Sony debuts $1,500 SACD player with HDMI output

We have to admit, that headline makes us a little bit giddy, and Sony seems to be betting there's enough folks giddy enough to throw down their credit card to snag its new high-end SACD player, which has just made its debut in Japan. In addition to making a bold statement of non-conformity in your A/V rack, the SCD-XA5400ES is particularly notable for its inclusion of an HDMI output, which nicely complements the usual digital optical, coax, and analog audio options. According to Sony, you can also expect nearly zero distortion from the twin R-core transformer and D/A system, which is independent from the general processing chipset. What's more, unlike many such product announcements, while this one made its debut in Japan, it's already available for pre-order from at least one US retailer (JR.com), although there's no promised release date just yet (it lands in Japan in October).

[goober_nut @ Aug 27th 2008 2:03PM]

If you wikipedia it you'll find that SACD is:

Super Audio CD (SACD) is a read-only optical audio disc format that can provide higher fidelity digital audio reproduction than the Red Book audio CD. Introduced in 1999, it was developed by Sony and Philips Electronics, the same companies that created the Compact Disc. SACD is in a format war with DVD-Audio, but neither format has managed to replace regular audio CDs.

[Billy Gun @ Aug 27th 2008 2:08PM]

hope ho buys this get a nice universal remote.. and I need a new job...

[Jason @ Aug 27th 2008 3:40PM]

Allow me to suggest capital letters and spell check for your application.

[BOHICA @ Aug 27th 2008 5:06PM]

Ahhhgonnie goo goo Gus.. WTF does Ahhhgonnie goo goo mean?

[Spiny Norman @ Aug 27th 2008 2:16PM]

Too little, too late. SACD is a dead format. They should have included a digital output in 1999, not 2008. I never saw the point of investing in a new digital format that required one to run 6 to 8 analog cables between the player and a compatible preamp, when the bitstream should have been sent out via a single digital cable.

A bigger issue was of course the complete lack of any decent albums. Seriously, how many times am I going to buy the same old Pink Floyd or Steely Dan CDs?

On top of that, many of the mixes are completely goofy. Who wants a multi-channel mix that put the listener in the middle of the band?

[Frankfurter @ Aug 27th 2008 2:57PM]

The same people who want an avatar of a hedgehog (porcupine?) on a lime green background.

[Lionel Mandrake @ Aug 28th 2008 10:07AM]

>>A bigger issue was of course the complete lack of any decent albums. Seriously, how many times am I going to buy the same old Pink Floyd or Steely Dan CDs?

Not to mention THE WHITE ALBUM; I already have that one in 9 formats (and there are more to come...?)

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22white+album%22&hl=en&emb=0#q=%22men%20in%20Black%22%20trailer&hl=en&emb=0


LM

[Dan Davis @ Aug 27th 2008 4:41PM]

"Sea Change" by Beck is AMAZING in SACD.

[JeffM @ Aug 27th 2008 5:16PM]

Wow- that was actually a very informed comment.

I thought the exact same thing- after I heard the saxophone on some disc I listened to coming out of the right rear speaker I started to wonder what the hell the point of this format was. That was back in 2001- I still have the 6 analog cables I bought in the packaging in my garage- over $100 worth of cables- that was like a double waste of money- once on the cables (overpriced Monster) and another on investing in the format- though I have to admit I was betting on DVD-Audio myself.

In retrospect it is funny that both formats died.

[Andrew @ Aug 27th 2008 7:19PM]

Huh? And you post on Engadget?? And get highest ranked?? Who ARE you people?

SACD is certainly not dead. Walk into any good classical music store and you'll see it on the shelves. And guess what, SACD merits only show up on music that uses large dynamic range, which isn't pop, rock or whatever you kids are listening nowdays. Jazz and classical are still coming out on SACD and I for one am buying it. It costs only marginally more than a CD today, anyway.

If you were REALLY informed and wanted to make a smart, snide remark, you would have asked why should a person buy this for its HDMI output (as highlighted by Engadget) when you can get much cheaper OPPO ($200?) to get the same results. A $1500 better have AMAZING analog outputs because that's what you're paying for.

[sr @ Aug 28th 2008 2:06AM]

Hence why I never bought into the multi channel audio thing. You knew they were to make weird mixes. The only time it could even be worth it is for classical. So I stayed with 2 channel SACD and standard RCA audio cables. It was easy and it sounds great too bad that we're never going to see the library grow. I've since ended up a Hard Drive based system that holds all my music in FLAC format. If I'm going to play a disc now it will be vinyl. I'll settle for no less.

[chefgon_ign @ Aug 27th 2008 2:16PM]

I had no idea that SACD was still around. I remember getting a good chuckle out of the SACD logo on the side of the PS3 when I bought it a year ago because I thought the format was long dead.

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 2:17PM]

overpriced, proprietary, poorly-adopted, inflexible formats make you giddy?

then again, given the Blu coverage here, not surprised.

[ZenStyleJunglist @ Aug 27th 2008 2:19PM]

Jesus! No one even releases SACD. it's so rare that this makes no sense. I guess if you have the cash?

[ZenStyleJunglist @ Aug 27th 2008 2:21PM]

lol @ Red Book too.

[Zachary Williamson @ Aug 27th 2008 4:02PM]

you need to remember that these are the Japanese that we're dealing with. And Sony. Over there if Sony slaps a logo on it, everyone buys it. Hell you could have Sony cereal and it would be the hottest selling breakfast item ever.

[make_or_break @ Aug 27th 2008 2:21PM]

SACD? Isn't that DEAD yet? Put a fork in it, Sony; it's not going anywhere even if you were to sell it for $150.

All the local retailers around here that used to carry premium audio formats like DVD-Audio and SACD in quantity have been weaning off inventory in those formats and not restocking. It's hardly a format war, more like a format spitting contest. Compressed audio downloads with its relatively mediocre sound have been blowing both premium formats into the weeds. Not even hardcore audiophiles are adopting SACD or DVD-Audio anymore, particularly since they're locked down and not legally transferable making them unfriendly to storage on high end media servers that are increasingly becoming the source input of choice (thanks, iPod). Lossless CD rips and hi-def vinyl transfers instead have gained favor in that market.

[Samboini @ Aug 27th 2008 2:51PM]

It does look nice though!

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Aug 27th 2008 4:30PM]

""All the local retailers around here that used to carry premium audio formats like DVD-Audio and SACD in quantity have been weaning off inventory in those formats and not restocking.""

You are missing something. Many CDs released by Sony Music are in fact dual format: CD and SACD. I have three such disks.

Though, yeah, thanks to keeping format proprietary, it is as good as dead. Unfortunately.

[Galley @ Aug 27th 2008 2:23PM]

With the impossibility of ripping the high resolution layer of hybrid SACDs, I figured the record companies would've embraced this new technology.

[mvpx02 @ Aug 27th 2008 5:05PM]

"With the impossibility of ripping the high resolution layer of hybrid SACDs, I figured the record companies would've embraced this new technology."

Had it caught on, inevitably there'd be manufacturers who made drives/software capable of ripping it.

[Flashpoint @ Aug 27th 2008 2:26PM]

Most human ears don't even distinguish the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 except that its louder. I guess they figure if a Blu ray player can be pushed by Pioneer for $2200, they can get a couple of dummies to max out their credit cards for one of these.

[From My Cube @ Aug 27th 2008 2:30PM]

Video is to Radio star as MP3 is to SACD

[Mark @ Aug 27th 2008 2:31PM]

Why does Sony even both producing SACD players anymore?

It's DONE Sony. Get it? Done, over, gone, buried. You're the only one that wants to keep it alive. Everyone has kept with CD or gone with mp3. No one wants SACD. Just accept it, and move on.

[Andrew @ Aug 27th 2008 7:26PM]

Don't be stupid. Just because YOU don't listen to classical and jazz doesn't mean no one else is. Maybe if you actually went to a store instead of stealing music online you'd realize SACD is still being produced and not just by Sony. Out of 100 or so that I have very few were published by Sony. And thank you very much I appreciate the ability to play back my collection if my old player dies so I prefer some of these are still made. This one may be way overpriced but that's a different issue. What is this, a site where people who LIKE technology and are INFORMED gather or a bunch of jocks discussing merits of their iPods between two rounds of basketball or something?

[霽月瀛台 @ Aug 28th 2008 3:40AM]

Andrew, don't be angry.
There are many people who have never listen to a quality Hi-Fi system and they think ipod is very enough.
This player may be nice, but we need more details to judge it, and at least , listen to the real stuff first.
Anyway, $1500 is not really high-end price of a CD player, Engadget. This is mid-range.
Engadget's editors really need to know more about what they write, don't try to sound like a country boy, editor.

[SugarDaddy @ Aug 27th 2008 2:33PM]

Anyone actually interested in buying this waste should consider just sending me that $1500 instead. I'll put it to much better use.

I guess if you have an open space in your entertainment center and don't have anything to put there and also $1500 in money you don't want, this piece of crap will do just nicely. Seriously, what a piece of crap. How does this make you giddy, Engadget? I'll just throw this in the "Engadget going downhill" column.

How about a music player that accepts USB instead of some dead proprietary format that no one cares about?

[ian @ Aug 27th 2008 2:33PM]

that remote should be a little nicer. that looks like the cheap remote you get with a $100 system.

[Flashpoint @ Aug 27th 2008 2:37PM]

Super Audio CD was dead on arrival.

Back in 1999 - 2003/2004 CD's reigned supreme. Then Flash memory got cheaper and higher storage became the norm which effectively put portable CD players to sleep. The next death is that of DVD by Blu Ray...and then of Blu Ray by solid state drives.
In 20 years disk formats will be ANCIENT MEMORY and your grandchildren will laugh uncontrollably at you when you talk about how you had to go to stores to buy CD's because downloading them free from Limewire was deemed illegal by the RIAA.

"You had to download your music?....HAHAHAHA you FAIL Grandpa"

[absinthe party @ Aug 27th 2008 4:06PM]

Where do your hypothetical and seemingly maniacal grandchildren get _their_ music from?

[Flashpoint @ Aug 27th 2008 5:53PM]

absinthe


--- they get it from neurological implants.

ON DEMAND

[Peter S. @ Aug 27th 2008 2:38PM]

SACD is useless. Blu-ray supports a wide range of high-resolution audio formats already -- artists looking to release the utmost in lossless audio should go for that instead.

[Herbie555 @ Aug 27th 2008 2:47PM]

Can someone explain why this is $1279 better than my Oppo DV-981HD?

In addition to being a kick ass 1080p upscaler it does both SACD and DVD-A... over HDMI.

Not that I use it for either of those things, but I know it does it.

Someone please explain why the Sony is better. Especially since it will be the DACs in my receiver that matter, not anything to do with the DACs in the player...

[Brian @ Sep 2nd 2008 1:36AM]

If I recall correctly, the Oppo converts the DSD signal to PCM for playback. The Sony would not.

[nathan.wong @ Aug 27th 2008 2:52PM]

Wow! That's expensive! I'll continue to use my PS3.

[nathan.wong @ Aug 27th 2008 2:54PM]

Wow! That's expensive! I'll continue to use my PS3.

[nathan.wong @ Aug 27th 2008 2:55PM]

Sorry for the double post. This comment system is just the worse!

[Frankfurter @ Aug 27th 2008 3:00PM]

No problem. It happens to all of us.

[Frankfurter @ Aug 27th 2008 3:00PM]

No problem. It happens to all of us.

[Thor @ Aug 27th 2008 2:58PM]

I was wating for exactly a player like this. The design fits perfectly to my STR-DA receiver...

Stop, one moment, what does that mean, it can not play BlueRay disks? Are you kidding? And wait - did they pair it with an retro remote from the first ever Sony CD-Player.
This can not be true I urgently want to spend my money. It is getting more and more on my account. And all they can produce is crap like this?

I want a simple BlueRay-Player with exactly this design in silver for my receiver...

I´m going to sell it on ebay and buy a YAMAHA. This is insane. SONY really hates us.
And they get paid by the german GEZ. Shame on you, SONY!

AND I WILL NOT BUY A PS3 AGAIN (sold on ebay, too).

[kal326 @ Aug 27th 2008 2:59PM]

Hell for that price I could almost get 4 PS3s, assuming Sony hasn't yanked the SACD support out of that device like they have BC.

[Galley @ Aug 27th 2008 3:52PM]

Yes, they have. :-(

[Jason @ Aug 27th 2008 3:58PM]

I heard they ripped SACD out of the 40GB so likely the new 80GB and 160GB too. I'm happy I grabbed the MGS4 80GB bundle since that one is supposed to have it.

[tekdroid @ Aug 27th 2008 11:55PM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3#Retail_configurations

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 3:08PM]

and who cares what D/A converter it has if your whole reason for excitement is HDMI out anyway.

a fool and his money...

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 27th 2008 3:32PM]

The D/A converter is for Red Book CDs only. The Onboard DAC is required to decode SACD, digital out is disabled during it's playback.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 29th 2008 5:29PM]

In otherwords, Standard Redbook CD can be sent to any device over a digital connection. SACD cannot and requires analogue output.. Also at some point, the signal must be converted to analogue and many CD players have higher quality DACs and corrisponding analogue circuits than those found in the receiver.

[Iridium @ Aug 27th 2008 3:20PM]

Why does this exist? Well because there will always be some extreme audiophile that will buy it. It has all kinds of fancy processing logic, different chips, and zero distortion.

Nobody that buys a $50k pair of speakers is going to use a $100 CD player. It doesn't matter if they never buy a SACD. A $1500 CD player has to make regualr CDs sound better, right.

[sr @ Aug 28th 2008 2:24AM]

Are serious about pairing a $1500 CD player with $50,000 speakers?

[nDee @ Aug 27th 2008 3:25PM]

Sadly, no one is going to buy that.
however I must tell sony makes excellent expensive high grade hi-fis
So this is going to sounds wonderful