System upgrade - Esoteric K-01Xs

[mcq]

This morning I took delivery of an Esoteric K-01Xs.  Normally I wait a little longer before posting my impressions of a new component but, in this case, I just had to report my initial thoughts.

First of all, the outgoing CD player, the Meridian 808v5, has served time in my system for the last 7 years so it has witnessed some quite radical changes in my hifi system.  It is a beautifully composed player, laid-back and easy-going in temperament and remarkably forgiving of less well-produced CDs.  It is a detailed player but this detail is presented entirely naturally to the listener without a trace of artificiality.  The tone is on the warm side of neutral.  The character is somewhat reserved, however, an impression that has become more audible over the past year when I moved up to the Kharma Exquisite Minis and Jadis I-88 and I decided to plan for a new CD player that would retain the virtues of the Meridian whilst improving significantly on its levels of emotional engagement.  I should point out that I purchased the Meridian in its v3 incarnation and the v5 upgrade was significant in the replacement of the switch-mode power supply with a high quality linear power supply.  This upgrade improved the weight and heft of the bass and made for a much more involving experience.  However, the transparency of the new Kharmas made it clear to me that more improvements could be made in this area.  The recent addition of the Jadis was a major step forward, unlocking more of the Kharmas' inherent emotional expressivity, but, still, I craved more.

I considered a few options  -  Audio Research CD9, Jadis Orphee, Metronome  AQWO, DCS Rossini  -  before settling on the Esoteric.  I discounted the Audio Research and Jadis because the continued availability of the discontinued Philips CD Pro transport is in doubt.  Metronome (who previously utilised the Philips mechanism in their players) have sourced a new CD transport for their new AQWO which has been customised for top-loading.  I was unable to find out any detailed information online about this new mechanism and the continued availability of these custom mechanisms is vital when you are making a long-term purchasing decision.  The Rossini was the closest contender to the Esoteric and I gave it a great deal of thought but discounted it for two reasons  -  firstly, the quality of the Stream Unlimited transport, whilst good, is not at the same level as the VRDS-Neo in the Esoteric, and secondly, it was necessary to also purchase the Rossini master clock to bring it to a comparable level of performance to the Esoteric and the combined costs was outside of my financial comfort zone.

The build quality of Esoteric CD players is legendary but nothing quite prepared me for their flagship one-box player, the K-01Xs.  At a combined weight of 31 kg (of which 12kg accounts for the transport alone), it weighs more than twice that of the outgoing Meridian and cuts an impressive figure atop my Finite Elemente Master Reference rack.  The exterior is beautifully understated with a sensual, luxurious feel to the buttons and the OLED display looks particularly attractive.  The transport, however, is an object of beauty and its fluid operation is an absolute joy to behold.  The tray slides out and retracts so smoothly and so silently with a prepossessing level of self-confidence that you would expect to see in the interior of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce.  The K-01Xs utilises eight of AKM's flagship DACs per channel and the interior of the player is divided into two layers, the bottom layer comprising four separate toroidal transformers which are completely isolated from the audio circuitry on the top layer.  

All reviews that I have read of Esoteric CD players as well as user experiences documented on various Internet forums have stressed the importance of break-in time (which may involve many hundreds of hours) so I was unsure as to what to expect during my first full day of listening.  I needn't have worried.  Rather like my experiences with Kharma speakers (both the DB7 and Exquisite Mini), initial impressions are of a warm, somewhat understated but deeply enveloping sound.  Over time, as the speakers progressively broke in, they became more open and dynamic and I expect my journey with the Esoteric to be similar.  

I spent my first day with the new Esoteric with a diverse set of recordings, ranging from jazz to classical to rock as well as a small dose of singer-songwriter fare.

All of the details enshrined in the original recordings are reproduced perfectly via the Esoteric but there is a weight and richness to the vocal and instrument timbres that I haven't heard before.  There is also a greater sense of the acoustic environment that the the music was recorded in.  The delicacy and refinement of the Meridian is retained but there is also a solidity that I haven't heard since my time with the Meridian's predecessor in my system, the Wadia 861se.  The level of timing is significantly greater than what I heard with the Meridian which makes it a much more emotionally gripping experience.  The listening perspective is also pushed forward.  The musical experience takes absolute precedence here and utterly commands your attention.  The overall impression is that several layers of veils have been lifted from the performance and you are thrust more deeply into the music and you are just carried away.  It is a natural clarity that you hear which is entirely sympathetic to the music as opposed to a sterile clarity where individual details are artificially and harshly spotlit robbing the music of the underlying emotional content.

And there is a great deal of emotional content that is uncovered and laid bare by the Esoteric.  The player is unafraid to resolve every last iota of bite and edge and grit as it appears on the original recording.  This is particularly noticeable on rock recordings. I was listening to King Crimson's Live in Chicago today and these moments of aggression were perceptible but somewhat veiled when played back via the Meridian but the Esoteric does not hold back in any way.  There is a savageness to Robert Fripp's and Mel Collins' playing that really comes to the forefront.  

I could go on but I think that's enough for the moment.  I can't wait to get back to the music.  In short, this is a quite incredible CD player which, together with the Kharmas and the Jadis, is producing the most astonishingly vivid and breathtakingly emotional musical experiences I have ever heard in my life.  And all of this after just one day.  I shudder to think how good this is going to get when the player is completely broken in.

The system as it stands right now is a perfect synergistic marriage of components that stirs my soul in a way I haven't felt before.  I feel so much closer to the music that I dearly love and the sense of happiness I feel right now is beyond price.

[Sligolad]

That looks like one serious piece of kit alright, love the transport engineering and I expect it will perform very well off the USB input from a PC as well.
Wish you many hours of enjoyment with it.

[mcq]

Many thanks, Sligolad, for your kind words. I appreciate it.

[cybot]

Class review as always. Glad your happy with it. Now sit back and enjoy

[mcq]

Thanks, Dermot. Life is so very good right now. My music has never sounded better.

[Diapason]

That was a great read, and the sense of joy this player is bringing you really comes across. What a cracking system you have now, mcq!

[mcq]

Many thanks, Simon, for your kind words. And isn't that joy of music what it's all about? To hear music reproduced to this level of quality is truly a humbling and transformative and soul-stirring experience.

[Fran]

beautiful looking piece of kit there, and by the sounds of it you're enjoying how it sounds too!

Well wear

[mcq]

Thank you, Fran. It is a very special player indeed and I have been glued to my listening chair all weekend in awe at what I am hearing. Life is so very good.