Esoteric K-05 or K-07?

Yashu, if you have a rack with the shelves vented on 4 sides, there should not be a problem with ventilation of K-03 or even K-01. My X-01, which runs a little warmer than K-01, has about 2" of top clearance... The player's top is warm, but never hot, even during summer months. If you like a highly textured and lush sound that never locks you into the syrupy arena, Esoteric is a fabulous way to go... K-01 is more textured/refined than K-03, which is more textured than K-05, which is more textured than K-07... You get the idea. Either way, as I mentioned in your other thread, break the player in with a lot of patience, and you will be rewarded by its sound. G.

Well, you need to consider that the way to audio Nirvana can take many meandering paths... What is harmonically textured and neutral for one, may sound edgy for another; and what sounds lush for the latter, may be syrupy to the former. A total consensus is impossible. Many of us have found the textured and filigreed Esoteric sound to be at the pinnacle of digital reproduction... Others consider its neutrality to be "not organic" and may prefer warmer-sounding players.

There is no right and there is no wrong.... It all depends on what sound you are seeking

Guido

Like some other brands/series, the Esoteric K-0X series can be tuned very much to the particular preference of the user.... no upsampling, 2X, and 4X.... No filtering, FIR1, FIR2, Slow delay 1, Slow delay 2, DSD. Each combination yields a very unique sound that may be prefered over another one.

My own preference is for 4X upsampling with Slow Delay 2... My preferred combination of frequency extension, neutrality, staging/imaging, resolution, harmonic development, and microdynamics, without leading transient emphasis.

And yes, it did take over 1500 hours of break in to get there.

G.

Excellent comments Geoff... I discovered something fascinating with my old X-01 during the weekend... The unit had been sitting for a while on Aluminum-ceramic Nordost Sort Kones: yes, the yield a mild enhancement in resolution/imaging over the X-01's integrated footers.

My X-01 feeds a Rowland Criterion, which feeds Rowland M925 monos, feeding Vienna Die Muzik. Wiring is all Aural Symphonics. Titanium-ceramic Kones under amps and preamp.

I have a spare trio of Nordost Bronze-ceramic Kones, for which I have some historical misgivings because of mixed results on a few SS stereo amps, under which I much prefer the extension and sweetness yielded by the Titanium-ceramic variant.

Anyhow, on a lark, I replaced the Aluminum-ceramic Kones under X-01 with the Bronze-ceramic variants: two in front, just behind the integrated footers, and one in the back, just front of the footer.... There was a nice enhancement in imaging, but treble extension seemed to suffer a little bit.... On a further lark, I added just one Titanium Kone 1.5 inches from the front plate, half way between the left and right.... Bingo! The treble reopened up, without any treble excess... harmonic content, and imaging/staging were further enhanced, with the bass range assuming further gravitas... Yes, the word lushius does come to mind.

On one last experimental lark, I switched Kones.... Bronze under Rowland Criterion linestage, and all Titanium (4) under X-01... Ahg, forget lush... Shrill city without depth... Bronze Kones went immediately back under X-01, Titanium under Criterions.... And all's lushly find with the world once again!

Of course, the new K-0X series is not the same as X-01, but I venture to conjecture: a trio of Nordost Bronze Sort Kones spiced up with a single Titanium Kone under the new players may yield some fascinating results.

Saluti, G.

Hi Kiwi_1282001... You are right on about pure BC, including BC on X-01. Yes, earthy with a little more bass than what I would been happy, and a little less treble than what I would prefer, is exactly how I would define it... Overall, not a setup that I could live with.

The magic appeared only once I "doped" the BC trio with one single TC in the middle front of the X-01 unit.

Guido