some reason and that, according to their contacts at Sony, the XA5400 will once again be available in the US in March.

SCD-XA5400ES:

https://dealersource.sel.sony.com/ds...d_players.html
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post #107 of 393
1/30/12 at 10:15pm
theres a reason why dedicated players still exist.

Oppo 93s or 95s play well thats for sure but there's a distinct difference in the sound.

Whether it be through the signal path that's clearer or less crosstalk, clearly you can hear the difference.

Remember blu-ray players are jacks of all trades but master of none. That applies even for high end players like yours and mine. I dont use it for SACD. Neither should you if you own an SACD player
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post #108 of 393
1/30/12 at 11:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by unidisk View Post

Oppo-95 as a reference player? Can it beat the LINN Unidisk?

All it took for usb was a free couple of free samples of Hi-Rez downloads from Lynn, 2/L and I was scrambling for my wallet to head over to HD Tracks to purchase a few downloads.Now after an hour or two of browsing I ended up buying Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra on the Reference Recordings label and my gosh! The sound left me utterly speechless and couldn't believe this was my gear. for sacd playback all it took was Ivan Fishers Mahler's 2nd Channel Classics to seal the deal ( between playback of these two I still have a hard time deciding which is the best recording on earth) My reference sacd's and redbook collection run deep and now add a usb stick to the mix and yes Reference playback of all three formats is an opinion I will not concede! I've heard some very expensive gear, tubes, vinyl and the like over my 24 years at this and always came home and said "maybe one day" not this time though! and its largely in part to the addition of the 95! Now can it beat the Lynn? I for one wouldn't feel I'm betting on the losing horse if I choose the 95
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post #109 of 393
1/30/12 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vagpwner View Post

theres a reason why dedicated players still exist.

I would agree this was true once upon a time, I got a universal grave yard of my own

Oppo 93s or 95s play well thats for sure but there's a distinct difference in the sound.

Yup!

Whether it be through the signal path that's clearer or less crosstalk, clearly you can hear the difference.
Yup! well treated room and clean power.

Remember blu-ray players are jacks of all trades but master of none. That applies even for high end players like yours and mine. I dont use it for SACD. Neither should you if you own an SACD player

That's a Myth like the Easter bunny or Santa clause or some story used to frighten little children. the ears know the truth!
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post #110 of 393
1/30/12 at 11:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiofan1 View Post

That's a Myth like the Easter bunny or Santa clause or some story used to frighten little children. the ears know the truth!

Not a myth for my case at least
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post #111 of 393
1/31/12 at 6:36am
if you do digital out, they should all sound the same... the conversion to analog and the analog circuit is where things change... why even bother with the transport, just rip/download and stream to the dac/analog circuit of your choosing.
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post #112 of 393
1/31/12 at 8:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vagpwner View Post

Not a myth for my case at least

Not a myth in my case either although I respect audiofan's preference for the Oppo. A point that I failed to make on the Oppo BDP-95 is that while I can easily identify its sonic signature, with my sony's, there appears to be no sonic signiture at all. In fact, the sony's seem to make my equipment, speaker's included, disappear. They both make the music and/or soundtrack shine and have the ability to put in in transcendental moments with certain well recorded music and/or soundtracks. There must be a reason sony decided to put it music and movie machines in two separate chassis.
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post #113 of 393
1/31/12 at 10:06am
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Originally Posted by gbaby View Post

Not a myth in my case either although I respect audiofan's preference for the Oppo. A point that I failed to make on the Oppo BDP-95 is that while I can easily identify its sonic signature, with my sony's, there appears to be no sonic signiture at all. In fact, the sony's seem to make my equipment, speaker's included, disappear. They both make the music and/or soundtrack shine and have the ability to put in in transcendental moments with certain well recorded music and/or soundtracks. There must be a reason sony decided to put it music and movie machines in two separate chassis.

And yet yet its been bested by a universal machine My Boston Acoustics E100's have 10 drivers per speaker and are 4 way and sound as though its 2 way in its coherence. Prior to the 95 I was able to detect a lack of this coherence from the speakers, with it, the synergy is outstanding and is what I call dead neutral and has extracted more detail and openess across the spectrum, clean and pristine highs a glorious midrange and powerful taunt bass. Thing is the Ess Sabre dac's dont stumble at complex transients regardless of format, I suspect its the 135 db dynamic rage and the way it handles jitter( It's 4 per channel for xlr/rca stereo ya know) Now if the music is not so well recorded mp3's and a lot of 80's stuff, how does your Sony handle this? My 95 has brought out potential in lesser tracks and has given me music I love back in new ways, with apologies to some recordings I previously thought down right unlistenable. Its SOTA gentlemen And has brought digital to its true "Golden Age" for the masses. Its matured finally and didn't take a dedicated machine to do it, just great guts implemented well
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post #114 of 393
1/31/12 at 10:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiofan1 View Post

... Now if the music is not so well recorded mp3's and a lot of 80's stuff, how does your Sony handle this? My 95 has brought out potential in lesser tracks and has given me music I love back in new ways, with apologies to some recordings I previously thought down right unlistenable. Its SOTA gentlemen

I can honestly say with either sony that if the source is bad, the sonys will not improve on them. In other words, crap in crap out. However, I don't see this as a detriment, but as a testament to its neutrality. Equipment should not be adding anything to the source. It should play as it was recorded. Equipment that enhances a bad recording is not neutral.
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post #115 of 393
1/31/12 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaby View Post

I can honestly say with either sony that if the source is bad, the sonys will not improve on them. In other words, crap in crap out. However, I don't see this as a detriment, but as a testament to its neutrality. Equipment should not be adding anything to the source. It should play as it was recorded. Equipment that enhances a bad recording is not neutral.

That's my point, It's not adding anything! If neutrality is the point it would show on all music not just the good stuff, coloration of any kind shows itself by high lighting a specific frequency I.e muddy bass, constricted highs, or overly bright sounding recordings. The Sony does have have a sonic signature, from what you describe, it sounds as though its on the cool side of neutral, which is not a bad thing at all, I use to feel you had to choose one or the other if one is striving for the lesser of the two evil's of neutrality. That changed with the 95! that out the box" woolly" sound initially led me to believe it was going to be a warm player, but after 60 hrs, a progression began and after 400 hrs my Hat came off to the 95. Iv'e found it to have an uncanny ability to walk the fine line of neutrality which is no small task in my book. It can sound warm and rich if the recording is warm and rich, if the recording has Prat and great pitch in the bass its there and if the recording is just flat out garbage, its there but not made worse by any of the coloration's stated above.If any player is capable of high resolution, it should have the ability to walk this line and not obscure it by coloration's.My point is that the 95 is a neutral player and most likely the the reason it has synergized so well with so many systems
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post #116 of 393
1/31/12 at 12:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiofan1 View Post

That's my point, It's not adding anything! If neutrality is the point it would show on all music not just the good stuff, coloration of any kind shows itself by high lighting a specific frequency I.e muddy bass, constricted highs, or overly bright sounding recordings. The Sony does have have a sonic signature, from what you describe, it sounds as though its on the cool side of neutral, which is not a bad thing at all, I use to feel you had to choose one or the other if one is striving for the lesser of the two evil's of neutrality. That changed with the 95! that out the box" woolly" sound initially led me to believe it was going to be a warm player, but after 60 hrs, a progression began and after 400 hrs my Hat came off to the 95. Iv'e found it to have an uncanny ability to walk the fine line of neutrality which is no small task in my book. It can sound warm and rich if the recording is warm and rich, if the recording has Prat and great pitch in the bass its there and if the recording is just flat out garbage, its there but not made worse by any of the coloration's stated above.If any player is capable of high resolution, it should have the ability to walk this line and not obscure it by coloration's.My point is that the 95 is a neutral player and most likely the the reason it has synergized so well with so many systems

Well I guess we both WIN!
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post #117 of 393
1/31/12 at 2:16pm
Correct!
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post #118 of 393
1/31/12 at 9:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiofan1 View Post

after 60 hrs, a progression began and after 400 hrs my Hat came off to the 95. Iv'e found it to have an uncanny ability to walk the fine line of neutrality

400 hours? That's like 16 straight days, 24 X 7. Or 50 days straight at 8 hours per/day

That's what I have to look forward to?
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post #119 of 393
1/31/12 at 10:17pm
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Originally Posted by WestCoastD View Post

400 hours? That's like 16 straight days, 24 X 7. Or 50 days straight at 8 hours per/day

That's what I have to look forward to?

LOL! I let it run with an old Dts setup disc I had around from a millinium Dts processor from back in the day, it has various sweeps,test tones and stuff, I ran it 12hrs ( about 3-4 hrs listening to music) on playing and 30 min powered off to drain the caps, I did this continuously for 25 days and week to evaluate the player fairly before the trail period was up! Great thing about the 95 its great out the box and listenable with out fatigue
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post #120 of 393
2/1/12 at 8:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WestCoastD View Post

400 hours? That's like 16 straight days, 24 X 7. Or 50 days straight at 8 hours per/day

That's what I have to look forward to?

Since most of burn-in is, imho, neural adaptation, it may be very different for you. It was for me.
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