I have owned an Esoteric DAC and now own the tried but true dCS Debussy DAC. I found in my system the Esoteric to be too bright and forward. The Debussy is warm and lush.
The brightness of the Esoteric can be tamed with the right cables and AC treatment, it is externally transparent, and every little thing makes a big difference. I think that it is more transparent, detailed and dynamic than the DCS.
@sciencecop - going down the cable/power rabbit hole to tame the sound of the Esoteric can be an expensive proposition and can do just as much harm as good.
Timely thread, as i am also venturing into the pricier DAC world and have both brands in mind.
these models are not completely apples to apples, however, correct? The rossini being a network player as well as DAC? Would really be the rossini vs n-01(x)?
I also had K01 and move to DCS Puccini. 4-5 years ago.. they both have their own house sound. at the beginning. I been kicking my self for selling the K01. and after couple of months I begin to like DCS more. DCS has transparency, detail and dynamic. but the K01 was more lush and is musical. It took me many years to pair it up with the right amp. Finally end up with a Luxman L509x to get back to Lush and musical sound pairing with the DCS.
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