Esoteric audio 2 reviews

Interviewer Yoshiyuki Ishida verified the ability of this machine as entry of the series. At Esoteric, a new challenge on integrating technology and know-how from Grandioso started with an integrated amplifier. It is full-balanced, dual monaural configuration of all stages, and enough quantity is put in the power supply part and the cabinet. The feel of operation is also similar, with both input selector and volume control developed from the same bearing mechanism found in Grandioso C1 which minimises vibration. Knobs are almost common as well, made from machined solid aluminum.

We are searching data for your request:

Esoteric audio 2 reviews

Wait the end of the search in all databases.
Upon completion, a link will appear to access the found materials.

Content:

• Esoteric Audio USA Custom Speaker Cable 2 Pair
• C.L.E.A.R. 834L: The Rejuvenation of an Esoteric Audio Research classic (Part 2)
• Esoteric F-03A Integrated Amplifier
• Audio Research Ref160S Tube Power Amplifier Review
• Esoteric E-02 Phonostage
• Equipment Reviews
• CES 2017: Esoteric
• Esoteric Audio Musica 500 Speaker Cables

WATCH RELATED VIDEO: Esoteric DACs, amplifiers, Cabasse loudspeakers, CES

Esoteric Audio USA Custom Speaker Cable 2 Pair

All of this adds up to an advanced level of resolution accorded the CD via the KX, truly state-of-the-art sound has been achieved. The most familiar music takes on a new sense of scale, and dare I say grandiosity, that is at once jarring and compelling. One of the first characteristics to strike me as revolutionary is the ability of the KX to sort out and render instrumental lines awhile creating a soundstage of immense proportions.

Even on discs that I have been listening to for twenty years are transformed. Through the KX, the image of the heart beat moves from 20 feet outside to at least 40 feet to the right and is locked in space. I have no side-walls to deal with so the image has a ton of room to breath. A jet then flies from left to right and goes all the way down the hall and rendered in stark relief.

We are talking feet outside the speaker. I know these are sound effects, not music, but holly cow, you cannot dismiss the wow factor.

Disc after disc was unraveled yielding a wealth of space between densely rendered images. Musical lines ebbed and flowed above a supple dynamic. Not overly smooth or creamy per se but rich for sure. There is just more music coming out of the KX than I have heard before. If you like a leaner presentation, the KX is not for you.

There is real meat on the bones sounding more life like in tonal density. Timing cues provided by the guitar picking and tight bass line hooked to the bass drum keeps the sway of the music moving right along. Ease and sophistication goes a long way in describing the sound of the KX.

Digital has been doing a pretty good job with the low frequencies for several years now. Gone is the dry, over-damped, pitch-less bass from the early days of digital. However, the KX adds a level of density, definition and dynamic slam that adds up to the most complete rendering throughout the mid bass and low bass that I have ever heard.

Great pitch and texture gives the foundation a musical importance and completes the overall picture. With the KX, the sound comes into focus leaving the unwanted distortion in the dust. The result is the brain has less work to do in sorting out the wheat from the chaff. With the KX you get all the wheat, and little chaff, unless it is on the recording, then you need to watch out.

The KX, despite sounding glorious on decent recordings, a bad recording like the Pretenders Greatest Hits will have your brain squirming like a toad. If you are not familiar, get familiar.

Brian is a master bass player and his band is first-rate. Needless to say, the bass as recorded is singular in its power and texture. The image is so present and focused as well. When the jaw comes up off the floor, it becomes clear that the piano is just as majestic sounding through the KX. Sweeping arpeggios and other melodic flourishes are captured with zero grain or glare, particularly in the upper registers. This, coupled to an outstanding sense of dynamics and scale, makes this a true show stopper of a disc.

Another great one is Clifford Jordan Live at Ethels. The sax is closely miked and really jumps dynamically. The sound can boarder on a slap in the face at times, yet the disc really captures a live vibe along with many of the colors a sax can yield. Through the KX, the sound has never been truer. The ride cymbal that is locked to the right speaker has never sounded smoother yet more complex than I have ever heard it.

There is so much inner detail being tracked by the KX, yet it is so well mannered and structured. Now the track sounds amazing through the KX. The lack of noise and digital distractions allows the true timbre from the bottom to the upper registers to shine through. Purity is a word that keeps coming to mind, as does silence. Effortless dimensionality and dynamics spring forth, giving the music great flow and swing as well as outstanding focus.

If there is a disc that seems to capture a good deal of what the KX is all about, then it is Bill Evans Quintessence. Great introspection, space and silence between notes, and true beauty in timbre are captured with ease. This one will remain in heavy rotation. There are a few quibbles. First off, the remote control operation is not without its drama.

I found I often had to repress the command to engage the action. Also, like its little brother the K, the KX is sensitive to poorly maintained discs, which is pretty much all I have at this point.

Hitting fast forward did little to skip past the damage. Sadly, I have only been able to listen to the KX for a few weeks, as the entire time the unit was here I spent waiting for my new Corona plasma tweeters to arrive from Germany for the Lansche 4. Despite the short duration, I have become extremely attached to it. Man, this one is going to be hard to let go of. Despite a few operational quirks, it has really gotten under my skin in the best possible audio nut approved way.

Wall busting soundstaging, coupled to the truest timbral presentation I have yet heard from digital makes this fast-fading medium come to life, finding new breath and a great reason for being: The Esoteric KX brings music to life. What a great time to be an audiophile! I purchased my K01X about a month ago. The K01X is special. To be blunt most of us have probably never experienced a player as good as the K01X. Some dealers claim that players like Solution etc.

For what it is the K01X is a bargain. Yet no mention is ever made about these capabilities. It is a significant improvement over the prior generation that came out 4 to 6 years ago and comes close to the so called separate boxes reference systems. The difference with the K01X was so dramatic it took me a week to stop focusing on the sheen of strings, the deep bass that could be heard ,the biting sound of brass ,rich and vibrating cello strings , the naturalness and fullness of sound which eliminates the complaints about CD sound and how good older CDs now sound.

For the first time I am enjoying my older CDs and hearing things in them I have never heard before. While the sound is very full a lot of additional detail can be heard.

I had always assumed that my shortened attention span was due to getting older not my player. Congratulations Greg on the review. Did you notice any difference? The review is spot on regarding this unit.

The soundstage was the first thing I noticed when I played he first CD disc! You do actually hear the individual instruments and their unique timbre on well recorded discs.

My foot is now tapping to the music again. That never occurred with my Oppo which is a very good sounding mid-fi player. What was harsh and hard sounding before has now turned into a listenable experience. You may like to know this obese box is also a DAC and that gives it a future and purpose beyond shiny round discs. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Staff Contact. Digital Sources.

Print Article. By: Greg Petan September November 13, at pm. Joe says:. June 9, at am. Vern says:. October 15, at pm. High Fidelity says:. January 21, at am. Scott Petit says:.

May 19, at pm. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.

C.L.E.A.R. 834L: The Rejuvenation of an Esoteric Audio Research classic (Part 2)

The REFM monoblocks were a radical change for the venerable Reference Series, and now they have been transformed into a single, spectacular stereo chassis. It has been Audio Research's practice to deliver stereo versions of its monoblocks after a suitable passing of time. In theory, the differences should relate solely to general monoblock-vs-stereo amp arguments: total isolation of left-and-right channels and separate AC sources for both, versus shared elements in the stereo edition. But here it's not straightforward because the new model — hitherto called the REFS — is almost too good. Otherwise, it's the same in operation and practice, again with the pain of valve housekeeping reduced thanks to auto-bias and the delicious user option of switchable Ultralinear and Triode operation on the fly.

Esoteric F-03A Integrated Amplifier

I can imagine it being the last player you will want to buy for some years to come. Whether we buy the latest luxury SUV or name-brand macaroni and cheese at the grocery store, more money should buy better quality. This is especially expected in high-end audio, where costs can be quite high -- seemingly out of proportion with the vast majority of consumer electronics. If the price tag is steep, our expectations are that the product offers a commensurately higher level of performance than lesser-priced alternatives. However, most of us learn early on that cost does not guarantee quality -- or satisfaction. Simply buying the most expensive components and assembling them haphazardly is a recipe for bad sound. Conversely, there have been many products over the years that are impressive in what they offer despite the fact that they cost a very substantial sum of money. The remote is chunky and full-sized, not a credit-card-shaped job that seems to be all the rage. Its gleaming aluminum front panel and super-heavy-gauge steel chassis make for vault-like construction. Although the UX-3 is quite arresting from an audio-jewelry perspective, the most impressive technology is tucked away.

Audio Research Ref160S Tube Power Amplifier Review

One can sound anemic; the other can sound like an amplifier of nearly twice its rating. It has a luxurious, premium vibe, from the tactile feel of the ball-bearing-mounted volume and source-selector knobs to the way the fold-down door gently glides open to reveal seldom used controls. The front panel is dominated by a large volume control, identically sized source-selector knob, and a useful alphanumeric display. The rear panel reveals a generous input and output complement.

Esoteric E-02 Phonostage

This seller has not set a shipping cost for Russian Federation. Please contact them to ask about shipping. Selling 2 pairs of Esoteric premium speaker cable. This is their custom cable. One pair is 15 ft. This cable was used in my home studio only.

Equipment Reviews

Modifying or rebuilding anything, be it a piece of classic stereo equipment or, perhaps, a classic car, will involve many value judgements and personal decisions. Some subtle, some not. No two audiophiles, or classic car buffs, departing from the same point, will finish in the same place. Be that as it may, this is my take on a cost-effective rejuvenation. But how someone could mix up a phono stage and line stage is beyond me.

CES 2017: Esoteric

Featuring high-end materials and advanced engineering throughout, the Esoteric Series collection of drivers elevates the state of the art in driver design. Dayton Audio's Esoteric Series' woofer motor geometry is designed to provide a powerful, stable field with excellent saturation and symmetry, expanding the usable range of excursion. The huge 3" diameter voice coil is edgewound using rectangular copper-coated aluminum wire CCAW for maximal winding density within the coil profile, and the ventilated titanium voice coil former transfers energy to the cone with incredible speed while contributing added stiffness to the cone itself.

Esoteric Audio Musica 500 Speaker Cables

RELATED VIDEO: Esoteric K-07 SACD/CD Player - Best Kept Secrets of Fine Audio w/Lawrence Mittler

This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below. This image opens to x at KB in a new window. After reviewing Esoteric's SA60 multi-format player and finding a lot of qualities to like, it would have seemed quite natural to investigate the company's more ambitious new player and DAC. But that's actually not how this review came to be. As I was exchanging emails with Genesis owner and manager Gary Koh to schedule the review of their new reference amplifier, we eventually came to the realization that I did not have a balanced preamplifier but that the version of the reference amplifier initially available would only accept balanced inputs. At that point Mr.

See what our customers have to say about Scott Walker Audio. COM Facebook Twitter. Facebook Twitter. Scott Walker Audio T. Show -- "This is a system that reminds you what the high end is all about. Amazing gear for mid to high level enthusiasts.

This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Forums New posts Search forums.