Esoteric D-07 DAC review from Soundstage.com...

[cmalak]

SoundStage! Equipment Review - Esoteric D-07 Digital-to-Analog Converter (8/2010)

[Face]

I heard one of these a few months back, it's a wonderful sounding DAC.

[cmalak]

Jim (Stillone) has had his for about a month or even more now.

[Still-One]

I am very impressed with the D-07 and it seems to be getting better by the week.

Jim

[cmalak]

Jim...are you outputting the olive through the Esoteric D-07? If yes, I am curious about the upgrade in sound since earlier you said the Olive 4HD's DACs were pretty close tot he on-board DAC on the MCD500. Is the Olive 4HD thru the Esoteric D-07 (if indeed this is the configuration) materially better than through its own DAC? Thx

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by cmalak

Jim...are you outputting the olive through the Esoteric D-07? If yes, I am curious about the upgrade in sound since earlier you said the Olive 4HD's DACs were pretty close tot he on-board DAC on the MCD500. Is the Olive 4HD thru the Esoteric D-07 (if indeed this is the configuration) materially better than through its own DAC? Thx

I am sending the digital output from the Olive 4HD, the MS-300 and the SonoS unit to the D-07. I am only using the MCD-500 for SACD's at this time.

I think all of the devices sound better than when I was using the DAC's in the MCD-500.

Most of my listening now is the Olive thru the D-07, but the MS-300 sounds very good too.
Jim

[mburnstein]

Nice set up Jim!

[cmalak]

oh oh...a not so good review of the Esoteric D-07 from Computer Audiophile:

Esoteric D-07 DAC Review | Computer Audiophile

[cmalak]

So I just read through the most recent review of the D-07 in Computer Audiophile in detail and it was pretty damning. When you compare it to the praise it got in Soundstage.com and from Jim here on AA, I have to believe there was something going on with Chriss Connaker's set-up of the D-07. Otherwise there is no way to reconcile how differently he experienced the D-07 versus the positive experience Vade Forrester had at Soundstage.com and the praise the DAC has gotten from Jim.

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by cmalak

So I just read through the most recent review of the D-07 in Computer Audiophile in detail and it was pretty damning. When you compare it to the praise it got in Soundstage.com and from Jim here on AA, I have to believe there was something going on with Chriss Connaker's set-up of the D-07. Otherwise there is no way to reconcile how differently he experienced the D-07 versus the positive experience Vade Forrester had at Soundstage.com and the praise the DAC has gotten from Jim.

I just quickly read thru Chris's review. He spent 95% of his time discussing the USB input which I have never, and will never use. I am not sure how long he allowed the unit to break-in before he started his review. It took my unit over a month to open up though it sounded very good from the start.