G'Day. So much goes into the final sound. I heard my same speakers sound from bright to duller. The same gear only changes the power cords. used. Speakers also make an impression. I can understand what you saying about the Esoteric in your system in your room and that is all that counts in the end. I did not have that impression of the K-01, and a friend of mine purchased one also after hearing mine and his system is totally different and it sounds as good as his SME TT, arm, and his $6.000 cartridge, his joke is I own the best of both worlds and I can now enjoy both formats to the point now he buys recordings based on price as a consideration, he finds the cost of some vinyl sold online as a way too high vs. possible sound improvement because it is not that great, and I agree, but then to each his own. But you both have vinyl buying in our DNA because we grew up with it.
If the Esoteric K03Xs CD/SACD Player has harsh leading and trailing edges...
- Thread starter John57
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I just read some reviews of the TotalDAC Giga Filter and am wondering if there is any way to configure its use in my Esoteric,? I noted that one user/reviewer had it configured as a loop across the outputs and inputs of the USB terminals. Othnsince my K03Xs is already internally damped, shielded, and so on, would this USB filter really achieve anything over and above the current upgrade, I am doubtful. I also have the G-Orb Clock and it has not made a super significant difference to the unit sound signature either. And I have tried the CD player tied into another DAC (Lampizator Amber III) but that didn't really change the final signature harshness much. I find the Amber DAC is already forward sounding pushing the whole sound forward rather as a loudness switch does. Ultimately...trying to turn X into Y by feeding the signal through something else, isn't a highly reliable method of change in my view and experience. The Luxman D-06u does not suffer any such harshness whatsoever. Nor is it as transparent either... but this dichotomy is just too far over the wrong side for my taste and others it seems, really.
You are looking at a change and I might suggest looking at 1, speaker setup and room acoustics. 2. power cords. The K-01 I used was not bright it was dynamic as all get out. The Luxman is too warm, the k-03X too bright. Change front end gear, you have to reset your speakers sometimes, we usually build our system around all the current gear we like, but when we change something, we might have to reposition our speakers. I've had power cords sound Ok with my system or speaker than the next change I reinsert them and bam they work better in that system. I keep many of my power cords, they can really make a positive change if I try new gear. I've learned you have to work with a system and thinking outside the box. The Esoterics and the Luxmans are really, really good, you finding out how good they are by not finding much improvement when you try the box DAC's. The Luxman 06U, you might have to give yourself some time to adjust to it, if you go from one unit that is more upfront, to another more laid back and say just even and natural it would sound boring, but then once your ear gets a handle on it, it may well start to sound really good. Much like going from a good solid-state and to an all-tube power amp that is a pure tube, with no solid-state rectifiers. Well, your 1st impression might be this is too warm, boring, till you adjust from what you are used to and then start catching the magic of what a pure tube amp can do, but then you might miss what the solid-state amp did and chose to live that sound. After 40 years in this hobby, I now come to the conclusion audio is like cooking we spice the food to our tastes.
Well if life was so straight. The Luxman is in our new home in Melbourne Australia and the Esoteric is in our Villa in Saudi Arabia. So nothing linear. Yet I persist with the view that a unit has a sound signature that persists in all environments to a greater or lesser attenuation. These are just steps on our journey of listening experience.
I am not clear why there is no mention at all of the harsh sounds or house sound of the Esoteric 03Xs or it’s cousins in this Japanese review by the owner. With obvious first hand experience across the range...
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Hi
New member here, but a long time user of Esoteric products.
Started with a P10. Then the K-03. Updated this to the K-03XS. Took delivery of the K-03XD in BLACK. Supposedly only 500 made in black and only two imported into Australia.
I can only speak of my experiences.
The XS was significantly better than the K-03. Better in every way.
The XD blows the XS out of the water. Bigger more precise soundstage and imagery. It is more analog. Bass is deeper and more plentiful.
And this is before it has been run in. Probably 20 hours so far and getting better all the time.
Regards
Paul from Melbourne Australia
New member here, but a long time user of Esoteric products.
Started with a P10. Then the K-03. Updated this to the K-03XS. Took delivery of the K-03XD in BLACK. Supposedly only 500 made in black and only two imported into Australia.
I can only speak of my experiences.
The XS was significantly better than the K-03. Better in every way.
The XD blows the XS out of the water. Bigger more precise soundstage and imagery. It is more analog. Bass is deeper and more plentiful.
And this is before it has been run in. Probably 20 hours so far and getting better all the time.
Regards
Paul from Melbourne Australia
phrozario, I'm having a similar experience going from a K-03X to a K-01XD. Big step up in soundstage, tone, definition, and adjustability (more useful up-conversion and filter settings). The new remote is also nice.
@phrozario
Mate where were you for the past one year! I was in Melbourne and just flew back here to Riyadh in the Middle East. I had a love hate relationship with my K03Xs SE and would love to have heard the XD. Bummer. I’ve moved my unit back to my guy in the USA and am currently using the Luxman D06u CDP downunder. Fyi I was located in Mernda. It took a year to get a flight back here. Where did you sell your K03Xs and may I ask how much did you get fir it? And where did you buy your XD?
Sounds like you’ve hit on a winner there. Pleasure to meet a fellow Esoteric traveler.
Mate where were you for the past one year! I was in Melbourne and just flew back here to Riyadh in the Middle East. I had a love hate relationship with my K03Xs SE and would love to have heard the XD. Bummer. I’ve moved my unit back to my guy in the USA and am currently using the Luxman D06u CDP downunder. Fyi I was located in Mernda. It took a year to get a flight back here. Where did you sell your K03Xs and may I ask how much did you get fir it? And where did you buy your XD?
Sounds like you’ve hit on a winner there. Pleasure to meet a fellow Esoteric traveler.
Traded the old player. To the distributor. Directly. Been dealing with Reference Audio Visual for a while now. They will sell direct to a customer. Not saying you get a better price, but overall you get a good deal.
G’day sbo6
Your change raises the characteristics of the Esoteric vs alternatives. In your case you report finding significant improvement in attributes I associate with key features of the K03Xs SE I had. Perhaps the number one character is transparency. This shows up as detail, space between instruments musical phrases and a black background. Unfortunately for me there was a clear cost paid for this in harsh leading and trailing edges of music notes. And I agree other players in your case the AF and in mine dacs like the Amber III DAC and players including modified Pioneer and Oppo top line models or my Luxman D06u all don’t have either the transparency or the harshness either!
I’m not saying they are associated but there’s no doubt being transparent means you can hear all the other faults. My guy in the USA pulled the K03Xs apart and reported many findings. No film caps just cheaper polypropylene caps everywhere. Lots of grainy sound, and too much internal resonance. So he’s changed lots of the caps added loads of damping materials etc. Despite this I find the unit still has the same problem. Hence my selling and moving on.
The Luxman is an especially interesting alternative and D010XD another I am researching.
@sbo6 I rarely hear any gear first hand except in my villa here in Saudi Arabia. As you might guess...
So my primary source is my pair of Sony WH1000XM3 and whatever source videos are available. I’m comfortable with that having been here for more than six years. I’m pretty good at calibrating sound using these, and my related kit.
That said I have not been impressed enough with the vids of the new Esoteric XD range from what I’ve heard. Others have much different experiences with the older cdp’s and the new XD range. Not yet for me to stop me pursuing alternatives. I’m no longer an Esoteric fan boy at this time.
So my primary source is my pair of Sony WH1000XM3 and whatever source videos are available. I’m comfortable with that having been here for more than six years. I’m pretty good at calibrating sound using these, and my related kit.
That said I have not been impressed enough with the vids of the new Esoteric XD range from what I’ve heard. Others have much different experiences with the older cdp’s and the new XD range. Not yet for me to stop me pursuing alternatives. I’m no longer an Esoteric fan boy at this time.
Try this thread, there was some Japanese demo involving this and a Luxman 10
https://www.audioshark.org/esoteric-53/esoteric-xd-series-18423.html
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