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Karen , It's a bad habit I have and will try to do better . Please don't turn me in to the site admin .

Good to know, thanks; although I don't want to involve the computer, and am not enthused about buying a Roon core.

Hi Calvin, The Esoteric sound changes every year with the new models. Mike is saying a nice improvement with the XD so maybe they’ve closed the gap some. But the Select II DAC got better too with the introduction of their Pro USB Module. Ken

In my opinion the MSB Select II would be an easy choice in this comparison. Sound / performance wise and also in terms of hardware and software obsolescence.

Sorry, what I was getting at was has the Grandioso been updated with the "new Esoteric" sound, or is it still the "old" sound? If updated how does it compare ...

I owned the Esoteric Grandioso K1 CD/SACD Player and Grandioso G1 Master Clock (not the Grandioso preamp or amps), and in my opinion, the MSB Select II DAC is sonically superior. But I think we’ve covered this ground before. The preamp was ARC...

I never heard the Alexias , but are sure they are great. Have only heard Sabrina - Yvette - Sasha 2 , which all are great. For me it would be realistic with Sabrina at some point maybe even Yvette.

I wonder how a complete Grandioso Series (SACD, DAC, Pre-Amp, Amps) would sound compared to the MSB Select II?

I’ve always really enjoyed the sound of the Esoteric Players and Streamers. In my opinion, the Master Clock is not really necessary. It can change the sonic signature. Hard to beat the K-01XD and K-03XD at their respective price points. Ken

You can download the K-03XD user manual from the Esoteric website. Basically the 4Fs setting is 4x upsampling (goes up to 16x). There are no optional filters as with the K-03X (and earlier) players.

This is setup dependent. Some people prefer AES, some people prefer USB. Note that only USB supports DSD128 and above.

Damn, I was so gullible for someone who see conspiracy everywhere...LOL

Any comparisons to EMM sound signature? I'd figure they would have more in common with other. Rather than MSB as an example. The N01XD streamer might be a winner for me in the future. Looking forward to reading more about it.

What do you consider "old Esoteric"? Are you comparing K-03-XD to K-03 or K-03X? What are the optional filters and on the XD? I have two K-03-X and '4FS' is not an option. What are the upsampling options?

in the modern usage a hoax is the act of describing a set of true events as being a malicious deception, which effectively makes the "hoax" itself a hoax -- thereby, positively affirming the subject in question. so, i am going with the...

After warm up, I noticed soundstage wide to be one of the strong points. As good as anything I’ve tried. As the evening went on, soundstage depth, especially during a couple of live recordings, was superb. Definitely great layering as well. I...

LOL ROFL. How is that price " special" That seems more expensive than the direct manufacturer pricing should be. Am I missing something, or didn't PS Audio reduce prices after that dumped all retailers and the margins that retailers must...

It’s an attempt at humor. A successful one, as I find. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So is the whole documentary a hoax?

Mike, please comment on the sound stage - width, depth, layering. (Although I recognize that with your MBL home system (?), this aspect may not be representative of what a typical user might experience?)

Thank you Peter. Seen U1 mini has several digital outputs, which one would be the best SQ as my DAC has USB, Coax, Aes/Ebu inputs.

Update: I "undecided" that it was too rich for my blood and have placed an order with Angus of WestminsterLab for a 0.6m carbon fiber wrapped replacement cable. I expect it sometime next week and I will keep you all posted with unboxing,...

Although I have not received report of using Lumin with Mutec MC-3+USB, the U1 (MINI) firmware should recognize MC-3+USB and should be native DSD256 compatible.

nice gear good job

Hello, I'm looking to replace my Macbook pro with Lumin U1 mini to feed my DAC (Playback Designs MPS-3). Has anyone tried Mutec MC-3+usb with U1 mini with good result?

I found out on the other site it is still the 22 AWG OFE. I evaluated Sigma Eth and liked the ease of breathing air around instruments and deeper soundstage. So yes I'm curious about this one. My evaulation focused on it as AES/EBU or S/PDIF...

Thanks. Regards, Bernard

I don't know. I'll leave that for Caelin to answer if he so chooses. All I can say is it sounds exceptionally good, it's extremely accurate with superlative, natural-sounding resolution, exceptionally quiet with lots of "body" and "verisimilitude"...

Neat! Now the natural question is going to be... when are we going to have an Omega USB? ;) Cheers, Bernard

Correct.

Ag? Seems like the logical conductor choice.

Of the famous composer, Yo-Yo Ma has said that Morricone described music as “energy, space, and time.” R.I.P.

This is possible via Roon, when you use a USB DAC or our Roon Ready product line.

I have. Yes.

Have you tried setting it to DSD?

But at $14K this is a “sweet spot” for those wanting a world class spinner. I would have gone for the K-01XD, but worried that cracking that $20K barrier (it’s $22K) would be too much for some. The $14K is more achievable and still delivers...

Near macro with a Sony 100-400mm zoom is a lots of fun!

...and it's only the middle sibling K-03XD, there is still big brother K-01XD and grand daddy K1X, and the king combo D1X/P1X above that!

+1 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Ok, 6 discs in now. Color me VERY impressed. “Natural” is the word for this new XD series. Gone is the bite, digital sound of old Esoteric. It doesn’t have the “analogness” (if that’s a word) of Luxman, but what it has is dynamics, punch,...

I just finished building 7 cables between the pre-amp, 5 processors, and the active crossover. I used Belden 1505F cable and Canare RCA/TRS connectors. WOW what a difference. Unbelievable! And I haven't even gotten to the power amp rack, or the...

Big Bend National Park - Texas

Alpha/Sigma didn't have the TAP thingy, only the CMode thingy, right?

That is a good point. I have been contemplating changing from N-01 to N-03T + D1X, but the N-01XD might cause me to rethink that.

Candy keeps coming! Good looking pieces. Look forward to listening to their top streamer/DAC.

The Telegartner connector is the same, I don't know any specifics about the conductors or the materials they are comprised of. But the CMode filters on the Alpha, Sigma and Omega bring a LOT to the party, and the TAP module brings increased image...

All that matters is that you are happy! And, you have a top tier system. Enjoy the music!

Thanks a lot, much appreciated!