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The "pre-review" of the Sony XA5400se was good, but has also added a bit to the confusion that exists in the web.
1. There is much discussion about using this as a transport via its HDMI. Hard to think who wants to pay 1500$ for a transport, but if this is the case, then please be precise and methodic on what kind of digital data can be exported via HDMI (with what DRM) and what via the other digital outputs (does CD output mean 16 bit?).

Full DSD via HDMI. Redbook PCM via other digital.

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2. The player sells after all as a Stereo CD/SACD player, so the right comparison is with both good red book players (Rega, Creek, Naim, Ayre 7 etc) and with comparable SACD/universal players (Marantz and, why not, Ayre 5). Unless you really believe that Oppo and Pioneer are good enough as stand alone stereo players to challange the above mentioned.

Well, the column is not particularly concerned with 2channel performance, so there will be no follow-up on that topic. The relevant matter, for me, is the multichannel performance and, there, one has few HDMI-enabled players with which to compare it.

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I am looking forward to KR follow up (when?).

Anon.

Kal

I see your point.
Perhaps the player should make another round to JA or ST for a follow up on the stereo CD/SACD.
Thanks anyhow for the good, early report.

They'll have to wrestle it away from me by force.

Kal

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They'll have to wrestle it away from me by force.

I'm putting my money on Kal, TKO round 6.

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They'll have to wrestle it away from me by force.

I'm putting my money on Kal, TKO round 6.

Of course, we are assuming that JA doesn't recruit you to do the task.

Kal

Hi Kal:

I am a newbie and I have learned quite a lot from your columns and posts in the various forums. I read this review and your favorable impressions with DSD over HDMI. On another forum Dave Nauber of Classe posted this reponse regarding the SSP-800:

Q. What does it do with sources like 3-channel or 4 channel SACD or DVD-Audio? In the case of 3-channel SACD, does it keep the center channel? In both cases what does it do with the other output channels? Are they processed or are they silent?

A. The only way an SACD player could deliver more than two channels in the digital domain would be over HDMI. Although the hardware could technically support DSD over HDMI, we don

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Q. What does it do with sources like 3-channel or 4 channel SACD or DVD-Audio? In the case of 3-channel SACD, does it keep the center channel? In both cases what does it do with the other output channels? Are they processed or are they silent?

Obviously, if you connect them all, the SSP-800 will process them all.

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A. The only way an SACD player could deliver more than two channels in the digital domain would be over HDMI.

True.

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Although the hardware could technically support DSD over HDMI, we don

Thanks for the clarification Kal.