best? Sony 5400 or Cambridge 840c or 851C Thanks


Opinions? I'm aware the SACD value of the Sony. Great reviews on all 3. I'm running B&W 801 Matrix series 3, JPS MIT NBS Audioquest cables. Bel Canto REF 1000 mono's, Krell KRC-3 pre. Sony 9000ES VSE Level 5 modded SACD, Micro Seiki DDX 1000 TT. Getting old so listening less ROCK, more Blues Roots Jazzy, Cafe del Mar. HELP!! Thanks Bill
whs57
Cambridge Audio has a nice sonic signature but it has some reliability issues with circuits, transports and other areas that are documented so I would steer clear.

Oppo is the best that I saw/heard at CES this year at that price point.
The 5400 and 840c seem to have quite variable and often extreme responses. The latest TAS reviewer certainly feels the 840c and 851c are quite different from each other.
Perhaps you might consider a Marantz SA8004.

I owned an 840c and I much prefer the Marantz. The Marantz
is much more musical and involving compared to the 840c.

The Marantz has enabled me to just sit back and enjoy the music.