Looking for a CD / SACD player. Also, tell me about Esoteric

I have had my Esoteric K-03xd since January and am really enjoying it.  I don't plan on changing.  We don't have a local dealer so I bought mine from Metafi Audio in Oregon from Jeff.  It was shipped properly on a palllet.

I have several Luxman SACD players, all are amazing, and serviced in the US if ever needed.  Ever think of getting one used?  

K-05XD is Esoteric’s entry level SACD player ($12k)

I bought one last year, great cdp!

gthirteen

Nice budget of $10K. Esoteric, Luxman and Marantz are available for your listening pleasure. Staying tuned.

Happy Listening!

Sony XA5400ES Discussion Here

bought lightly used one 2-1/2 years ago

I have re-discovered my too-many cd/sacds, I try not to, but actually buying used CD/SACDs they sound that good. Before hearing this unit, buying only LPs.

confirm remote included, text mentions it, no photo

..........................................

It's a SALAD, not just a DAC,

it's how many DAC's? Over-Sampling; Re-Clocking; Anti-Jitter physical and software; Filters; Shaping, OEM proprietary tricks, .....

I have an Esoteric UX-3 I purchased new in 2012, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

CD/SACD players?  

Just FYI, Esoteric has a new generation of players out.  The K-01XD and K-03XD have been upgraded to SE designation.  I don't know anything about how the SE players sound or if the K-05XD and K-07XD players will also be upgraded, but it may cause more XD and earlier generation players to be sold and may lower the price on earlier generations.  I can't say any of that will happen for sure, I just thought I'd let you know about the new upgrade.

Here is a quote from the Esoteric website referring to the K-01XD SE:

"Finally, the SE version of the digital player models is now available with new discrete clock technology and improved analog circuitry in the DAC. We are proud of our brand and always strive for the best sound. The SE models we are releasing this time reflect every conceivable technological accumulation from the time the original model was launched to the present. Enjoy the enhanced presence, dynamics, and beautifully organic and musical textures of the new SE models."

In this day and age I would always look at a CD player as a DAC with a transport and assess it on the sound quality of the DAC. Then inevitably when you plug in a streamer you will get the sound quality out of it equivalent to playing CDs or SACDs.

Good suggestions and I appreciate the comments.  Not to derail, but if I knew that I could get parts, the Sony 5400 would be my pick.

Esoteric has a new generation of players out. The K-01XD and K-03XD have been upgraded to SE designation. I don’t know anything about how the SE players sound or if the K-05XD and K-07XD players will also be upgraded,

@tomcy6 The K-05XD debuted 3 years later than the 01/03XD, and the 05XD already has the new discrete clock, so no SE-upgrade for the 05XD yet. The 07-series is discontinued.

Esoteric players are superb and have gotten better with every generation. They deliver natural, unforced sound, and are extremely reliable. The are also one of the few companies who TEAC/Esoteric, build their own mechanisms. There are also changes in the analogue circuitry in the SE upgrade.

My only caution regarding Esoteric may no longer be relevant (read on), but here it is:

I bought my multi-format player (the DV-50s) used, and had it shipped to me. It weighs 46 lbs., and the Esoteric shipping carton barely survived the trip. It is made of not-very-sturdy or thick cardboard, and was almost falling apart by the time it reached me (from the U.S.A. east coast to the west). Even worse were the molded inner styrofoam blocks that the player was ensconced in. The foam is of the stiff/brittle variety (not the softer sponge-like stuff), and had broken into pieces inside the carton. In spite of all that, the player survived and functions perfectly.

I said the above may no longer be relevant, as Esoteric may have improved their packaging (I believe such is the case). Great digital players (good enough for me, at any rate)!

Hands sown the old Cary I believe 306 model  SS not tube OK sounding until you get it modified and then look out - WOW better than most separate DACs, etc.  I will blow your mind.

Happy Listening.

Esoteric makes great sounding players.  My concern would be servicing.  There were a few threads about poor US service approximately a year or 2 ago.  Perhaps there were some pandemic issues that have been resolved, but especially as you identified service as a priority in your OP, I would want to have that sorted out before you buy.

  Personally I use an Oppo 105 as a transport into a Bryston DAC.  With SACD I output the Oppo DSD over HDMI into the Bryston 

Playback Designs MPS-8. Can't be beat. 

Please correct me if I’m wrong-  no more Oppo, no more Sony, etc as to getting a more or less cheap transport and using a nice D/A converter?

Esoteric's parent company Teac has been making some of the best CD drives on the planet for decades. They used to sell to OEM's but now keep all their drives to them selves in Teac/Esoteric's CD players etc. great players if not some of the best on the market right now. There simply is not that many CD drives (OEM) being made anymore so almost everyone is using the same few drives in their players, regardless of manufacture. Esoteric uses their own (Teac) drives and have been for decades.

That said I have no idea what the digital side of the house sounds like been a couple decades since I owned one.  maybe consider one of their CD/SACD transports and an outboard DAC. 

OP, take a look at Marantz. The SACD30n sounds amazing, has excellent DACs and a butt-load of options. $3,500 or so.

if you can find a Denon DCD-A110, it’s amazing as well.

As a fan of BluRay audio discs I'm perplexed as to why that isn't an automatic feature of the Esoteric line-up, or every high-end disc player.

I have only a stereo so the ATMOS and 5.1 audio options on the discs aren't of interest  to me.

My (discontinued) oppo UDP 205, Modwright version, is something to be experienced.

I have the McIntosh MCD12000.  Love it.  Check w/Reference Analog, they have a slightly used one for under 9k.  It has a built in DAC as well. 

@gthirteen

Several Oppo successors have emerged over the last couple of years, but despite sounding promising on paper, they haven’t had much of a profile in the stereo-audiophile press. They’re more often reviewed in home-theater magazines.

Most promising is Magnetar’s UDP800 universal player, which received a rave review in the current (June-July 2024) issue of Sound & Vision. It boasts an Oppo-like interface & form factor, excellent build quality, similar CD/DVD/BD/SACD/whatever disc compatibility, & 2024-class format support (including 4K UHD video). Downside is no phone app & a lack of multi-channel analog outputs. But, as you suggest, the latter may not be a dealbreaker in this age of HDMI & reasonably priced external DACs.

And the pricing is pretty reasonable, similar to that of the higher-end Oppo models back in the day. When one of my Oppos finally dies, this may be the first replacement option I consider.

I highly recommend a used Cary CD 306 SACD player (professional version) if you can find a used one which is rare today. This is an older and statement flagship CD/SACD player from Cary Audio circa 2008 thru 2015/2016. It did retail for $8k when it was first released in 2007/2008 and was in the same price range as other high end units from Esotetic, EMM Labs, DCS from the same era. This is a professional version or the upgraded version of the highly acclaimed CD 306 SACD player back then. Sonically it’s a highly musical sounding player with its natural organic analog like sound. I AB compared this player to a new current model Marantz Reference SA-10 CD/SACD player (current retail $7500 new) and this Cary is better sounding in all areas than the SA-10. No contest. 

This player was superbly built and was built like a tank weighing in at around 45 to 50 pounds. It can also be used as a standalone DAC it has digital inputs : AES EBU digital, coax digital RCA & optical digital. This unit runs warm though - I mean temperature wise since the analog output stage runs in class A design. It is a class A design player and a fully balanced design internally. It’s equipped with 4 separate transformers power supplies with oversized large numbers of power supply capacitors reserve and windings. Got separate power supplies each feeding power to disc drive mechanism (disc transport), DAC, analog output stage and control circuitry. It has 8 DAC chips : 4 is for DSD or SACD playbacks and the other 4 is for PCM (CD or hi res PCM when used as a DAC) playbacks. It’s configured as 4 DAC chips per channel for the total of 8 for both channels.

Again this unit runs very warm cause it is a class A design circuitry - its output stage runs in class A, not some cheap op amps. Make sure that you leave a lot of space around. Cary Audio is still supporting this model, so if you need a new laser assembly for the disc drive you can send it in to Cary for a new laser assembly or for any issues you may have. I sent mine in to Cary last year to get a new laser.

The Oppo and Magnestar players are inexpensive players.  They are not in the same league as the Esoteric players.  Teac now makes a great player with the Esoteric VRDS  transport for around $3500.00. The only thing I don’t like about it are the rack handles.  

good point about repairs, I bought a belt kit and

this being available helped me decide

Complete xa5400es Laser Assembly

Knowing you could buy another used one if it breaks, still hard to beat it's sound, and a few around $1k each add up to far less than your budget. 

I bought a spare remote control when 1 popped up with low price.

@stereo5 

+1 correct, Oppo and Magnestar are not in the same league.

Esoteric  SACD and CD players our very good one box units. Even if you find a better DAC you can still use the Esoteric player as a transport. To get a better DAC you will have to spend some money. Not that Esoteric is cheap.

Please correct me if I’m wrong- no more Oppo, no more Sony, etc as to getting a more or less cheap transport and using a nice D/A converter?

That is what I do. I get DSD and PCM out of my Oppo ($200) and into my DACs. I have tested with Benchmark DAC3B and the Schitt Yggi+ OG and LIM.

Amazon.com: GeerFab Audio - D.BOB Digital Breakout Box : Electronics

They sell this unit at very high-end audio shops like Upscale Audio.in LA.

I wrote about this in other threads.

Regarding Esoteric's packaging, current models are shipped double boxed in extremely strong cardboard boxes. However, they are heavy machines and ultimately, if shippers want to destroy something, they will.

Luxman makes outstanding SACD players such as the D-10x and D-07x.

What about Accuphase - they make several models that are comparable to Luxman's offerings.  Though Luxman and Accuphase compete at similar price points in the Japanese market, sadly Accuphase is overpriced in the US market compared to Luxman.

That said, how do Accuphase SACD players compare to Luxman?

Regarding Esoteric's packaging, current models are shipped double boxed in extremely strong cardboard boxes. However, they are heavy machines and ultimately, if shippers want to destroy something, they will.
 

Yes, my K-05XD arrived on a pallet in a triple wall cardboard box.

personally, i'd get a separate transport + dac (which will be upgradeable) before dropping $10k on a cdp, but it's your dough. if you do want a single box, the denon dcd a110 is a helluva good sounding piece. i also saw the yamaha s3000 for less than half price at accessories4less, but i haven't heard it.

Please take a look at the Bricasti Design M19 CD/SACD transport. Its MSRP is exactly $10,000. Made in the US, the M19 competes well against the Esoteric transports. I should mention that transports are NOT players; they do not have internal DACs. 

There is a new Luxman CD player at Sound By Singer in the 3K price range.  It is 50% off retail and brand new.  The store is in its final month of closing due to the owner passing away. All sales are final. 

My Esoteric UX3 came in 3 boxes which made the 55 pound SACD player  80 pounds. 

Budget is $10k.

See if some TAD dealer will come down a bit in price and give you a TAD d1000tx for 10k. It can also be used as a standalone end-game dac with streaming gear, i.e. try and hit additional birds with one stone.

Esoteric and Luxman units around that price are also pretty good.

Luxman D-O3X CD Player - NEW MARKDOWN - SALE PRICE IS $2100 (50% OFF M – Sound by Singer Sale 2024   for OP

I have both a Sony XA 5400ES with the Modwright upgrades and a off the shelf used Denon 2910.....and through my audio chain (Bel Canto > ML Ethos) cannot tell much of a difference with SACD's...., the Sony is much better with low compression redbook CD's.

Both esoteric and marantz are excellent, But if you need service you might not get it. Esoteric use Sal from California. Marantz is terrible on service after warranty, my SA 10 laser gave up and no help. I agree OP buy player with good tech service.

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I have a Luxman D-05u from the previous generation. Amazing player, sound and build. Balanced out, great internal DAC. Uses Luxman's proprietary transport, one of the best available.  Plays SACD's/hybrids as well as CD's. The Luxman D-03x listed above is a CD only player.

Not to forget the Marantz SA-10 SACD is an upsampling player and DAC that can be used via coax.  The circuitry is unique and does not use an off the shelf chip.  The circuitry is so unique it is hard to compare but a did a very deep internet dive and thought it was the closest thing to the PS Audio approach which at the time had just been discontinued.  The SA-10 is kind of like an alternative to a FPGA DAC without the resistor approach or the ability to program and I only say that because it does not use a chip. Neither Absolute Sound nor Stereophile reviewed the SA-10 nor did any of the world's major publications that I could find.  I got mine open box for a good price a few years ago after looking at what was available for not crazy money.  One of the attractions was that if I got into streaming I could use the DAC without buying one, so I got the ifi Zen Stream and it sounds great; not SACD quality when I compare the same music, but close.  I have not been able to compare it to a different DAC and I haven't read about anyone else doing that either.  I had a Sony XA-5400ES before the SA-10 but never compared them.  Now, with something like the Eversolo A8 I am considering I could hook my amp up to two balanced or unbalanced sources and to coax and route the streamer and SACD's in various ways to compare the Eversolo A8 chip DAC to the Marantz approach as well as compare the streamers.  That might tell me how good the Marantz approach is to a decent AKM chip DAC without breaking the bank.

Like restaurants, I like a great cheap eats place that's BYOB and the same with higher priced offerings, where the food and presentation are more refined, I like to find that really special (at least to me) audio component that is both reasonable, dirt cheap if I'm lucky and those products that at this stage of my life I simply want.  I have three very different CD, CD/SACD players as I write this, one  I paid $80.00 for recently and am enjoying quite a bit.  It's an unmodified version of the first CD player I owned and was a modified from a long defunct company, "The Mod Squad" at Music by the Sea, a Steve McCormak and partner business.  The CD player was stored away well for decades and looks and operates like the day it was built in 1986.  I just never seen one in this condition and working. In a lot of ways, I enjoy it almost as much as anything I have owned.  Like when I found an unopened complete Wagner Ring of the Solti/Vienna 58-65 recordings.  I mean, what's the odds?

   I'll say this though about the Esoteric Audio machines;  They're simply in a different league.  They sound like a master tape.  And every step up in the line I can hear the differences. So if I had the "scratch" for their top tier stuff, if you ask me if I think it's worth it, I would say yes.  I also think the Spectral SDR-4000 whatever iteration it's at now is an incredible machine. I don't know if SACD is necessary with these top tier devices, recently compared Dire Straits "On Every Street"(a great disc in every way) from a CD I paid four bucks for to the Mofi recent SACD issue, and I prefer the CD more.  And I'm finding I like many standard issue CDs more or the differences are not enough to spring for the SACD counterparts.  Also an acquaintance who is much more audiophile than I am just took delivery on a Ypsilon CDT-100 CD player that are built to order (eight months).  I've heard great things about this machine and can't wait to hear it. 

Marantz and Esoteric players aren’t in the same league. Marantz is great at their asking price or is great for the money and most of Marantz CD/SACD players can be had for $3k and under with the exception of their Reference series SA-10 player.

Esoteric players are in completely different league and completely different price points. Esoteric’s entry level CD/SACD player one box machine starts at least around $10k ++ or more. Their flagship models are well into six digit figure $$ such as the Esotetic Grandioso stacks : CD/SACD transport, master clock, mono DACs.

So no comparison between Marantz and Esotetic. Esoteric units are comparable to those offerings from DCS, MSB, EMM Labs, Ypsilon and other ultra high end brands. Even Luxman and Accuphase players are way superior compared to those of Marantz players. They are also not in the same leagues. Higher end Luxman and Accuphase models are comparable to Esoteric, EMM Labs, Bricasti, DCS.

Also highly consider the latest PS Audio DirectStream Mkii DAC (new model) and its CD/SACD transport combo. They are phenomenal. PS Audio also has the Airlens, which is a streamer or sort of network bridge that is meant to be connected to Roon to stream Tidal and Qobuz because the Airlens itself doesn’t have built-in streaming apps. You can also connect the Airlens to their DirectStream Mkii DAC for streaming. They are all awesome sounding combos.

Have been using Esoteric for years! I’ve had many different SAAC players. Great sound!, built like a tank and repair service is available if needed. 

A CD is a spinner and a laser so what does a 12k Esoteric do that a $1,200 Marantz doesn't  

I got a Luxman D-07x a few months ago, and it's a fantastic player and DAC.  Luxman is using a new DAC chip for that model as well as the flagship D-10x.  Couldn't be happier with it.

bthartman

Very nice- D-07x player. What other gear is in your system?

I own a sweet D-03x and can only imagine the presentation and sound quality of 

D-07x, D-10x Reference players.

Happy Listening!

Rbyington711

"A CD is a spinner and a laser so what does a 12k Esoteric do that a $1,200 Marantz doesn't."

I own Esoteric's P-05/D-05 set up as well as a P-0s.  I also have a Theta Jade.  The Theta is really good, but at its' best, maybe 85% of the Esoterics.

So, if you have to ask, you'll never know.