Esoteric P03 / D03 vs MSB Platinum Data cdIV transport plus Signature power base

[rsorren1]

Hi Gavin. I'm late to the thread but wanted to let you know that I owned BOTH the P03/D03 (and G0s clock) as well as an MSB Diamond IV Dac, transport, and power supply at different times. The Esoteric pieces are a great choice and of the highest build quality. The P03 uses one of the best mechanisms there is. I recommend running the P03/D03 in dual AES/EBU out if you can. I recall that configuration improving the musical presentation. Enjoy.

 

[infinitely baffled]

Hi Gavin. I'm late to the thread but wanted to let you know that I owned BOTH the P03/D03 (and G0s clock) as well as an MSB Diamond IV Dac, transport, and power supply at different times. The Esoteric pieces are a great choice and of the highest build quality. The P03 uses one of the best mechanisms there is. I recommend running the P03/D03 in dual AES/EBU out if you can. I recall that configuration improving the musical presentation. Enjoy.

Thank you Ralph, I've taken note of your recommendation and will follow it

 

[spiritofmusic]

Atb w the Esoteric. I guess me and JackD will maintain the world's smallest appreciation society re the Eera.

 

[infinitely baffled]

Atb w the Esoteric. I guess me and JackD will maintain the world's smallest appreciation society re the Eera.

Not in the slightest Marc, i still intend to bring one in for comparison once the Esoteric pair arrive

 

[infinitely baffled]

Thanks for the new list Brah! Played it at the beach

Speaking of the beach, by extraordinary coincidence -

- and definitely NOT a product of nothing better to do, on long winter nights at this latitude, at this time of year -

I just happen to have a beach - minded selection to hand

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFDcuCDeCPmgQ6oDfDYYlC9ttqgyByumV

starts out funky, gets pretty deep by the climax

basically designed to grab pretty girls and cause them to come over, and dance

 

[JackD201]

THAT s an eclectic list brother! Two weeks to the next beach outing. It will surely bee played. Thanks!

 

[jackelsson]

THAT s an eclectic list brother! Two weeks to the next beach outing. It will surely bee played. Thanks!

Beach outing? Now that thought hurts with +5° C and drizzeling rain over here. Can I have some dark metal or something depressing please...?

N.B. I also have an Esoteric D-03 here (alongside a D-05) albeit unfortunately without the P-03 drive. Just use it for the streamer. So I'm very interested in how you will find it compared to other DACs.

 

[JackD201]

1 minute 10 mark ......OMFG!

 

[spiritofmusic]

That girl needs Autotune fast. Or just less peppery mouthwash.

 

[infinitely baffled]

I'll have a go on it in a bit....currently preoccupied as my turntable returned today

 

[hifinutt]

Enjoyed my time with my msb platinum transport , had it for several years and it never missed a beat. Always wanted to try the better supply that audio emotion are selling with the msb. Also the drive is easy to replace helping keep it in use .

 

[infinitely baffled]

Just arrived

 

[infinitely baffled]

Just playing first disc now.
Fabric 99 Sasha, ftr

First impressions?
A big, powerful sound, very dynamic with superior bass extension

 

[infinitely baffled]

I'm undoubtedly getting more. More detail, more drama. More scale

Again ftr, I'm using the same Entreq Atlantis rca i/c's, with signal grounding for each channel that previously linked the YBA to pre amp
I've also used the ground cable that was previously grounding the YBA cd transport, over to the esoteric dac

I have no doubt i will change various settings as i get to grips with it, and optimise the links between transport and dac


On the subject of my YBA, it has been successfully repaired.
On my first evening's acquaintance to the Esoteric, i can say the differences are spookily similar to valves vs transistor amplification - the esoteric sound has extended the frequencies and increased dynamics much like the Boulder 2110 pre amp did in my system

. Blindfolded you would swear the YBA was vinyl, and i wouldn't say that about the Esoteric. It is just so.....clean sounding. It's clearly next generation compared to my prior reference. Two hours in and I'm thinking this is the best I've ever heard digital sound, undoubtedly the dynamics when playing digital source are now on a par with analogue chez gav

 

[Aperalim]

It looks like maybe my advice has come too late?

As good as the P-03/D-03 are, if I were you I would leapfrog the P-03/D-03 and go for the single box Esoteric Grandioso K1 SACD :
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/303522659166

I owned P-03/D-03 with G-0s Master Clock for many years in a very highly resolving system Absolare Altiius preamp/ Absolare Altius 845SET amps / Voxativ field coil 9.87 speaker system and the P-03/D-03/G-0s combination was easily outperformed in every possible way by the Grandioso K1 which I now own.

Happy listening.

 

[infinitely baffled]

Not in the slightest?. My intention was to upgrade in short order to the p02 d02, and the same g-0s clock you were using.

Are you familiar with the p02- d02 combo?
Would you say the Grandioso K1 would still be better, given that i don't own any SACD's?

Unfortunately my musical taste isn't catered to by the currently available offerings in that format

 

[Aperalim]

I know people that have owned P-02/D-02 and some having upgraded from P-03/D-03 but sorry I have no direct experience comparing these with Grandioso K1.

However, I can report in a good friend's active 5-way system, the Grandioso K1 alone outperformed (and replaced) a full 5 box P-01/D-01/G-0Rb rig so I therefore I would expect the P-02/D-02 would also be outperformed by the K1.

I have over 3,000 discs but less than 20% are SACD so please be assured this unit also sounds superb playing Redbook CD.

Cheers

 

[jackelsson]

I owned P-03/D-03 with G-0s Master Clock for many years in a very highly resolving system (...) and the P-03/D-03/G-0s combination was easily outperformed in every possible way by the Grandioso K1 which I now own.

Could you maybe describe a bit more in detail in which aspects the K1 outperformed the P-03/D-03 combo?

 

[Aperalim]

The K1 clearly surpassed performance of P-03/D-03/G-0s in every single aspect that could be described.
In my experience there was nothing about its performance that was not eclipsed by the K1.

 

[infinitely baffled]

Could you maybe describe a bit more in detail in which aspects the K1 outperformed the P-03/D-03 combo?

This is quite informative. The reviewer compares the flagshp 70k Grandioso stack to the K1

https://www.soundstageultra.com/ind.../778-esoteric-grandioso-k1-sacd-cd-player-dac