Anyone still have CD/SACD Transport with Esoteric drive here?

[Windows X]

I'm curious to know if there's any audiophile comparing music server against CD/SACD transport with Esoteric drive. Maybe Esoteric CD Player, dCS Puccini, or Emm Labs CD Player with Esoteric drive is fine too. We used to hear this server sounds better or as good as that CD transport but I've never heard someone comparing to Esoteric transport which is used in highend brands before.

 

Lately it seems computer audio advancement is all about promoting some cool features or mods making people believe this will bring them good sound so people will buy and be satisfied that it's better than generic computer they have. Having someone with reference system to share their experience and opinions would help communities a lot.

[Norton]

Maybe not the exact comparison you are looking for, but last year I owned both an Esoteric K05x player and Resonessence Mirus DAC with integrated SD card transport.

I sold the Esoteric and kept the Resonessence as I considered (comparing rips with physical media for same discs) the latter to at least equal the Esoteric on SACD and better it by some margin on RBCD.

 

I’ve recently been using the EC designs UPL/MOS16 transport and DAC, a £700  combo playing RBCD from USB sticks.  It would be interesting to compare back to back now with the K05x, but from memory, my sense is that the EC Designs kit would easily outperform the Esoteric on RBCD, at least for detail retrieval.  YMMV of course, and at £7k the K05x is just one rung above entry level in the Esoteric range with a more modest  transport... so maybe not the comparison you intended.

 

 

[Dutch]

I’ve noticed CA/AS is not the forum where many people with what one could call ‘old skool’ reference systems reside. It seems many that used to frequent here have left this forum as well (no doubt in part because of the small but rather venomous ‘objectivist crowd’ who seem to be free to de-rail topics). It’s mainly the DIY audiophiles that are left making it rather ‘one-sided’. Don’t get me wrong I like the DIY part but but for some required balance I visit other audiophile forums as well.

[Windows X]

4 hours ago, Norton said:

Maybe not the exact comparison you are looking for, but last year I owned both an Esoteric K05x player and Resonessence Mirus DAC with integrated SD card transport.

I sold the Esoteric and kept the Resonessence as I considered (comparing rips with physical media for same discs) the latter to at least equal the Esoteric on SACD and better it by some margin on RBCD.

 

I’ve recently been using the EC designs UPL/MOS16 transport and DAC, a £700  combo playing RBCD from USB sticks.  It would be interesting to compare back to back now with the K05x, but from memory, my sense is that the EC Designs kit would easily outperform the Esoteric on RBCD, at least for detail retrieval.  YMMV of course, and at £7k the K05x is just one rung above entry level in the Esoteric range with a more modest  transport... so maybe not the comparison you intended.

 

 

 

From my experience, Esoteric Player with 03 number starts to sound good for its DAC which is $10k level and a lot of computer audiophiles in my country said Mirus to be giant killer for its price too.

 

Maybe something like Esoteric X05 with digital output to Mirus will make fairer comparison since yours is like transport + DAC combo and I also prefer DAC on Mirus over K-05x (or even K-03).

 

Regards,

Keetakawee

[Windows X]

3 hours ago, Dutch said:

I’ve noticed CA/AS is not the forum where many people with what one could call ‘old skool’ reference systems reside. It seems many that used to frequent here have left this forum as well (no doubt in part because of the small but rather venomous ‘objectivist crowd’ who seem to be free to de-rail topics). It’s mainly the DIY audiophiles that are left making it rather ‘one-sided’. Don’t get me wrong I like the DIY part but but for some required balance I visit other audiophile forums as well.

 

Yeah. There was time people doing comparison between new servers against good CD transports any many objectivists trying to shoot down those posts. Maybe it's something related to guerilla marketing where they want people keep making hype of new category products. At some point people will believe them without trying to compare themselves.

 

The last community where highend CD transport users still be active is whatsbestforum but they don't seem to care about music server that much anymore.

 

Regards,

Keetakawee

[adol290]

7 hours ago, Windows X said:

I'm curious to know if there's any audiophile comparing music server against CD/SACD transport with Esoteric drive. Maybe Esoteric CD Player, dCS Puccini, or Emm Labs CD Player with Esoteric drive is fine too. We used to hear this server sounds better or as good as that CD transport but I've never heard someone comparing to Esoteric transport which is used in highend brands before.

 

Lately it seems computer audio advancement is all about promoting some cool features or mods making people believe this will bring them good sound so people will buy and be satisfied that it's better than generic computer they have. Having someone with reference system to share their experience and opinions would help communities a lot.

 

Hello,

 

I built a server and have compared it against an esoteric K-03x and esoteric K-01x.

 

My Current server consists of 

 

HDPLEX H5 case with the 100 watt linear power supply with 250W HiFi DC-ATX

ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Gene mATX LGA1151
INTEL I5-6600 3.30GHZ Skylake 
G.SKILL Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-2400
SAMSUNG 850 EVO M.2 2280 250GB - for the boot drive
SAMSUNG 850 EVO 500GB for the music files

Jcat USB card Femto

Mojo internal regulator module
HQplayer software

Nordost TYR USB cable

 

 

I originally ran my my server without the JCAT card or Mojo regulator. Instead i used a  IFI iUSB3.0 between my

 server into the USB on the K-03x. I also used a pair of audio sensibility Signature USB silver cable to connect the two.

 

I was able to tweak the sound so that running my server into the DAC portion of the K-03x sounded very close. All my files

 were ripped with DBpoweramp into lossless Flac. But i found  playing a cd's was still a bit better. In some cases the ripped

 cd lost the very subtle and quiet details, and a bit of the bass.

 

I then sold my K-03x and bought a Bryston BDA-3. I used the same hardware setup and found the sound very good,

 but not quite as good using the USB into the K-03x DAC portion.

 

I then upgraded my server adding the JCAT USB card, the Mojo Regulator and the Nordost TYR USB.

This was a definite improvement and the Bryston DAC rivaled the K-03x USB, but a still not as good as 

 playing a cd on the K-03x.

 

I then bought a used K-01x. I Used the Current hardware listed above. I Played a song through the USB into the

 DAC of the K-01x and it was better than the K-03x USB. I was equal to, if not a touch better than the K-03x playing a CD. All the subtle and quiet details where there.

 

I then played a CD  in the K-01x. It just jumped  to another level. While the USB is is very very good, the CD was Incredible. Hugh sound stage detailed and balanced across highs/mids/bass.

 

If i had never heard the K-01x play a CD, i would be more than happy to listen to files played though it's USB into

 the DAC portion.

[Windows X]

4 hours ago, adol290 said:

 

Hello,

 

I built a server and have compared it against an esoteric K-03x and esoteric K-01x.

 

My Current server consists of 

 

HDPLEX H5 case with the 100 watt linear power supply with 250W HiFi DC-ATX

ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Gene mATX LGA1151
INTEL I5-6600 3.30GHZ Skylake 
G.SKILL Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-2400
SAMSUNG 850 EVO M.2 2280 250GB - for the boot drive
SAMSUNG 850 EVO 500GB for the music files

Jcat USB card Femto

Mojo internal regulator module
HQplayer software

Nordost TYR USB cable

 

 

I originally ran my my server without the JCAT card or Mojo regulator. Instead i used a  IFI iUSB3.0 between my

 server into the USB on the K-03x. I also used a pair of audio sensibility Signature USB silver cable to connect the two.

 

I was able to tweak the sound so that running my server into the DAC portion of the K-03x sounded very close. All my files

 were ripped with DBpoweramp into lossless Flac. But i found  playing a cd's was still a bit better. In some cases the ripped

 cd lost the very subtle and quiet details, and a bit of the bass.

 

I then sold my K-03x and bought a Bryston BDA-3. I used the same hardware setup and found the sound very good,

 but not quite as good using the USB into the K-03x DAC portion.

 

I then upgraded my server adding the JCAT USB card, the Mojo Regulator and the Nordost TYR USB.

This was a definite improvement and the Bryston DAC rivaled the K-03x USB, but a still not as good as 

 playing a cd on the K-03x.

 

I then bought a used K-01x. I Used the Current hardware listed above. I Played a song through the USB into the

 DAC of the K-01x and it was better than the K-03x USB. I was equal to, if not a touch better than the K-03x playing a CD. All the subtle and quiet details where there.

 

I then played a CD  in the K-01x. It just jumped  to another level. While the USB is is very very good, the CD was Incredible. Hugh sound stage detailed and balanced across highs/mids/bass.

 

If i had never heard the K-01x play a CD, i would be more than happy to listen to files played though it's USB into

 the DAC portion.

 

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I agree that Esoteric 01 player lineup is a big landmark where hearing is believing really kicks in. Esoteric P-05/P-05X will also perform very well on revealing system too.

 

Regards,

Keetakawee

[seeteeyou]

Pretty interesting experience?

 

https://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=124410&page=4#pid2965658