Esoteric XD Series

Mike said:
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!
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Mike,

I agree with your post if you substitute the word “analytical” for “detailed”. I owned three Esoteric players (one a Grandioso) and a Grandioso Master Clock, and my MSB Select 2 with Renderer V2 module has substantially more detail than any of them. The difference in sound to my ears is the Select 2 leans more towards organic and the Esoteric leans more towards analytical. In my opinion, this is attributable more to the attack and decay than the amount of resolution. No tomatoes please.

Ken
 
Since the sound of a player is probably mostly determined by its DAC and power supply is it reasonable to say the XD series changes very significantly the Esoteric sound compared to earlier generations?

Cheers,
Bernard
 
bernardl said:
Since the sound of a player is probably mostly determined by its DAC and power supply is it reasonable to say the XD series changes very significantly the Esoteric sound compared to earlier generations?

Cheers,
Bernard
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Yes


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bernardl said:
Since the sound of a player is probably mostly determined by its DAC and power supply is it reasonable to say the XD series changes very significantly the Esoteric sound compared to earlier generations?

Cheers,
Bernard
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Hi Bernard,

It’s possible the XD is a dramatic departure from Esoteric’s scores of previous models. To me, a customized Delta Sigma chip isn’t exactly groundbreaking. Other companies have done the same. I find it hard to believe this new chip would catapult the XD Series beyond industry leading reference models in terms of resolution. I’ll keep an open mind and give it a listen at a semi-local dealer and report back here.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Hi Bernard,

It’s possible the XD is a dramatic departure from Esoteric’s scores of previous models. To me, a customized Delta Sigma chip isn’t exactly groundbreaking. Other companies have done the same. I find it hard to believe this new chip would catapult the XD Series beyond industry leading reference models in terms of resolution. I’ll keep an open mind and give it a listen at a semi-local dealer and report back here.

Ken
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The DAC in the XD models is not implemented via a DAC chip but by discrete components (32 per channel).
 
GSOphile said:
The DAC in the XD models is not implemented via a DAC chip but by discrete components (32 per channel).
Click to expand...

“This is the most cutting-edge DAC architecture available today— 64 bit / 512 Fs delta-sigma modulator independently designed for PCM and DSD processing.”

Is this not a delta-sigma chip? Or is it a R2R Ladder DAC? Hybrid? Please elaborate.

Thanks,
Ken
 
Alpinist said:
“This is the most cutting-edge DAC architecture available today— 64 bit / 512 Fs delta-sigma modulator independently designed for PCM and DSD processing.”

Is this not a delta-sigma chip? Or is it a R2R Ladder DAC? Hybrid? Please elaborate.

Thanks,
Ken
Click to expand...

As far as I can gather, it's not a DAC chip. I am unable to put it in any of the two categories you mentioned above. However:

From the Tone Publication recent review: "Now using FPGA circuitry instead of individual DAC chips" further ... "As with our Aqua Audio, dCS, and PS Audio DACs, an FPGA configuration is easy to upgrade when the time comes. With a DAC based on a chipset, you’re at the end of the road"

From the Esoteric website: "Our goal was to assemble a careful selection of rigorously tested discrete components into a complete circuit that could perfectly reproduce all the dynamics and energy of music, which is simply unattainable using ordinary integrated chips."

If I were to put MY words into this: delta/sigma modulator (no R2R / ladder / multibit), FPGA based / capable, no off-the-shelf DAC chip
 
It’s different than chip or R2R. Very unique.


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When I look closely at the photos, there appears to be rows of resistors that you would normally see in a ladder DAC. Maybe this is used in conjunction with customized digital processing to achieve a unique sound. In other words, I’m thinking it may be a hybrid design.

Ken
 
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I’ve ordered this configuration for demo.


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Mike said:
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I’ve ordered this configuration for demo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Looks like an R2R DAC to me, or at least, the functional equivalent of one.

All the Esoteric disc players I've were sound just fabulous; very musical and engaging.
 
Mike said:
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e6a20466cc834600bd900069055ad33b.jpg
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I’ve ordered this configuration for demo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Absolutely gorgeous.

Looks like an R2R DAC to me, or at least, the functional equivalent of one.

All the Esoteric disc players I've heard sounded just fabulous; very musical and engaging. Maybe someday...

From what I've heard those Cybershaft clocks are amazing, too.
 
Is there a savvy Electrical Engineer on this forum that can read the Esoteric literature and examine the photos, and give us a lucid explanation of what the Master Sound Discrete DAC is exactly? We need to leverage some of the talent around here. :)

Thanks,
Ken
 
The fundamental difference is it's built around a re-programmable FPGA microchip that can be recoded via software updates to fix bugs, improve performance and provide new features. The AKM chips used previously were hardwired internally and could not be updated.
 
brodricj said:
The fundamental difference is it's built around a re-programmable FPGA microchip that can be recoded via software updates to fix bugs, improve performance and provide new features. The AKM chips used previously were hardwired internally and could not be updated.
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Is there a DAC ladder with the Master Sound Discrete DAC?

Ken
 
So, if I’m following correctly, customized digital processing is completed by a re-programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) microchip modulator. The digital signal then moves to the Discrete Ladder DACs, where it is converted to an analog waveform and voltage gain is achieved.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
So if I’m following correctly, customized digital processing is completed at a re-programmable FPGA microchip modulator. The digital signal then moves to the Discrete Ladder DACs, where it is converted to an analog waveform and voltage gain is achieved.
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if i am understanding correctly, this is the same topology used in the aqua DACs...

The signals sent to the resistor ladders are generated by a proprietary digital circuit, implemented inside an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).
 
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