Esoteric Digital Separates

Anyone considering separates should understand they are opening a can of worms.

I have spent more money on cables, shelves, and footers to optimize my digital components, than the cost of thecomponents themselves. While I have absolutely no regrets and the results speak for themselves, do not think that you can buy separates, throw them on any rack with stock PCs, and be done. Each separate is very sensitive to everything.

There is something to be said for the value and peace of mind of a single-box unit.

Zephyr, We are in agreement that there are many overpriced/overhyped cables with too many compromises, along with many value cables with nice performance. I do believe there are some game-changing cables out there that bring an improvement beyond that of a component upgrade.

If someone was to go with the Esoteric K01, or the Wadia S7i, or the TAD D600, they would have quite a formidable set-up with either an HRS or SRA platform, and an NVS Silver Ultimate 1 power cable. This would probably exceed suboptimally set-up separates. Any of these combinations should be quite magical.

Hi Eli,

Let me clear the air on the Tripoint Troy. To say that this is like the Ground Zero with a nicer finish is like saying a Kia and a Ferrari are both cars, with the Ferrari having a nicer finish.

I'm not going to argue the price, because it is certainly expensive. But, this has made one of the most profound impacts on my system and has taken it into new realms. I did demo the SR Powercell 10SE just before purchasing the Troy, and there was just no comparison. I would have no hesitation in recommending the Troy, even at the current price.

Now, the Ground Zero at $600 is certainly more approachable, and if it provides an audible benefit, then great.

Hi Eli,

You are correct that the Troy is not a power conditioner, and I apologize for being unclear. I was looking for a method to decrease the noise floor in my system, and tried the Powercell first, with everything plugged into it. The Powercell was one of the largest conditioners on the market (10 outlets), and I figured that plugging everything into one box would reduce the noise by sharing a common ground. The Powercell did not have much of an effect in my system, with the amps plugged in or left on dedicated lines. I had been using a Shunyata Hydra with an Elrod PC, but not everything would fit into its 8 outlets.

Next, I took a chance with the Troy, and it worked-out.

I did purchase one before the price increase, and felt it was expensive then. You would have to contact Tripoint to see what type of prices are available currently.