Sony XA5400ES vs Oppo BDP-105

TommyTunes, a forum member, has compared both players in his high resolution system and came out in favour of the 5400.

As a long term owner of the Sony in a stereo-only system I must say that it has given me enormous pleasure and has been super reliable. I paid full price $1500 from Crutchfield and it was money well spent.

 

The 5400 is a great player as is Oppo 105 for what they cost. I think they both delivery value above and beyond their given price points. Whether one sounds better then another is probably somewhat system dependent. Synergy with other system components can play a big factor. Again, both players are great values for the money.

 

I was hoping the Oppo would be the preferred player over the 5400 in this thread. But it seems like there are few who've actually been able to make a comparison. Stereophile prefers the Oppo 103 over the 5400. And I presume they mean that the sound, not the versatility, is preferred. There are plenty of do-everything players out there with ho hum sound quality. Even if the Oppo is seen as a Swiss Army knife of players, I expect it to exceed the Sony's sound quality after all of the praise I've read. Or have the new Oppo owners never heard a first class player? Is it overrated?

I need a player primarily for cd/sacd and hdcd encoded discs. A few dvd-a's and DTS dvd's. All in 2-channel. That's it. I was ready to purchase the 105, but, now I'm not so sure.
And referring to an earlier post: surely the Oppo doesn't need a monitor to play cd's and sacd's?

 

I've been lucky enough to have all three players in my house at the same time, and the 103 does not sound better then 5400 IMHO. If you don't plan on streaming or doing blu-ray audio/video, I would go with 5400. It's a great stock player for cd and SACD, and modification takes it into another league. If you want a machine that is more future proof, the 105 would be the right choice. I thought the 105 was and is a great stock player for the money, and proper modification allows it compete with players at much higher price points. Also, you don't need a monitor to play cd's and sacd's with the Oppo.

 

I think if you just want a CD player and a stereo SACD player, and if you have a balanced preamp in particular, then the Sony is a better buy.

But if you want to play DVD-A or want to run multi-channel from something other than an HDMI feed, and maybe want to use the Oppo as a DAC, then the 105 is what I would buy. You could throw the BluRay thing in too as another check mark on the Oppo side.

 

The Sony does not decode HDCD. The Oppo does.

 

could I buy a 103 and spend the price difference between it and the 105 on mods for a better player?

 

This from Oppo.

"The OPPO BDP-103 and BDP-105 share the same primary components (including the mainboard, laser, and loader) for superb audio and video playback, and while the BDP-103 and BDP-105 are identical in performance when it comes to audio and video over HDMI, the BDP-105 offers a number of enhancements:

1. The BDP-105 features improved sound quality from its analog audio outputs with its implementation of dual 32-bit ESS Technology digital-to-analog converters, a toroidal power supply, and two sets of dedicated stereo analog outputs (balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA) for 2-channel enthusiasts. Customers who do a great deal of critical music listening using a very high end, analog connected system will benefit most from these additions.
2. The BDP-105 features a headphone amplifier for use with high-quality headphones.
3. The BDP-105 features three additional digital audio inputs: optical, coaxial, and a 2-channel asynchronous USB DAC input.

Furthermore, the BDP-105 is graced with additional aesthetic and ergonomic enhancements that include a larger 4.8 inch tall chassis, sculpted aluminum front panel, touch sensitive front-panel playback controls, availability of an optional rack mount kit, and availability in Black or Silver."


So a lot of what you are paying for in the 105 are improvements in audio capability. Query as to whether third party mods would provide more bang for the buck.

 

improvements in analog SQ if I read this correctly. If you use a HDMI connection, this is not important. Or, am I reading this wrong?

 

As I stated earlier, I really loved my 5400ES and replaced it with this Denon Anniversary model, which I think not only sounded better for Redbook and SACD, but can additionally be used as a DAC; here is one at the price I paid:

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...00th-Anniversary-Stereo-SACD/CD-Player/1.html

 

That is correct.

 

Most serious audiophiles have come down in favor of the Sony for pure stereo sound quality. The Oppo is no slouch and does a lot more things, but most CD/SACD-focused buyers will prefer the Sony. You really have to go with the latest high-end DACs above the Sony's list price to better its sound quality in analog stereo. The best thing about the 5400ES which is rarely mentioned, is its ability to make horribly compressed redbook masterings tolerable on a high-end system. The Sony engineers really worked their magic on the upsampling.

 

For me the Oppo's ability to work as a DAC was crucial. My redbook, DVD-V 96/24 (about 3 discs worth) and DVD-A libraries are ripped for play through my Squeezebox. And I am now awaiting a PS3 capable of ripping SACDs. And I use it for Blu-Ray (although frankly that is less important to me).

 

No doubt, the Oppo is an incredibly versatile player.

 

How does that work? Does the Sony release a gas that drugs the listener?

 

This is one of the reasons why I'm leaning towards the Sony (or Rega, if decide to go for a red book only player).

 

+1, great looking unit at a fantastic price. If I were in the market I don't think I could pass this one up.

 

Thanks Lon. I'm in Toronto and these guys ship to the US only. For a CDP, I would prefer to buy new with warranty and both the Denon and Sony are almost impossible to find up here, so I may end up with the Oppo BDP-105 or Rega.

 

The Sony 5400 initially had some problems with it's transport. More than one member hear posted about their trouble. Sending the unit back and getting the same problem all over again. Are the more recent models without this problem? I'm leaning toward the Sony now, and getting the Oppo later.

I see there have also been mechanical noise issues with the Sony on some discs:
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/problem-with-sony-scd-xa5400-es-cd-player.290380/

http://www.sa-cd.net/showthread/66282/y

 

I have owned three Sony ES series players and the 5400 has been free of any issues. My XA777ES gave me problems and I ended up replacing the optical block which fixed it.

 

That link is to an authorized dealer, and I imagine full warranty. Too bad they don't ship North. . . . Perhaps an inquiry might lead to an exception (I've had that happen elsewhere). I"m not really an Oppo fan, but I bet the 105 would work well for you.

 

When I got my Sony 5400 a couple of years ago nobody had them in stock. So I went to the local Sony ES dealer and placed an order and asked them to call and get me an ETA. They did and I had to wait a few weeks but I got it. It was worth the wait and it has worked flawlessly ever since.

 

I strongly recommend the 5400, I have one and love the sound.

 

Check 6Moons for a review on Oppo Mods.

I remember reading their review of a Modwright Oppo 105. I don’t think they were too blown away by it. The cost was about twice as much as the Oppo cost.

 

Full Monty Mods run around $3k for the 105 from Modwright.