Fair! I get the transport part. But, how about the N-01XD? No transport, and it retails for $20,000. Just DAC with network Bridge built in. Equivalent to the MSB Discrete DAC + Renderer module ($11,500 MSRP), or Premier + Renderer volume ($21,500). You see where I am getting at?
I have one on order. Really looking forward to it. It will have the exact same specs (Master Discrete DAC’s, power supplies, etc.) as the K-01XD.
My take as a dealer is that the MSB and Esoteric are COMPLETELY different sounds. I know this is hard for some people to accept, but it’s never an all out winner for everyone. Every person and every system is different. I think I can speak with a fair amount of real world experience when I tell you the MSB buyer is very different from the Esoteric buyer. If I have someone walk in the store (real example) and tell me: “I have a $$$$$$$ turntable setup at home and I just had hip surgery and I will be having two knee surgeries later this year, so I want to put together a world class digital rig which will make listening to music easier” - I will be putting them into an MSB ALL DAY LONG. If I have a customer who was born and raised on R2R and Analog, I will be putting them in an MSB ALL DAY LONG. But, for that customer that has been into digital since the 90’s, has gone through a bunch of CD players and loves to talk about converting their Ethernet to fiber and such, I will likely be putting them in an Esoteric or EMM.
I know this is hard to believe, but ears are trained and we like the sounds we like and are accustomed to. If someone has been an all digital guy for 30 years, yeah, chances are, they will love the detail, transparency, resolution, etc. of the Esoteric or EMM. If someone is an analog guy, and has that sound in their brain as a reference, they will go for an MSB.
Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but this is what I have found to be almost universally true (90%) of the time after doing hundreds of demos in the store.
And one last thing, the overall resolution of the system also plays a huge role IMO. My MBL’s are so smooth, so incredibly smooth, I prefer the Esoteric and will personally be buying a K1X + PS1. But when I had the Avantgarde’s at home, I would lean more towards the MSB. Smooth, but still resolute with meat on them bones. Never fatiguing and oh so analog like. And this is the one variable that can throw a wrinkle in the whole mix!!
In the store, I am loving the MSB/Pass system on the Magico’s. Just HEAVEN! In the other room, the super smooth diamond tweeter of the Estelon’s benefits from the additional resolution from the Esoteric.
Have fun!
