Thread: So Does All The Hype On That Other Site Add Up - Esoteric K03

Title says it all. Everyone was herded like cattle towards a group buy for Esoteric K03's and were buying. I'm just curious what the real, unfiltered, opinions are about the K03 here.

Personally, I went and listened and here's my take:

I found it bright -- just like Wireworld Silver cables. Perhaps both are a great match for McIntosh gear, but I found it not a good match for what I heard it on (Magico Q5 on VTL). Everything is about harmony and I preferred a different source than the K03. It could have been a lot of things and I have no doubt that it can sound very good on specific rigs. Curious to hear everyone's thoughts -- and preferences for digital sources.

Bryan

I've never heard Esoteric in my system but when I have heard them in other systems, I thought the same. A little bright for me and a little fatiguing. I do not remember the model number of the Esoteric player.

I was never a fan of Esoteric product, but if I was going down that road it would be DCS all the way..

Interesting question.

I was quite surprised by some of the member's comments from that other site.
And using an averaging measure, and some very nice words used to describe the sound by some of them members over there, some people even suggested to me to purchase one of them Esoteric K-03 CD/SACD players for ten grands or so!

I did not disagree with them comments; how could I when I've never heard it personally in my own setup? ...So I kind of felt under the spell, but without committing my money on it.
{Did it sounded like a sale pitch to few of you, by some of them?}

I usually trust more the owner's reviews than many pro reviews out there; unless I'm familiar with them pro audio reviewers, and know for sure that they aren't bias in any way. ...Not many of those around, I'll tell ya.

Anyhow, personally $8,000 to $12,000 for a two-channel stereo only CD/SACD player is not in my doctor's prescription, or voodoo child card reader. ...It would have to be way up there in the audio sound quality heaven, and much much better than say an Oppo BDP-105 Universal and Multichannel Blu-ray player, for $1,199, and with all the extra goodies attached to it.
And that is without mentioning the ModWright 105 (approx. $2,500-3,000). ...Tubed, or Solid.

I got no bias myself, in anything about life and what's in it or not.
I like what I like, and have my own experiences about this and that.
But I got nothing to sell other than my freedom (it's free)!

* Conclusion: I believe in the happiness of people who claimed it.
And that, I encourage 100%. ...Not the toys, but the music listening joy that it contributes to its own rightfully owner. If that is what rocks their boats, many other things rock mine as well, and it certainly doesn't have to be the same thing as their thing.
...And for the 'sample' reason that no two people are the same.

For some, ten grands for a CD player is like a flower in the park. ...Easy to grab.
For others it is unimaginable; their wife would kill them right away by hanging them to the biggest tree in their own backyard!
And for others, never they would even consider; anything less than $20,000 is not to the caliber of their dignity and role model in the society.

At the end it all depends; of your own set of ears, and bank account. ...Plus the right wife! ...Or even better; single, and with tons of girlfriends (abso!ute freedom, independence, and state of all happy affairs; or the fifth sense, the touch).

Soooo, who here, in our lovely forum, has an Esoteric K-03 stereo CD/SACD player, and with some CDs, and few SACDs to play in it? ...Albums need not to apply (that's for another analog thread all together).

Nothing adds up on that other site!

Originally Posted by A/V Solutions

Nothing adds up on that other site!

I was just going to say the exact same thing, honest! ...The only decent thing are a bunch of really nice people; but now sailing from a much better wind (here).
...All the rest of the good gang should be here with us. I'll give it a year or so before they're all here; then the cruise ship will hit rock bottom quite hard.

radioactive.....didn't mean to go off course with the thread.

Bryan... I think Tremayne and someone else here each have one on order.

...And what about the K-01 for twenty grands?

Bob is absolutely correct. What matters most is the sincerity of new Esoteric owners' happiness. Whether they were steered that way by a deliberately planted review by a certain master's puppet boy is, at the end of the day, immaterial.

FWIW, I agree with Bryan in that I have found the sound signature of Esoteric to be a bit bright after the initial "wow" from its impressive detail had passed.

But everyone insisted and with a very special emphasis: The Esoteric players (K Series) need 500 hours of breakin' period to sound their best.

Originally Posted by NorthStar

But everyone insisted and with a very special emphasis: The Esoteric players (K Series) need 500 hours of breakin' period to sound their best.

Yes they did...with a SPECIAL CD no less.

See, exactly what I just said. ...And now following us right here. ...By the good people.

Originally Posted by iamhifi

you got to be kidding me, you are wondering how good is the K-03 and i deliver, I buy with my ears and yes I have to like what I see. I could care less if 30 or 40 bought the K-03 because of a group buy. To me is all about the music

Angel...I believe Bob was saying that you are confirming what he thought to be true, which is that onwers of the K-03 (whom he trusts over pro and "non-pro" reviewers) seem to think very highly of the K-03, and your post was another confirming data point. Do you mind my asking what you plan on replacing it with? Are you going up the line to the K-01 or different source altogether? Just curiious. And glad you sold the K-03 and know you have been trying to do so for a little while now, so congrats on that

Originally Posted by cmalak

Angel...I believe Bob was saying that you are confirming what he thought to be true, which is that onwers of the K-03 (whom he trusts over pro and "non-pro" reviewers) seem to think very highly of the K-03, and your post was another confirming data point. Do you mind my asking what you plan on replacing it with? Are you going up the line to the K-01 or different source altogether? Just curious. And glad you sold the K-03 and know you have been trying to do so for a little while now, so congrats on that

+1

Originally Posted by cmalak

Angel...I believe Bob was saying that you are confirming what he thought to be true, which is that onwers of the K-03 (whom he trusts over pro and "non-pro" reviewers) seem to think very highly of the K-03, and your post was another confirming data point. Do you mind my asking what you plan on replacing it with? Are you going up the line to the K-01 or different source altogether? Just curiious. And glad you sold the K-03 and know you have been trying to do so for a little while now, so congrats on that

I read it the thread and yes Bod is right to think like he does and his points are right on target. And yes I was validating the point on how good the K-03 is. However I answer to "And now following us right here. ...By the good people."

I sold the K-03 today, and thought about getting the K-01, but I think I'm going for a full analog rig. You never know I might end up getting the K-01 sometime next year.

Originally Posted by iamhifi

I read it the thread and yes Bod is right to think like he does and his points are right on target. And yes I was validating the point on how good the K-03 is. However I answer to "And now following us right here. ...By the good people."

I sold the K-03 today, and thought about getting the K-01, but I think I'm going for a full analog rig. You never know I might end up getting the K-01 sometime next year.

I don't think he meant it the way you took it. You are of course always welcome here and we look forward to your contributions/opinions/input and certainly when you pull the trigger on the analog rig, post a lot of pics We love analog porn

Originally Posted by iamhifi

I read it the thread and yes Bod is right to think like he does and his points are right on target. And yes I was validating the point on how good the K-03 is. However I answer to "And now following us right here. ...By the good people."

I sold the K-03 today, and thought about getting the K-01, but I think I'm going for a full analog rig. You never know I might end up getting the K-01 sometime next year.

Takes a big man

Angel... I think Bob was referring to you as one of the good people. Someone who came to AudioShark and shared his honest opinion on a piece of gear.

Originally Posted by jwhite613

Angel... I think Bob was referring to you as one of the good people. Someone who came to AudioShark and shared his honest opinion on a piece of gear.

+1

Absolutely agree 100%

Yes, Cyril got my post right on!

It's not because I was banned from that other site that I changed my mind on all the great audio components providing happy music listening to so many owners.
That particular audio component, the Esoteric K-03, was quite a revelation for me, from so many happy owners. And I also read quite a few pro reviews, and all were kind of magical from their own reviewers/listeners' views. ...And same with the K-01.

I believe that I touched all the main points; satisfaction from their owners in their music listening enjoyment, the financial aspect for different type of people having more or less the resources and sacrifices, and even the WAF aspect of it.

One thing that I did not mention is the beauty (looks) of that machine. ...Very nice and elegantly simple design. ...And the silver color for that K-03, and also K-01 is also the best.
Silver is more refined and luxurious than black, and that's a fact.

Often I'm humorous, and not everyone can read me all the time. That's ok; sometimes it takes more time to know one better. At the end it always turn for the best. ...Except at that other place, but just from very few people (only three actually). And you simply cannot argue with a dictator, just not possible, unless you agree with everything he says, and even when he's wrong. But then, you're selling your soul to the devil, way of speech.

We're just humans, not Supermen, and when the going is getting nastier for all the wrong reasons, and that a dark cloud is falling upon incomprehension, and that men stop being real men, losing their senses and sensibilities, and unable to apologize for their bad behavior, or mistakes, or wrong judgement; then we all have our own limits, and can take a lot, till the day of total liberation.
And that day finally came to me, thank you big time to Mike, Joe, and Mark.
And furthermore, they helped me too in making the best decisions from other audio forums.
What they did is to simply give me a true hand at reaching much much deeper the good man inside me.

Team work is much more powerful than working alone. And a team of peaceful and intelligent men together (women too), can achieve much much much more than an organization of cover-ups for the financial gain and prestige of its 'head'.

Oh well, here I go again, and we know what's right and what's wrong.

* Yes, the Esoteric K-03, but there are also so many other great CD/SACD players!
Some cost less, others more. ...Prices for all type of wallets, and looks for all taste.
We all want the perfect wife, daughter, son, ...and we can only give what we have.

P.S. And yes too; "the good people following us right here", mainly in reference to you directly, Angel.

Looks like a frenzy here, but glad it's all cleared up...

@Angel - Thanks for your input. What amps and speakers do you have? No offense, but if it's so good, why did you sell it? And I seriously mean it -- no offense -- really. I'm always searching for gear that I love the sound of -- if I find it, you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands in order to get it from me I suppose there's always better, but better is relative especially in terms of what we can afford. I'd offer up that if you didn't like digital, you just haven't found the right balance -- it can be very good sounding (don't give up and go to analog just yet) on the right mix of gear and source (meaning digital files).

Esoteric is one of the manufacturers that takes the time to build their own transport - and it's a very good one at at. My initial issue when confronted with the option of a purchase was that I just don't spin anything (vinyl or digital discs). Everything is ripped and played back via a DAC and digital source so I didn't want to invest in a transport. I did take the time to sit at a dealer's and listen to the K03 for the better part of an afternoon and compared it to several other playback systems (DCS's Debussy, and a few others). I also tried the D07x but it was also not a good fit. The Esoteric K03 sounded very detailed, but it just didn't blend with the gear well (IMO). I found it not my cup of tea -- that's all. I'm not bashing the product at all. It's a fine product and I'm sure it has synergy with gear that produces fantastic sound (which is why I ask what your speakers and amps are).

Bryan

Originally Posted by jwhite613

Bryan... I think Tremayne and someone else here each have one on order.

Yes I have a K-01 on order, and my decision had nothing to do with hype or a group buy (I'm in the UK).
At my dealers I was able to listen to the K-01, K-03, Burmester 089 & 069. I spent very little time with the 069 as, at almost twice the price of the K-01 and 089, it was well out of my price range.
The K-01 was the one I chose, simply because it was the one I really enjoyed listening to. With the K-01 I forgot that I was supposed to be comparing players and just let the CD run.
Before settling on the K-01 I was able to have the pre-amp removed and run it directly into the Burmester 911 mk3, which is how I intend to run it in my system, and that was it, I ordered one.
Although is seems to be generally accepted that extended run in time, with an IsoTek disc, is required, I can find no mention of this in the on-line manual. I will, however, bow to the experience of others and leave a CD spinning when I'm not listening to it. I'm not sure if the "special" run-in disc is supplied, if not I've an XLO CD with a burn in track that I can use.
My K-01 is due to arrive in Germany tomorrow, Friday. I don't know how long it will take them to send it on to my dealer, and then he has to get it to me. I'm hoping that it will arrive next week, but I think it's more likely to be later than that, I'll keep you informed.

Colin,

Unfortunately I didn't listen to the K01 -- it was just more than I was willing to spend. I wanted to be under $14K. I wish that Esoteric would just make a DAC version of the K01 with USB. I'd at least give it a serious run with the bulls. Their current lineup for DAC's needs to be refreshed.

BTW those Giya G2's are something right out of Dr Seuss! Man they are trippy looking!

And congrats on the K01.

Originally Posted by Tremayne

Yes I have a K-01 on order, and my decision had nothing to do with hype or a group buy (I'm in the UK).
At my dealers I was able to listen to the K-01, K-03, Burmester 089 & 069. I spent very little time with the 069 as, at almost twice the price of the K-01 and 089, it was well out of my price range.
The K-01 was the one I chose, simply because it was the one I really enjoyed listening to. With the K-01 I forgot that I was supposed to be comparing players and just let the CD run.
Before settling on the K-01 I was able to have the pre-amp removed and run it directly into the Burmester 911 mk3, which is how I intend to run it in my system, and that was it, I ordered one.
Although is seems to be generally accepted that extended run in time, with an IsoTek disc, is required, I can find no mention of this in the on-line manual. I will, however, bow to the experience of others and leave a CD spinning when I'm not listening to it. I'm not sure if the "special" run-in disc is supplied, if not I've an XLO CD with a burn in track that I can use.
My K-01 is due to arrive in Germany tomorrow, Friday. I don't know how long it will take them to send it on to my dealer, and then he has to get it to me. I'm hoping that it will arrive next week, but I think it's more likely to be later than that, I'll keep you informed.

Originally Posted by Tremayne

Yes I have a K-01 on order, and my decision had nothing to do with hype or a group buy (I'm in the UK).
At my dealers I was able to listen to the K-01, K-03, Burmester 089 & 069. I spent very little time with the 069 as, at almost twice the price of the K-01 and 089, it was well out of my price range.
The K-01 was the one I chose, simply because it was the one I really enjoyed listening to. With the K-01 I forgot that I was supposed to be comparing players and just let the CD run.
Before settling on the K-01 I was able to have the pre-amp removed and run it directly into the Burmester 911 mk3, which is how I intend to run it in my system, and that was it, I ordered one.
Although is seems to be generally accepted that extended run in time, with an IsoTek disc, is required, I can find no mention of this in the on-line manual. I will, however, bow to the experience of others and leave a CD spinning when I'm not listening to it. I'm not sure if the "special" run-in disc is supplied, if not I've an XLO CD with a burn in track that I can use.
My K-01 is due to arrive in Germany tomorrow, Friday. I don't know how long it will take them to send it on to my dealer, and then he has to get it to me. I'm hoping that it will arrive next week, but I think it's more likely to be later than that, I'll keep you informed.

Big congrats Colin!!

Now the wait begins..

I really believe the owners of the esoterics are genuinely happy and impressed with the esoteric performance level. They have nothing to gain by pumping. I just got my K-03 the other day. I have not had extensive time on it, but I can confirm what some others have said: the default settings out of the box sound pretty weak for a 10k machine. Have no idea what they were thinking, and maybe break in would improve this, but upon switching to a recommended setting of 2x upsampling and FIR1, the improvement cold out of the box was dramaticly better. The level of detail is spectacular. That said, it sometimes is so dynamic it's almost piercing. Which is what many at AA and Agon said it would sound like before proper break-in. I will break-in accordingly, but will also soon try the setting that the TAS reviewer recommended: 2x OS and SLY_1, which he said was more analog like. I am going to give this experiment plenty of time, as the overwhelming opinion is do NOT judge this CDP until you've put 400-500 hours on it. So I won't. However, even now, I admit I was quite amazed by the sound with the initial OS/filters settings. And yes Tremayne, an extensive burn in CD is provided in the box.

Jeff... Congratulations on the new spinner. Keep us update through the long break-in. And Enjoy!!!

Originally Posted by Tremayne

Yes I have a K-01 on order, and my decision had nothing to do with hype or a group buy (I'm in the UK).
At my dealers I was able to listen to the K-01, K-03, Burmester 089 & 069. I spent very little time with the 069 as, at almost twice the price of the K-01 and 089, it was well out of my price range.
The K-01 was the one I chose, simply because it was the one I really enjoyed listening to. With the K-01 I forgot that I was supposed to be comparing players and just let the CD run.
Before settling on the K-01 I was able to have the pre-amp removed and run it directly into the Burmester 911 mk3, which is how I intend to run it in my system, and that was it, I ordered one.
Although is seems to be generally accepted that extended run in time, with an IsoTek disc, is required, I can find no mention of this in the on-line manual. I will, however, bow to the experience of others and leave a CD spinning when I'm not listening to it. I'm not sure if the "special" run-in disc is supplied, if not I've an XLO CD with a burn in track that I can use.
My K-01 is due to arrive in Germany tomorrow, Friday. I don't know how long it will take them to send it on to my dealer, and then he has to get it to me. I'm hoping that it will arrive next week, but I think it's more likely to be later than that, I'll keep you informed.

Thank you Colin for sharing.

__________________

* Esoteric K-01 CD/SACD Player | The Absolute Sound

* Esoteric K-01 -- The Ultimate Source?

* Esoteric K-01 SACD Player | Ultra High-End Audio and Home Theater Review
{ => The Audio Beat - The Grail Quest: Searching for Superior Single-Box SACD Sound; Esoteric K-01 }

* Audio Federation Blog » Blog Archive » CD/SACD Player Shootout: EMM Labs XDS1 versus Esoteric K-01 - High-end Audio Blog

* REFERENCE COMPONENTS-DIGITAL SOURCES

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________________

No doubt, if you are looking for a world class CD player and transport and DAC, this does it all - and I mean all.

But I have to wonder if we aren't at a bit of a digital crossroads right now: to rip everything, or keep the CD player....that's the question. As long as SACD remains a viable format, I think a CD player remains a great option. But will HD downloads eventually replace SACD? Maybe...

That's what I love about this forum. A friend brought it to my attention on the "other forum"
That the k03 had only praises and not one negative thing about it.
I went around and checked and he was right.
In my experience Ive yet to see the piece of audio gear that every single person likes.
Some love the ko3. Some don't . Could be the system associated.
Not enough burn in time . Or other factors. The fact that we are free to voice those opinions here and give our own honest opinions without feeling like we are doing something wrong is a tribute to what a great forum that Mike has put together here.
As far as the Ko3 goes I have never heard one, but am definitely interested in hearing one once my analog side is finished.

Originally Posted by Petro85

That's what I love about this forum. A friend brought it to my attention on the "other forum"
That the k03 had only praises and not one negative thing about it.
I went around and checked and he was right.
In my experience Ive yet to see the piece of audio gear that every single person likes.
Some love the ko3. Some don't . Could be the system associated.
Not enough burn in time . Or other factors. The fact that we are free to voice those opinions here and give our own honest opinions without feeling like we are doing something wrong is a tribute to what a great forum that Mike has put together here.
As far as the Ko3 goes I have never heard one, but am definitely interested in hearing one once my analog side is finished.

Yes indeed. All opinions count. I just don't want people to get personal and bash something. If you don't like something, that's cool, it wasn't your cup of tea. It's a learning process. This past weekend was a huge eye opener for me. Hearing all that gear in one day was a treat. I find it hard to hear something, and then two months later hear something else and then compare. The one shock for me was that I preferred the McIntosh 601's to 1.2kws.

Originally Posted by radioactive

Title says it all. Everyone was herded like cattle towards a group buy for Esoteric K03's and were buying. I'm just curious what the real, unfiltered, opinions are about the K03 here.

Personally, I went and listened and here's my take:

I found it bright -- just like Wireworld Silver cables. Perhaps both are a great match for McIntosh gear, but I found it not a good match for what I heard it on (Magico Q5 on VTL). Everything is about harmony and I preferred a different source than the K03. It could have been a lot of things and I have no doubt that it can sound very good on specific rigs. Curious to hear everyone's thoughts -- and preferences for digital sources.

Bryan

Very Good quaestion.
Very simple answer: NO!
.....for my taste!

Originally Posted by radioactive

Title says it all. Everyone was herded like cattle towards a group buy for Esoteric K03's and were buying. I'm just curious what the real, unfiltered, opinions are about the K03 here.

Personally, I went and listened and here's my take:

I found it bright -- just like Wireworld Silver cables. Perhaps both are a great match for McIntosh gear, but I found it not a good match for what I heard it on (Magico Q5 on VTL). Everything is about harmony and I preferred a different source than the K03. It could have been a lot of things and I have no doubt that it can sound very good on specific rigs. Curious to hear everyone's thoughts -- and preferences for digital sources.

Bryan

Yes Bryan as you say, it's a question of matching like anything else, i own a Chord One cdp and lots of people also find that unit BRIGHT well i am more of a smooth sound kind of guy and all i can say is both my Chord units sound transparent with my Acoustat's BUT nothing bright about any of the two units BUT there is NO silver wire anywhere in my system because i prefer COPPER.

I just saw the YouTube.

The K-03 needs a tray thumb hole on the right side also to enable the disk to be retrieved with the left hand as well. How could they not have thought of that????

I am right handed, but I have always inserted and removed disks with my left hand.

Originally Posted by radioactive

Colin,

BTW those Giya G2's are something right out of Dr Seuss! Man they are trippy looking!

And congrats on the K01.

Radioactive,

Thanks for the congrats, unfortunately I still don't know where in the world my K-01 is.

The Giyas do divide opinion on their looks, but I've found that visitors who see them, rather than photos, really take to them. Most compare them to sculptures or musical instruments.
Vivid design and build every part of their speakers, with no outsourcing. The shape is very much defined by the engineering required to accommodate the drivers, it's not a case of coming up with an eye catching shape, and then fitting the drivers into it. How the Vivid shape evolved is really interesting, at least it is to me, but that's not really appropriate for this thread.
Then there's the sound, absolutely glorious, I love them .

Originally Posted by MrAcoustat

Yes Bryan as you say, it's a question of matching like anything else, i own a Chord One cdp and lots of people also find that unit BRIGHT well i am more of a smooth sound kind of guy and all i can say is both my Chord units sound transparent with my Acoustat's BUT nothing bright about any of the two units BUT there is NO silver wire anywhere in my system because i prefer COPPER.

The quality of the music recordings have a lot do do with it too. And no two people listen to the same music recordings.

Originally Posted by NorthStar

The quality of the music recordings have a lot do do with it too. And no two people listen to the same music recordings.

Agree with Bob on this one.

Originally Posted by Rtan

Agree with Bob on this one.

+1

Originally Posted by JBLfan

I had a chance to listen to a broken in K-03 last month and have to say in my opinion it is a truly impressive machine. Either as a DAC or for SACD it is a serious performer.

That's great to read. Build quality feel fantastic. Solid as a rock.

When a unit takes 500 hours to break in, it means you need to get used to how it sounds.

Once a unit is fully warmed up, all the components are fully charged, and I'll give a few hours for that, what you hear is what you've got. After 500 hours--that's three full weeks, 24 hours a day of listening, or three hours a day listening for four months, you get used to what you spent your money on.

I've had my K03 since before the hype started on AA...

I think the beauty of the machine is it fits any situation pretty well, it is a great stand alone CD/SACD spinner (yes only in 2 channel, god forbid!), yet allows my Olive to sound incredible as well with the digital in acting as a DAC. I don't find it bright at all, just detailed and, obviously depending on your system, less forgiving of poorly recorded music. I haven't had the pleasure of trying out DBS or MSB etc. in my system, our dealers are pretty few and far between around here, but for the price I paid I actually think it was great value, and I won't be looking to replace it anytime soon.

Some people lived in their houses for over 40 years and they are just starting to warm up.
And then they sell and move on to another house.

Originally Posted by Disbeliever

. . . . Long burn in is no guarantee of satisfactory performance

That's right. Nelson Pass says his electronics burns in is 24 hours. That's reasonable. Extended burn in times for components and especially wires (I have heard over 800 hours for some wires) is just ridiculous. You either like the unit SOON after you start using it or you have to convince yourself that it needs to burn in before it sounds right. When you can't convince yourself that it will sound better after it burns in for months of listening, you sell the piece, realizing the unit wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The only exception is probably for woofers where the components physically have to get used to moving. How many cycles does it take for a woofer to break in? If you say a MILLION, even at a low 20 Hz, that happens in only 13.88 hours. At 50 Hz, it takes only 5.55 hours. Just put your volume up to flex the surrounds. With a break in of five million cycles, the amount of time is still reasonable, but much longer listening times for break-in don't make any sense at all. It becomes the component trying to convince you that you DIDN'T make a mistake in your purchase.

My flame proof suit is donned, and I don't care if anyone mocks me on this point.