AudioAficionado.org  

Go Back   AudioAficionado.org > Manufacturers Forums > Esoteric Audio

Esoteric Audio World Class cost no object Electronics

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #21  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:23 AM
jdandy's Avatar
jdandy jdandy is offline
Merry Christmas to all



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 53,224
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Freestone View Post
Very nice. Thank you.

It sounds like it would be a good DAC to run a sonos into?
Richard.......I'm positive the Sonos would sound its best feeding the K-03, but remember it is still streaming Internet music at low bit rates. The Esoteric K-03 is not a magician. It can't invent bits.
__________________
Dan



STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:27 AM
vintage_tube's Avatar
vintage_tube vintage_tube is online now
Just Pure Lucky



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: East Coast
Posts: 8,746
Default

A superb comparison Dan which is well written with utmost attention to detail as is a signature of your reviews. As they say in the Navy -- you're deserving of many Kudos.

Thank-you for all of us.

Happy Holidays Folks,

Bob
__________________
Amps:VAC 450iQ Monos in Silver Flake on HRS M3X2-1921's, HRS G7 Footers/G-Links & Sound Anchor Conecoasters.
Preamp:VAC Master Preamplifier (Silver Flake)
Digital Source: dCS Rossini CD/SACD Transport, Vivaldi APEX DAC, Upsampler Plus & matching Clock (Silver)
Analogue Preamp:VAC Renaissance SE Phono stage in Silver Flake with XLR Output Option & with Nordost Valhalla XLR's.
Analogue Sources:SME 20/2 w/SME V arm & Nordost Valhalla TA cable, Palo Santos Presentation Cartridge & Akai GX-400D Reel-to-Reel w/relapped heads by JRF Magnetic Sciences. Akai RC-17 cabled remote (original owner since 1974).
Vibration Control:TT on HRS M3X2-1921 shelf.
Speakers:Wilson Audio Alexia in Argento Silver/Black grills sitting on Acoustic Diode Kit.
Power Cables:4 Nordost Odin Supreme Reference on amps, preamp & DAC. Ansuz Acoustics C2 on Transport & Clock.
Power Distribution Bar:Shunyata Everest 8000 w/Omega XC Power Cable.
Power Outlets:Furutech GTX-D NCF (R) duplex outlet, GTX Wall Plate & Duplex Cover (x2) on dedicated, same panel phase, 20A breakers.
Speaker Cables:3M Nordost Odin Supreme Reference on Nordost Sort Lifts.
Signal Cables:Nordost Odin XLR's on dCS DAC & Amps.
Digital Cables: Nordost Odin 2's, 110 ohm AES/EBU on dCS Transport to DAC.
Clock Cables:5 each 75 ohm 1.25M Nordost Valhalla BNC/BNC Digital
Ethernet Cable: WireWorld Platinum 1M Starlight® 8 Twinax
Headphones:Vintage Koss Pro IV AA.
RCM: Audio Desk PRO
Tube Test Gear:Mint late '60's/calibrated Heathkit TT-1A, MaxiMatcher Preamp & Space Tech Labs ATT-3.02 tube test sets.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:28 AM
jdandy's Avatar
jdandy jdandy is offline
Merry Christmas to all



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 53,224
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by doggiehowser View Post
nice
Quote:
Originally Posted by chessman View Post
Dan, congrats on a very fine job.
doggiehowser.......

Randy.......


Thank you very much. I still have a couple weeks before the K-03 has to ship back to California. I'll keep putting hours on it and enjoying every minute.
__________________
Dan



STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:33 AM
jdandy's Avatar
jdandy jdandy is offline
Merry Christmas to all



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 53,224
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by vintage_tube View Post
A superb comparison Dan which is well written with utmost attention to detail as is a signature of your reviews. As they say in the Navy -- you're deserving of many Kudos.

Thank-you for all of us.
Bob.......Much obliged. .
__________________
Dan



STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:41 AM
cmalak's Avatar
cmalak cmalak is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,602
Default

Dan...very nicely written and thanks for doing it. So curious minds want to know, since you have 2 MCD-1100s, will one of them give way to a K-03 in one of your systems? I get that there are some functional issues that don't exactly suit your needs (# of digital inputs and lack of remote switching of digital sources, upsampling and filtering settings), but it sounds like you were sufficiently impressed with the K-03, hence the question

Thanks again for a comprehensively and thoughtfully written review
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:53 AM
jdandy's Avatar
jdandy jdandy is offline
Merry Christmas to all



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 53,224
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmalak View Post
Dan...very nicely written and thanks for doing it. So curious minds want to know, since you have 2 MCD-1100s, will one of them give way to a K-03 in one of your systems? I get that there are some functional issues that don't exactly suit your needs (# of digital inputs and lack of remote switching of digital sources, upsampling and filtering settings), but it sounds like you were sufficiently impressed with the K-03, hence the question

Thanks again for a comprehensively and thoughtfully written review
Cyril.......I knew this question would be along in short order.

Yep! I placed an order yesterday for a brand new Esoteric K-03. Unfortunately they are back ordered for a couple of weeks, and then there's the transport time. I may be able to finagle a way to keep the demo K-03 until the new one arrives. Sure enough, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. .
__________________
Dan



STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:54 AM
LordoftheRingsEE LordoftheRingsEE is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,612
Default

-- Dan, you have to be congratulated for a tremendously well done job; Congratulations!

- I was kind of expecting the final result, but not without total confidence; the main reason why I did not mention it before.
And I must say this too; the Esoteric's build quality (in & out) is something to behold and to be extremely proud of.

Also, AKM DACs are some of the very best sounding ones of all other DACs.
...No wonder so many high-end digital products use them. ...Anthem for example.

At the end, it's the Sound that counts. ...And with everything that comes with it.
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 12-20-2012, 01:58 AM
jdandy's Avatar
jdandy jdandy is offline
Merry Christmas to all



 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 53,224
Default

Bob.......Thank you very much. The Esoteric K-03 is an extremely well made audio component. I am looking forward to having my very own.
__________________
Dan



STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 12-20-2012, 02:03 AM
cmalak's Avatar
cmalak cmalak is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,602
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jdandy View Post
Cyril.......I knew this question would be along in short order.

Yep! I placed an order yesterday for a brand new Esoteric K-03. Unfortunately they are back ordered for a couple of weeks, and then there's the transport time. I may be able to finagle a way to keep the demo K-03 until the new one arrives. Sure enough, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. .
Dan...you knew I had to ask Congrats on the new K-03! Will it go in the studio system? I am assuming you ordered it in black
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 12-20-2012, 02:20 AM
MyPal MyPal is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 4,899
Default

Dan... Thanks for the review. Nicely written. So when do you start freelancing for Stereophile? I could only imagine what a step up the P-02/D-02 combination would be from the K-03. Now that you have the Esoteric review runs on the board, how about requesting a loan for these beauties!

(Refreshing to read your comprehensive review after coming back from a glutinous, dorfy, short & boring pacific cruise with a dreaded cold/flu. To top it off my MC2301s also have the tube flu for which I have not as yet isolated. Cruising life is not for us...)

Last edited by MyPal; 12-20-2012 at 02:37 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Audioaficionado.org tested by Norton Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:02 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
©Copyright 2009-2023 AudioAficionado.org.Privately owned, All Rights Reserved.
Audio Aficionado Sponsors
AudioAficionado Subscriber
AudioAficionado Subscriber
Inspire By Dennis Had
Inspire By Dennis Had
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Wyred4Sound
Wyred4Sound
Dragonfire Acoustics
Dragonfire Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
Esoteric
Esoteric
AC Infinity
AC Infinity
JL Audio
JL Audio
Add Powr
Add Powr
Accuphase - Soulution
Accuphase - Soulution
Audio by E
Audio by E
Canton
Canton
Bryston
Bryston
WireWorld Cables
WireWorld Cables
Stillpoints
Stillpoints
Bricasti Design
Bricasti Design
Furutech
Furutech
Shunyata Research
Shunyata Research
Legend Audio & Video
Legend Audio & Video