Esoteric K-01/K-03 Owners

Good to hear!

With the kind help of Esoteric America and Teac Japan, we discovered that the dowload link for the mac osx driver for the K-01 was thee culprit. This issue has been corrected and the K-01 works perfectly now on usb HS-2mode with mac osx Mavericks and Audirvana program... sounding amazing too

I think the only chance of getting hold of this old driver update is to get in touch with Esoteric. I just checked my laptop and I did not save a copy of the files that Esoteric sent me back in 2015; sorry about that. 

This is quite an old thread but I was wondering if the HS_2 on the K-01 USB works with some version of MAC osX? And maybe I need the old Esoteric USB driver for it? The one I downloaded now from the website does not work with Lion, Mountain Lion or Snow Leopard, only with HS_1, the synchronous mode...
anyone can help me find the old driver that came on a cd with the player in the box?

You should call Esoteric technical support at:
323.727.7617

G.

Anybody with a K-03x having disc reading problems?

I bought mine used a few months ago—seller said he was moving up to the K-02—but a few weeks ago the unit stopped recognizing most discs. At first repositioning the disc in the tray worked, but now most discs it just doesn't recognize. All I get is the word TRAY! on the readout.

This is especially irritating since I've got a 1995 VRDS-25 and a 2003 P-70 that continue to perform flawlessly.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Quadesl: Thanks for letting us know the USB driver patch appears to have resolved the issue!

Here is the information for the upgrade path. I will not have a chance to send my K-03 in for at least a couple of months. Would be interested to know what you think if you do so in the near term.

Tap Electronics Company
6920 Hermosa Circle
Buena Park, CA 90620
Tel: (714) 562-7400
Fax: (714) 562-7405

The cost for this upgrade is $1,500 which includes “white glove” freight costs both ways.

NOTE: *The USB Upgrade does not allow for compatibility with 5.6 MHz DSD files. This additional capability is afforded through the K-01X and K-03X models released in late 2014.

I got the files (K-series SACD players HA_2 async. firmware updater + new MacOS driver) from Scott Sefton yesterday. I have just flashed the new HS_2 async. firmware on my K-03 and installed the new driver on my Mac Mini. I have listened to a few hi-res. + CD ripped FLACs and it seems to have solved the problem. So far so good! BTW, after you have flashed the new firmware on your K-series player you have to power cycle it in order for it to be effective.

Now I have to figure out where and how to have my K-03 upgraded to the new USB board for DSD64...

Not sure if this would be the Service Center for Canada users, but; here is the notice for K Upgrades dated 4/1/15.

http://www.esoteric-usa.com/USB-upgrade.php

I got the files directly from Scott Sefton; I don't believe they have a download site. Send me an in-mail with some means of an getting me your off-Audiogon email and I'll forward the whole email thread that he sent to me....Alternatively, you can ping Scott and have him send direct depending upon your preference.

Thanks. So where can we download the new firmware/driver + the PDF instruction manual? I check the Esoteric website in Japan and couldn't find it. Thanks.

Esoteric/TEAC/Integra has announced in early April that the USB hardware upgrade (DSD compatibility) is available now. It is a $1500 US upgrade. I have tried to contact with them w.r.t. where to send my K-03 from Canada. I haven't heard back from them yet.

Update: Just heard from Esoteric that the driver update does NOT change the display of the unit itself, only the way the driver reports itself in MIDI Player, HRAudio/other programs that reflect the detailed info of what driver is being used for audio input.

I've been communicating with Scott S. and Cedric M. at Onkyo/Integra/Esoteric. They sent out a driver and related software that needs a Windows laptop and USB cable to connect into the D-02,etc... and install/burn a driver update. Important facts in the PDF instruction file and mentioned to me via phone that it will change the display in both MacOSX MIDI utility and other config panels to state "TEAC...." for the driver type and I was told yesterday will change the display of (at least the D-02) DAC itself to read "TEAC" instead of "Esoteric". This fixes the issue but clearly they need to come up with an "All Esoteric" solution......

Quadesi: Thank you....

Looks like we should not download and install any driver for now.

"did they put out a new driver for the high-end mode so the USB port (asyc HS-2) for the K-01, K-03 and D-02? Have they solved the MacOSX compatibility issue yet for high-speed async mode?"

I sent an email to Integra/Onkyo/Esoteric US and here's the response w.r.t. the Yosemite problem and the USB upgrade:

"As of right now, no I have not heard anything from them regarding a fix for the Yosemite issue. Regarding the upgrade for your K-03, there will soon be one for the USB board that will allow DSD 2,8MHz (not DSD 5.6MHz) files to be played, but this is the only upgrade on the horizon.
The USB upgrade should be announced soon with pricing and procedures for K-01 and K-03 on the Esoteric-USA website."

$1500US for the upgrade is pretty steep for Canadians at the moment esp. when the same mod. only cost 100000 yen.

BTW, there may be a good chance that this USB upgrade will also remedy the Yosemite problem by making the USB port Audio Class 2.0 compliance like the two new "X" players (i.e. no need for an USB driver). Hope we got more info. later from Integra/Onkyo/Esoteric US.

I might have missed something....did they put out a new driver for the high-end mode so the USB port (asyc HS-2) for the K-01, K-03 and D-02? Have they solved the MacOSX compatibility issue yet for high-speed async mode?

And if you uninstall the Esoteric driver, I suggest you also cleanup the registry after that... If the driver has installed with some broken pieces, detritus might be left in the registry after uninstallation... And the junk will be around after a fresh install. G.

One thing that is very important. You need to do the fresh reinstall on your computer without a usb connection to the K-03. Connect the usb cable from your computer to the K-03 only AFTER the driver installation is completed.

Try uninstalling the driver, reboot your pc/Mac and do a fresh reinstall from the website.
Hope this works.

This might not be the proper thread, but I was really hoping to gather a bit of info on the problems I am having after installing the new driver software from the Esoteric sight for my K-03 . HS-2 filter is no longer working I can only use HS-1,and as mentioned above there in no customer support from Esoteric. Any experience would be a amazing

This might not be the proper thread, but I was really hoping to gather a bit of info on the problems I am having after installing the new driver software from the Esoteric sight for my K-03 . HS-2 filter is no longer working I can only use HS-1,and as mentioned above there in no customer support from Esoteric. Any experience would be a amazing

Staring to gain clarity as to US upgrade for "K" owners. Here is a reply from Marketing US.

"Yes, we do plan to offer an upgrade of the USB board for K-01/K-03.
It really should in no way be referred as an upgrade to “X”. It will not include any other changes than the USB functionality, and even that will not be the same as the “X” versions.
It will however allow playback of 2.8MHz DSD files via the USB. I would not expect any sonic differences at all, just this added function.
We have not announced it in the US yet as we are finalizing the pricing and procedure. I *believe* the price will be $1,500 in the US, I do not know about Canada. The unit would have to be shipped to our service center in California (T.A.P.)".
We will announce on our website when this is finalized.

Still waiting to hear from Esoteric and the option of upgrading to "x" in the states. Have not seen any information here so far.

Hey Zephyr, see my post on the D-02/P-02 post, I listed the contact info for Esoteric/Integra. Start with Scott Sefton, and if that doesn't get it done, Paul Wasek. You can find there contact info on the Integra website.

Colekat

This may be old news but what is of greater interest will be to hear the experience of anyone who has tried out this DSD upgrade.

I don't know if this is old news to you guys but it sounds like the USB DSD upgrade has started in Japan already:

http://www.esoteric.jp/products/vup/

Does anyone have the name and contact info for the local Esoteric rep who would have taken over sales for the United Sales after Mark Gurvey left and is part of the Gibson/Onkyo/Esoteric sales structure? Please email on Audiogon....thanks!

I have also been TRYING to deal with ONKYO/INTEGRA Support
and Service to get a repair diagnosis and cost for my P03U and
also have a new conversation regarding the 02 series and K01; I am
seeing long delays in getting answers out of Japan and Onkyo. Very
frustrating...open message to ESOTERIC JAPAN..."please
bring back the SOTA customer service Esoteric owners and
prospects used to enjoy!!!"

See the Integra product support page with all sorts of info:

http://integrahometheater.com/prod_support.cfm

email address for Esoteric support:
Esoteric-Service@integrahometheater.com

And here is the 24/7 phone support line:
800-225-1946

Yes... Google is a marvellous institution. G.

Thanks Bill. So then who do I contact regarding upgrading my K-01 and K-03 players? TEAC refers me to Onkyo. The person I was referred to does not respond to my inquiry. Does anyone have the proper contact information? In the original post is says the upgrades will be done in California. TEAC is in Monticello, California. However Onkyo is in New Jersey.

Bamiles - for over a year now Integra (Onkyo's higher end division) has taken over Esoteric's distribution in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Here's an article detailing the announcement for your reference.

Thanks so much for this information...BUT... I must tell you my experience. I just hung up from speaking with the folks in California (TEAC/Esoteric Operational Support). I shared the above information and they had NO IDEA whatsoever what I was talking about. Worse...they just kept referring me to ONKYO. Evidently according to the woman I spoke with ONKYO is handling service, upgrades, sales of Esoteric equipment now?!?!

I'm left scratching my head wondering what just happened. Really weird and inconsistent with the experience I'd had in speaking with these folks even a few months ago.

Can anyone verify?

Repeatedly, despite the specifics highlighted above I was told there are no upgrades for the K-01 or K-03. I believe this is incorrect and own both players. Frustrating to say the least...

Hi Jeffkad,

Apologies for my delayed reply - just read your post.

1. What kind of PC do you use? -

I have stopped using my PC as a source. The hi-res files are transfered to a usb flash drive which is then plugged into the Marantz front panel port

2. How do you download music? -

I download from various websites to my PC and then transfer them to a usb flash drive

3. Do you burn discs into your PC? - No; I only play hi-res files through the Marantz; redbook still sounds better via my K-01 transport

4. Does your new method of copying music to USB flash drive render the quality of the original PC used to copy/store music immaterial to SQ? - Yes, definitely, because the PC isn't in the chain anymore. :)

Hope this helps. Cheers!
Jon

I finally bit the bullet and dove into the computer digital world with a new Mac Mini music server. For those who are considering this I can highly recommend it as a new front end system. My experience is this; I bought the new mac mini (Yosemite ) with 1 TB fusion drive and 16GB RAM. I then choose Pure Music 2 for its compatibility with mac and apple remote. I am using my esoteric k-01 as the DAC with their highRes driver installed. The mini is directly connected to the K-01 with a USB 2 Wireworld cable. I have began to rip my extensive CD collection using Apple's super drive encoding as Apple Lossless (ALAC) with error correction box checked. This process is extremely time consuming....good thing I am retired. I am able to rip about 40 CD’s per day (I own over 800). Playback worked with ease and I up sample to 24bit 192 hz. The result is wonderful and operation is extremely simple. The apple remote on my iPad is simple to use and I am amazed at how quick songs load (about 1 sec). I cannot tell the difference from playing a CD directly! Highly recommended for those who are considering going in this direction.

Interesting stuff. I am a K-03 owner using strictly physical discs, but have been investigating PC sourced audio for a long time. Unfortunately for me, I have been paralyzed by analysis and confusion, as the world of dsd, double dsd, PCM, etc has rendered me brain dead lol. Even the new world of FPGA dacs, which of course I have no idea what the acronym means but it supposedly renders the transport immaterial, adds more confusion. In any event, I digress. Jon2020, what kind of PC do you use, and how do you download music? Do you burn discs into your PC? Does your new method of copying music to USB flash drive render the quality of the original PC used to copy/store music immaterial to SQ?

Has anyone done a full in-home or other compare of the K-01 or K-01x against the P-03/D-03 and P-02/D-02? I'm looking to potentially simplify things at a reasonable (medium-high versus extremely high) price point and the K-01x may be a good answer for me all things considered versus the P-02/D-02 given price point. I listen to alot of RBCD as well as XRCD (various formats), K2HD and SACD. Thanks in advance!

Mcduman,
If you use Google Chrome, it will translate any language into English on the fly. I have read the short intro to the x models, their improvements over non-x, and the modifications avaialable for non-x, but no full review yet.
Jon.

there is a review of k-01x k-03x in the latest issue of the japanese Stereo Sound magazine http://store.stereosound.co.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=2003

any japanenese speaking subscriber care to translate?

Guido,
That day will surely come and I will patiently wait with you for it.
Meanwhile, the NA8005 is doing very nicely right now for me.
What flabbergasts me is that a product like this that costs about 1% of the total system cost can elevate sound quality by one third! Kudos to the march of technology. In this case, it is indeed the law of diminishing returns in reverse! - the new law of accelerating returns.

Hi John, I hope that at some point Esoteric will see it fit to add a mass storage bay to its players... Imagine a hypothetical K-01Y, similar to K-01 and K-01X, but with a user accessible slot where an arbitrarely large SSD can be inserted.... Redbook would be loaded onto the SSD from this player's own transport, while Hi Resolution material would be loaded from an external source via USB, SPDIF, Ethernet, or something else.

G.

Just to add, if you want to play from your large SSD drive via your computer, you need to use the internal dac. All computer usb connections need to go through the internal dac and then via analog outputs to the preamp.
To connect directly to your own dac, only usb flash drives plugged into the front or rear panel ports allow digital output.
Another very big plus in ditching the computer is the handheld remote that allows you to scroll through all your music folders and files instead of having to get off the chair and use the mouse to open them. Of course you can use the app on your smartphone or tablet to control the player but then you need a wireless connection to your computer for this. The purist way for pc audio would be to turn off all wireless connections during playback.

Only usb drives formatted as FAT16 or FAT32 is supported. Unfortunately, NTFS formatted SSD drives cannot be played by the 8005.

Does the Marantz player support large SSDs formatted as NTFS inside USB enclosures? E.g. The Samsung 850 Pro 1TB?

Guido,

I am using the Sandisk Cruzer with 128 GB on board. It is a high speed 2.0 usb thumb drive. I think these are easily available nowadays.

Hi John, what size / model of flash drive do you use?

Guido

Hi Tboooe,

Thanks for your kind comments.
For my minimalst set-up, no computer or software interface is needed. The player just reads off the data from the flash drive and the artist, album, track, file type and sampling rate info are all shown on the display.
I do not intend to use the network function either as this would entail the use of a computer with usb and ethernet cabling to the home broadband router. Any of this along the signal path introduces jitter to some degree.

Great writeup. I wonder how this compares to the Auralic
Aries. What kind of software interface does the Marantz
have? Can the Marantz do wireless like the Aries?

EDIT: looks like no wireless with the Marantz but use of
network bridge like the Dlink DAP-1650 (which I use now with
my CAPS) should suffice.

Dear all,

I called up my local Marantz dealer earlier today to find out about the new network player NA8005. Lo and behold, they have it in the store on passive display. So I trundled down to the store and brought it home. At $1199 retail, it was worth a calculated risk since the first network player, the NA11S was well received by JA. The NA8005 piqued my interest for 2 primary reasons - one, it could play dsd and hirez pcm files from a USB memory stick, and two, it has a coax digital output.

Once unpacked, set-up was a breeze for my primary objective of playing hirez files from a USB flash drive. So, no more computer and usb cables. It was simply connecting the 8005 to the K-01 coax input.

Fresh out of the box(I don't know if a network player would benefit from break-in), the sound emanating from the usb memory stick jacked into the front panel input, was in a word, glorious. If I was previously happy with hi-rez via the Esoteric's HRA player, I must say I am completely floored by what I heard in the first few minutes. It was incredible! I had this sudden epiphany of what hi-rez is all about. So, this is indeed how hi-rez should really sound. It is truly that jaw-dropping. All I can say is that with usb flash memory as source, coupled to the K-01's DAC section, there is detail and detail, and yet, oh so smooth and smooth. Not only that, the soundstage opened up while notes floated effortlessly beyond the speaker boundaries in width, depth and height. Bass is prodigious without being boomy, while highs are airier and more extended. As for the midrange, it's either "you are there" or "she is in your living room" sort of thing. Transient attacks are as impactful as they should be. Finally, it all has to be musical and indeed it is as musical as it gets - the total antithesis of "analytical". The 8005 is also not partial to any genre, serving out classical, jazz, blues or rock in equal measure. As the old cliché goes, it doesn't get any better than this. There is not an iota of dryness that might have been suggested of the K-01 in the past.

To all K-01/03 owners, do go out and bring an NA8005 home for an audition or, like me, just buy it. You can finally bid goodbye to jitter-inducing computer interfaces, hard disk drives, background noise, etc, etc.

Happy listening!