Berkeley dac1 versus Esoteric K-03

Jon,

I would never use the USB out of my PC. Nor, would I ever use the usb input the dac. usb is the poorest interface you can use. USB was desgined to attach peripherals like mice and keyboards and printers and transmits data in packets, not streams.

God luck Jon.

I have. I have a Berkeley DAC for maybe 2 years now and picked up the K03 1st week of august. I am very close to completing breakin (if not there already). The K03 trumps the Berkeley in EVERY way imaginable. It extracts more information from a disc; it is more resolving; larger, deeper soundstaging. Better bass (magic base); it is more resolving and quieter. I thought the Berkeley was seriously exellent. The K03 is seriously magical. I truly cannot believe how good CD's sound that I have previously dismissed as uninvolving or unemotional. When you hit that volume level right, the little hairs on my little hairs stand up. It has brought tears to my eyes more than once. Regular old tunes make a major emotional impact that I have not felt previously. Truly stunning.

I was using a gateway computer (windows 7, JRiver 18, Jplay, ESI Juli@ sound card); 10 meter apogee spdif cable into an Esoteric G25U upsampler/clock - the clock went to the Berkeley via an AES/EBU Purist Audio Design 20th Anniversary digital cable; the other surce was my Esoteric X03 SE into the upsampler via a Tara Labs The be Spdif digital cable, into the berkeley (this sounded better than the X03SE by itself).

An interesting development for me. My puter was going into an esoteric clock/upsampler (G25U) and then into Berkeley DAC. The stand alone K03 blew that away but I have had two recent developments. One was to add the G25U (w/o clock engaged as internal K03 clock is a bit more accurate)between the puter and K03 - and the benefit (using 192k) was pretty incredible. The 2nd development was to have my PC 'tuned up' my a microsoft level 5 tech (I am a computer guy but these gys take it to a whole other level) and, never mind the speed I picked up (I was not slow before) but the improvement in sound from their clean up and tweaking was also amazing.

My K03 sounds better than my PC into the K03 dac (and I upsample and reclock) but I am conviced that is due to a shortcoming of the puter - somewhere, somehow. The CD should not soud better, but it does.

Jon, no. There is no way I would ever use any sort of USB output for audio. My hires does sound better than redbook and ripped cd better than the new, though I don't use a pc for burning. I use an alesis master link. I had a friend bring over CDs she ripped from her pc and they were pretty poor. Puters are a noisy place, jon.

Hi Ptss, Thank you for the compliment. I have not tried sound application. I did hear Igor Kuznetspff's 'K Works' line conditioner at the NY Show and was quite impressed and may order one (for my amps) as they are into the wall now. I am lucky with fairly new home, good electric, and great block for power usage (as there is hardly anyone on it!).

Hi Ptss,
I havent heard the Berkeley 2 (or the new reference). The K03 is sounding INCREDIBLE but I have had some fun with some key upgrades (upgraded ultra platforms under speakers; tara labs the one speaker cables on both panels and woofers; new jeff rowland design group criteriion preamp). These upgrades have brought me to a new place and my only thought (right now) is a K01 (dream of the D/P 02 but ...). I think my rig is at a place where I can really enjoy the benefit of the K01. Please understad, I have no wants or needs when I listen to the K03. I just 'know' that, from reading the reviews, and the other upgrads I have done, this should take me even closer to what I want, IE, the music. (also, both prior owners of my criterion have a K01 and I do need to explore that). I really cant say what it is about esoteric that is so pleasing to so many. I do know that the gentlemen running it is an audiophile. And he has diamonds for ears.
Thank you for the follow up!