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  #11  
Old 02-19-2019, 06:27 PM
2fastdriving 2fastdriving is offline
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Originally Posted by SCAudiophile View Post
My 2 cents on this having heard alot of DCS gear, EMM Labs and others and sticking with Esoteric....competition for Esoteric gear is replete with many examples (DCS, EMM, CH, MSB, etc...) that offer excellent playback. For me, my preference for Esoteric has always been around transparency, resolution top to bottom over the entire frequency spectrum including the best rendering of bass frequencies (fast, articulate, profound without bloat), imaging and 3D soundstaging. To my listening preferences, Esoteric does a better job than DCS and EMM Labs as they focus on what must be a different set of design goals and overall different output sonic signature. One year ago December I was fortunate enough to hear a top flight system in an insanely great custom-built room in MA. featuring 4-box DCS stack, Magico M3 with MPods and QSubs, Spectral Monos and Pre-amp and a 'just right' mix of top of the line Shunyata, MIT and WW cabling. A too die-for system that one would have a hard time picking apart any weaknesses in a room that frankly was my idea of audiophile Nirvana in terms of its huge size and overall acoustic properties. Spent 5-6 hours there planted in the chair fully enveloped in a top line DCS playback experience. If I'd never heard Esoteric, never owned, I would have thought it could be everything anyone could ever want (and it is...).

Less than 18 hours later I was at Ivan's hearing the Grandioso K1 and G1 clock and later the 4-box Esoteric stack in the Burmester Aida system and a brief stop in the TAD R1 system with Esoteric D02X DAC and C02X pre-amp. About as close an apples/apples comparison that is ever possible back to back separated by very little time in the middle so all listening impressions were still very fresh from the day before.

The Esoteric 4-box, 2-box and 1-box offerings have their own signature to be sure; I found myself continuing to come back to my preference for Esoteric's overall transparency, detail retrieval and resolution of the total dynamic spectrum more than what I'd heard from the DCS 4-box stack. It has that 'something extra' that appeals to me plus build quality and fit & finish that check the box with me in a way that other brands do not.

In short,...all these options are top of the stack. I've not even mentioned MSB, TotalDAC or CH that have seen many DCS and Esoteric owners wind up liking them more and jumping ship. They are all reputed to be fantastic products.

IMHO if you like a bit warmer more rounded playback experience (transient edges, midrange, a bit smoother etc..) DCS 4-box/in general and the Grandioso K1 (and EMM Labs) all are in the same realm. If like me and others you want more transparency and unbridaled, I would suggest Esoteric K-01xs, P-02X, D-02X or the 4-box stack is something you definitely want to listen to.

The best part of all these choices is there is no right or wrong,...great music comes out no matter which you choose; it's all a matter of personal preference.

FWIW...don't shoot the author !
In addition, there is no way to beat the build quality of Esoteric. It's next-level, designed and built to withstand a nuclear blast. Once you pick up a 75lb CD player, you realize that you are not playing with plastic crap!!!
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  #12  
Old 02-19-2019, 06:40 PM
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Masterlu Masterlu is online now
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Originally Posted by 2fastdriving View Post
In addition, there is no way to beat the build quality of Esoteric. It's next-level, designed and built to withstand a nuclear blast. Once you pick up a 75lb CD player, you realize that you are not playing with plastic crap!!!
Or Grandioso M1 Monoblocks at 140lbs each.
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MX150, MC501(2) MC1.2KW(10) MC2301(2) MR88, MVP881, MCD1100, MDA1000, C1000C/P/T, MPC1500, ESOTERIC K-01X 30th ANNIVERSARY (BLACK) SACD/CD PLAYER, G02-X CLOCK, HT3F(2) XRT2K, XCS2K, XR27(2) JL GOTHAM v2 SUBS(2) JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(4) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) KALEIDESCAPE STRATO & TERRA SERVERS 80-TB, LUMAGEN RADIANCE SCALER, SONY VPH-G90U 4K PROJECTOR, STEWART 120" SCREEN, SONUS FABER STRADIVARI, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, FORTRESS SEATING, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Analog Rig: CLEARAUDIO INNOVATION WOOD, UNIVERSAL ARM w/ Da VINCI' CART, 2nd UNIVERSAL ARM w/ GOLDFINGER STATEMENT CART, HRS-MXR REFERENCE RACK-GLOSS BLACK w/ M3X SHELVES, AESTHETIX RHEA SIG PHONO-PRE, BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Reference System: BURMESTER 911MK3 AMP(3), 088 PRE-AMP, 089 CD PLAYER, 100 PHONO PRE-AMP, 948 POWER CONDITIONER, ACCUPHASE DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, AVID ACUTUS REFERENCE SP TT, GRAHAM PHANTOM II SUPREME ARM, BENZ MICRO LP-S CART, GRANDIOSO P1X/D1X STACK, G1X RUBIDIUM MASTER CLOCK, N05 NETWORK PLAYER, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS-SXR CUSTOM RACK w/ M3X SHELVES, SONUS FABER AIDA SPEAKERS, JL FATHOM F113v2 SUBS(2) SOUND ANCHOR STANDS(2) WW PLATINUM CABLES

Library System: GRANDIOSO M1 MONOBLOCK AMPS, C1 LINESTAGE PRE-AMP, K1X CD/SACD PLAYER, G1 MASTER RUBIDIUM CLOCK, E02 PHONO-PRE, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, AERIAL ACOUSTICS 20T V2, AERIAL SW12 SUBS(2), CANTON REF K1’s, VPI HRX TT w/ SDS POWER SUPPLY, ORTOFON CADENZA BLACK CART, KLAUDIO RCM, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2, SHUNYATA OMEGA QR’s, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Esoteric/Bryston System: ESOTERIC C02-X PRE-AMP, P-02X TRANSPORT, D02-X DAC, G02-X CLOCK, BRYSTON 28B3 CUBED MONOBLOCK AMPS(4), BRYSTON BHA-1 HEADPHONE AMP, SHUNYATA DENALI 6000/S v2(2) EVEREST 8000 POWER CONDITIONER(2) ALTAIRA CG & SG HUBS, AMR-DP777-SE DAC, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, TAD REFERENCE ONE MK2 LOUDSPEAKERS, QUADRASPIRE RACK, WW PLATINUM CABLES
Accuphase/Canton System: ACCUPHASE E800 INTEGRATED, DP570 CD/SACD PLAYER, T1200 FM STEREO TUNER, DG-68 VOICING EQUALIZER, PS530 POWER SUPPLY, CANTON REF K3’s, CANTON REF K5’s, SILENZIO MUSIC SERVER, HRS MXR REFERENCE MAHOGHANY RACK w/ M3X2 SHELVES, WW GOLD CABLES
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  #13  
Old 02-19-2019, 06:47 PM
2fastdriving 2fastdriving is offline
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Originally Posted by Masterlu View Post
Or Grandioso M1 Monoblocks at 140lbs each.
Nice. But with an amplifier, you kind of expect it to be really heavy. With a CD player, it's shocking to struggle to lift it up and move it around. I still love telling my friends my CD player was shipped on a pallet. It blows their mind!
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  #14  
Old 02-19-2019, 09:44 PM
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For The Love of Music For The Love of Music is offline
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Originally Posted by 2fastdriving View Post
Nice. But with an amplifier, you kind of expect it to be really heavy. With a CD player, it's shocking to struggle to lift it up and move it around. I still love telling my friends my CD player was shipped on a pallet. It blows their mind!


Isn’t the shipping on a pallet more related to reducing concern of physical handling when it comes to the laser?
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  #15  
Old 02-20-2019, 03:14 AM
chadisrc chadisrc is offline
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Originally Posted by SCAudiophile View Post
My 2 cents on this having heard alot of DCS gear, EMM Labs and others and sticking with Esoteric....competition for Esoteric gear is replete with many examples (DCS, EMM, CH, MSB, etc...) that offer excellent playback. For me, my preference for Esoteric has always been around transparency, resolution top to bottom over the entire frequency spectrum including the best rendering of bass frequencies (fast, articulate, profound without bloat), imaging and 3D soundstaging. To my listening preferences, Esoteric does a better job than DCS and EMM Labs as they focus on what must be a different set of design goals and overall different output sonic signature. One year ago December I was fortunate enough to hear a top flight system in an insanely great custom-built room in MA. featuring 4-box DCS stack, Magico M3 with MPods and QSubs, Spectral Monos and Pre-amp and a 'just right' mix of top of the line Shunyata, MIT and WW cabling. A too die-for system that one would have a hard time picking apart any weaknesses in a room that frankly was my idea of audiophile Nirvana in terms of its huge size and overall acoustic properties. Spent 5-6 hours there planted in the chair fully enveloped in a top line DCS playback experience. If I'd never heard Esoteric, never owned, I would have thought it could be everything anyone could ever want (and it is...).

Less than 18 hours later I was at Ivan's hearing the Grandioso K1 and G1 clock and later the 4-box Esoteric stack in the Burmester Aida system and a brief stop in the TAD R1 system with Esoteric D02X DAC and C02X pre-amp. About as close an apples/apples comparison that is ever possible back to back separated by very little time in the middle so all listening impressions were still very fresh from the day before.

The Esoteric 4-box, 2-box and 1-box offerings have their own signature to be sure; I found myself continuing to come back to my preference for Esoteric's overall transparency, detail retrieval and resolution of the total dynamic spectrum more than what I'd heard from the DCS 4-box stack. It has that 'something extra' that appeals to me plus build quality and fit & finish that check the box with me in a way that other brands do not.

In short,...all these options are top of the stack. I've not even mentioned MSB, TotalDAC or CH that have seen many DCS and Esoteric owners wind up liking them more and jumping ship. They are all reputed to be fantastic products.

IMHO if you like a bit warmer more rounded playback experience (transient edges, midrange, a bit smoother etc..) DCS 4-box/in general and the Grandioso K1 (and EMM Labs) all are in the same realm. If like me and others you want more transparency and unbridaled, I would suggest Esoteric K-01xs, P-02X, D-02X or the 4-box stack is something you definitely want to listen to.

The best part of all these choices is there is no right or wrong,...great music comes out no matter which you choose; it's all a matter of personal preference.

FWIW...don't shoot the author !
Thanks for the detailed explanation SCAudiophile. You are very fortunate to hear a couple of great systems like that. I bought a lotto ticket recently and I am praying to the audio gods that I can use some of the winnings to get myself into a system like one you have listened to. Although it probably won't happen, it sure is fun to read about this stuff, and dream. I love this hobby, and its fun to speak with people who enjoy it as well.
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  #16  
Old 03-14-2019, 08:24 AM
GSOphile GSOphile is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCAudiophile View Post
My 2 cents on this having heard alot of DCS gear, EMM Labs and others and sticking with Esoteric....competition for Esoteric gear is replete with many examples (DCS, EMM, CH, MSB, etc...) that offer excellent playback. For me, my preference for Esoteric has always been around transparency, resolution top to bottom over the entire frequency spectrum including the best rendering of bass frequencies (fast, articulate, profound without bloat), imaging and 3D soundstaging. To my listening preferences, Esoteric does a better job than DCS and EMM Labs as they focus on what must be a different set of design goals and overall different output sonic signature. One year ago December I was fortunate enough to hear a top flight system in an insanely great custom-built room in MA. featuring 4-box DCS stack, Magico M3 with MPods and QSubs, Spectral Monos and Pre-amp and a 'just right' mix of top of the line Shunyata, MIT and WW cabling. A too die-for system that one would have a hard time picking apart any weaknesses in a room that frankly was my idea of audiophile Nirvana in terms of its huge size and overall acoustic properties. Spent 5-6 hours there planted in the chair fully enveloped in a top line DCS playback experience. If I'd never heard Esoteric, never owned, I would have thought it could be everything anyone could ever want (and it is...).

Less than 18 hours later I was at Ivan's hearing the Grandioso K1 and G1 clock and later the 4-box Esoteric stack in the Burmester Aida system and a brief stop in the TAD R1 system with Esoteric D02X DAC and C02X pre-amp. About as close an apples/apples comparison that is ever possible back to back separated by very little time in the middle so all listening impressions were still very fresh from the day before.

The Esoteric 4-box, 2-box and 1-box offerings have their own signature to be sure; I found myself continuing to come back to my preference for Esoteric's overall transparency, detail retrieval and resolution of the total dynamic spectrum more than what I'd heard from the DCS 4-box stack. It has that 'something extra' that appeals to me plus build quality and fit & finish that check the box with me in a way that other brands do not.

In short,...all these options are top of the stack. I've not even mentioned MSB, TotalDAC or CH that have seen many DCS and Esoteric owners wind up liking them more and jumping ship. They are all reputed to be fantastic products.

IMHO if you like a bit warmer more rounded playback experience (transient edges, midrange, a bit smoother etc..) DCS 4-box/in general and the Grandioso K1 (and EMM Labs) all are in the same realm. If like me and others you want more transparency and unbridaled, I would suggest Esoteric K-01xs, P-02X, D-02X or the 4-box stack is something you definitely want to listen to.

The best part of all these choices is there is no right or wrong,...great music comes out no matter which you choose; it's all a matter of personal preference.

FWIW...don't shoot the author !
Great post! Thanks for sharing.
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  #17  
Old 03-14-2019, 08:49 AM
SCAudiophile SCAudiophile is offline
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Originally Posted by chadisrc View Post
Thanks for the detailed explanation SCAudiophile. You are very fortunate to hear a couple of great systems like that. I bought a lotto ticket recently and I am praying to the audio gods that I can use some of the winnings to get myself into a system like one you have listened to. Although it probably won't happen, it sure is fun to read about this stuff, and dream. I love this hobby, and its fun to speak with people who enjoy it as well.
You are welcome...I do love this hobby and am looking for that lottery ticket myself [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]!!!
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  #18  
Old 03-14-2019, 12:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCAudiophile View Post
My 2 cents on this having heard alot of DCS gear, EMM Labs and others and sticking with Esoteric....competition for Esoteric gear is replete with many examples (DCS, EMM, CH, MSB, etc...) that offer excellent playback. For me, my preference for Esoteric has always been around transparency, resolution top to bottom over the entire frequency spectrum including the best rendering of bass frequencies (fast, articulate, profound without bloat), imaging and 3D soundstaging. To my listening preferences, Esoteric does a better job than DCS and EMM Labs as they focus on what must be a different set of design goals and overall different output sonic signature. One year ago December I was fortunate enough to hear a top flight system in an insanely great custom-built room in MA. featuring 4-box DCS stack, Magico M3 with MPods and QSubs, Spectral Monos and Pre-amp and a 'just right' mix of top of the line Shunyata, MIT and WW cabling. A too die-for system that one would have a hard time picking apart any weaknesses in a room that frankly was my idea of audiophile Nirvana in terms of its huge size and overall acoustic properties. Spent 5-6 hours there planted in the chair fully enveloped in a top line DCS playback experience. If I'd never heard Esoteric, never owned, I would have thought it could be everything anyone could ever want (and it is...).

Less than 18 hours later I was at Ivan's hearing the Grandioso K1 and G1 clock and later the 4-box Esoteric stack in the Burmester Aida system and a brief stop in the TAD R1 system with Esoteric D02X DAC and C02X pre-amp. About as close an apples/apples comparison that is ever possible back to back separated by very little time in the middle so all listening impressions were still very fresh from the day before.

The Esoteric 4-box, 2-box and 1-box offerings have their own signature to be sure; I found myself continuing to come back to my preference for Esoteric's overall transparency, detail retrieval and resolution of the total dynamic spectrum more than what I'd heard from the DCS 4-box stack. It has that 'something extra' that appeals to me plus build quality and fit & finish that check the box with me in a way that other brands do not.

In short,...all these options are top of the stack. I've not even mentioned MSB, TotalDAC or CH that have seen many DCS and Esoteric owners wind up liking them more and jumping ship. They are all reputed to be fantastic products.

IMHO if you like a bit warmer more rounded playback experience (transient edges, midrange, a bit smoother etc..) DCS 4-box/in general and the Grandioso K1 (and EMM Labs) all are in the same realm. If like me and others you want more transparency and unbridaled, I would suggest Esoteric K-01xs, P-02X, D-02X or the 4-box stack is something you definitely want to listen to.

The best part of all these choices is there is no right or wrong,...great music comes out no matter which you choose; it's all a matter of personal preference.

FWIW...don't shoot the author !

Very valuable first-hand experience!
Thank you for sharing.
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