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.
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
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.
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)!
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.
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,
@tomcy6The 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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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