Post by Spitfire January 17, 2011 (61 of 171)
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Disbeliever said:
Thanks for the clarification re ARC. I find H.A.T.S. absolutely essential for HDMI on the Sony combo without it the sound is nothing special. enable H.A.TS. and the sound becomes excellent I can not imagine any Hi-End equipment sounding any better, certainly the expensive Marantz soundscape does not. I look forward to reading online your review of the Ayre .
I've seen your posts all over the internet about HATS. One question I've never seen asked is how it compares to just using the analog outputs of the XA5400ES into your receiver. I'm just talking two channel here. From what I understand the XA5400ES has pretty low jitter using the analog outputs so I'm trying to figure out if and how HATS would be better in this case.
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Spitfire said:
I've seen your posts all over the internet about HATS. One question I've never seen asked is how it compares to just using the analog outputs of the XA5400ES into your receiver. I'm just talking two channel here. From what I understand the XA5400ES has pretty low jitter using the analog outputs so I'm trying to figure out if and how HATS would be better in this case.
I have absolutely no interest in analogue stereo outputs from the XA5400ES into the receiver, this is old HAT... I did try it when I first got the Sony combo but much prefer digital via HDMI.for both 2 channel & MCH. Also this arangement is simply best for Blu-Ray audio & Video, no need to change any cables. I only use analogue out from the pre-out of the receiver into my stereo amplifier which feeds the front speakers, the receiver feeds centre & rear speakers.
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Post by rammiepie January 17, 2011 (63 of 171)
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While my Sony 5400ES is brand new and breaking in all I can say is that I prefer the sound of my Marantz SA112s in analogue stereo to the SONY via HDMI out (in stereo). MCH is a different beast altogether and I would recommend it, AT ITS PRICE POINT, for that application. The next step up would be the Ayre DX~5 @ $10,000!
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Post by junchoon January 17, 2011 (64 of 171)
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rammiepie said:
While my Sony 5400ES is brand new and breaking in all I can say is that I prefer the sound of my Marantz SA112s in analogue stereo to the SONY via HDMI out (in stereo). MCH is a different beast altogether and I would recommend it, AT ITS PRICE POINT, for that application. The next step up would be the Ayre DX~5 @ $10,000!
hi rammiepie,
imho, the stock sony's hdmi out should not need burn-in time. so if u think the marantz (analog out) trump sony (hdmi stereo), then more burn-in will not change much. i assume u have replaced the stock power cable that comes w the sony?
analog out is a different story. the xa5400es needs break-in time of about 400 to 500 hours for the analog to shine. use xlr out if u can. i am very interested to see how the analog out of xa5400es compares with sa11s2 when sufficient burn-in is done.
u think w $2k mod from modwright will the sony turn the tide? the mod suppose to improve BOTH analog and hdmi. that's a cheaper alternative compared with ayre dx-5 :)
cheers,
wps
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Post by rammiepie January 18, 2011 (65 of 171)
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I did replace the stock power cord immediately on the SONY and noticed immediately, that it sounded better via HDMI out than the NuForce OPPO BDP~83 SE version......The Meridian 861 V.6 does not have XLR inputs (a lot of high end manufacturers think that single ended RCA is preferable (?)) so there will be no comparisons between either unit which both sport XLR connectors.
As far as the mods are concerned, I'll take your word but have other priorities at this time so will forego that at this time but thanks for the input.
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junchoon said:
hi rammiepie,
imho, the stock sony's hdmi out should not need burn-in time. so if u think the marantz (analog out) trump sony (hdmi stereo), then more burn-in will not change much. i assume u have replaced the stock power cable that comes w the sony?
analog out is a different story. the xa5400es needs break-in time of about 400 to 500 hours for the analog to shine. use xlr out if u can. i am very interested to see how the analog out of xa5400es compares with sa11s2 when sufficient burn-in is done.
u think w $2k mod from modwright will the sony turn the tide? the mod suppose to improve BOTH analog and hdmi. that's a cheaper alternative compared with ayre dx-5 :)
cheers,
wps
A 2k mod on the Sony is IMO not only not necessary ,but a complete rip-off. Furthermore there appears to be no way whereby one can compare a modified unit with a stock one.
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Post by junchoon January 18, 2011 (67 of 171)
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Disbeliever said:
A 2k mod on the Sony is IMO not only not necessary ,but a complete rip-off. Furthermore there appears to be no way whereby one can compare a modified unit with a stock one.
put aside the merit or the actual measurable improvement of the mod, at least he has the option to do it in the usa, in malaysia i have zip chance to do it.
WPS
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junchoon said:
put aside the merit or the actual measurable improvement of the mod, at least he has the option to do it in the usa, in malaysia i have zip chance to do it.
WPS
The measurements on the XA5400ES are excellent, I do not believe they can be improved and would like see the evidence have you seen it ?
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Post by rammiepie January 18, 2011 (69 of 171)
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Disbeliever said:
The measurements on the XA5400ES are excellent, I do not believe they can be improved and would like see the evidence have you seen it ?
IMO, disbeliever, almost anything can be improved upon, AT A PRICE but whether it's cost effective to do a 2K mod on a $1500 unit, is the question.....thereby also voiding the warranty by the manufacturer.
Would it be prudent to attach $18,500 pair of Tara Zero Lab interconnects to a $3,500 player? That's your call!
I have treated all my new discs (and old as well) and BD discs with Lloyd Walker's Ultra Vivid Polish (1 $90 bottle treats OVER 500 discs) and I have heard a marked improvement in ALL my discs....and if you don't like it, you can wash it off under lukewarm water....but IMO, it's a very cost effective UPGRADE without committing to a full mod.
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Post by DSD January 18, 2011 (70 of 171)
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Disbeliever everything can be improved, removing op-amps and replacing with discrete components is a start. A clock upgrade is a big improvement as well. My review: http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue46/terra_firma_lite.htm
Personally I will NEVER buy a Sony product ever again or a Sony OEM transport in another brand. Their equipment has reliability issues and does not sound as smooth as other similar priced makes. In addition it takes forever to get a Sony SACD player repaired correctly.
BTW I do not listen to mere measurements I actually listen to how the music sounds!
In addition using HDMI and having a Receiver do the actually decoding of DSD or PCM sounds like an insane idea to me. I would think that the maker of any SACD player has better DSD decoding chips and analog components that any receiver. It just seems logical as an SACD player is designed for playing SACDs, and Receiver is designed to try to do everything. I do not trust Receivers in any way, shape or form!!!!!
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