Esoteric DV-60

I agree 100% with Frank. I currently have 2 of each, of the Dv-50, Dv-60 and one UX-3.
A dv-50 is very easy to uncork the performance. Dv-60 same Pioneer drive as dv50, but the dv-60 has half the size of the Dv-50 power supply, and a 1/4 of the size what the Dv-50 uses as the HQ 2 channel output.

UX3 has serious potential, ready to be unleashed, but a major bottle neck I found within the core board prevents this beast to be unleashed. (Fix is almost there)
A big plus for the UX-3 the analog board is very similar to the UX-1, another plus the UX-3 has a New (Neo) drive assembly over the UX-1, with a final plus the UX-3 can upscale the Video, via DVI, while the UX-1 cant.

Dv-60 can upscale the video threw the much wanted HDMI,
While the others lack this feature, with the exception of the PO-1 and PO-3. What get me nuts, it has the ABT top chip that can support HDDVD and Blue Ray, looking at press photos, the Dv-60 was shown sporting the 2 optional ram chips to be used with these features to top it off. Meanwhile they disabled the chip to support these formats! :c(.....My Likes of the Dv-60 internal... Cute little R-core t-former, and despite the smaller power board section, nice to see multi - Inductor/capacitor filtration being used.
Unlike the DV-50, the rest of the video section looks great. But all analog sections are nothing like the more robust section used in the Dv-50...

My wish: Give me a dv-50 with the video section of a Dv-60 (re-worked of course)

In reality: total re-worked Dv-50

Ux-3: A beast, re-worked, but I think at this price point,
I would like to see HDMI.

Looking forward to: The Next new model to be released!

Disclaimer: This is my personal IMO, looked at from the inside and out.

All the Best!
Anthony
Aberdeencomponents / mauimods!

Sorry, My Bag.. the Dv-60 does not use the same Pioneer drive as the DV-50. ( was a late night)

Addition: Dv-60 uses Teac's horizontal sled and vertical optical assembly. A plus over the Dv-50. Unlike the Pioneer drive, the control boards are not sandwiched under the drive assembly. They are laid out cleanly, in an uncongested manner. Again, Inductor based ground decoupling is heavily employed, showing a well designed control board. Much more Robust engineered, over the Pioneer dive assembly design. In regards to the Dv-60 power board, despite being a smaller footprint over the Dv-60, as above, inductor based filtration, is used with a well designed power board, over the Dv-50.

Again sorry for the mix-up regarding drive info.

Regard,
Anthony
Aberdeencomponents /Mauimods

Guido,
How did you confirm it took 850 hrs+, for the X-01 to break in?

Anthony
Me/myself/and I

DV-60 update!
Using the Dv-60 as a "TRANSPORT ONLY", proved to be superior over the Dv-50. The sound quality is quite stunning. Even, when compared to a highly Modded Dv-50s. Its quite obvious, as it should, since it spins the Cd at a higher rate, loading Bit perfect extractments in to memory buffers. The buffers are large enough to hold about 8 to 10 seconds of Redbook. What really surprised me, it was the best buffer driven transport I heard to date. Usually, with other buffer driven digital sources, Especially, like with the SB3, and other "bit perfect" COMPUTER based sources, there is such a noticeble "grunge" with in soundstage that made the music hard on the ears. I always ended up hitting "next" on the remote, or turned the volume down, or just shut it off altogether.
This is what the Dv-60 Transport mechanism lacks, and it’s that grudge. (YES! A GOOD THING.)
So, where did that grunge go? Looking at the transport control boards, I see a very well laid out, un-conjested PC board design. It’s not the conventional "sandwiched" design, under the transport mechanism kinds..... Instead, it's mounted away from the transport, by its side. Designs as such are noted for a much lower HF noise floor. I can say this has a major impact to do with the maintaining the data integrity that is extracted from the Cd.
And this is why the sound quality is fabulous.
I have yet to fully tap the potential of the Video, due to my HDTV lacking a HDMI input. What I heard from "my contact" when the video is upscale threw the HDMI output, a DVD would look like it was HDTV. And from the Dv-60's digital output, standpoint alone, I see no reason to doubt it!

Anthony
Mauimods

DBLD, the weight DOES help alot. Bass, and focus some of the gains noticed One really nice feature is the 3 footers. Integrated cones with bases. In a triangular configuration.

Anthony
Mauimods