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The choice of my new CD player

I’m using a Esoteric K-03SE CD player more than 5 years, currently I’m interest to get a new CDP, my target are:

Esoteric K-03X
Audio Research CD-9
Metronome CD-8 Signature

I love my Esoteric very much, it built like a tank, work very stable and reliable, very analytical and transparency sound. I heard the latest K-03X even sounds much better (Surely K-01X is better but out of my budget). However, I’m interest to try something new, and I heard ARC CD-9 and Metronome CD-8 also sounds very nice. Does anybody compare these CDP? And what is your choice?

PS: In the future, I’m interest to get an external DAC which has complete different sound with my CDP. At the beginning I won’t use it for CAS, what I will do is to use my CDP’s transport and this external DAC to produce different sound, in this case I can have two different choice of sound. So my primary idea is K-03X because the transport system are extremely good.
mm622
denon1
331 posts
 

in_store, can you please give more details on comparing the Esoteric k-03x with PS audio direct stream what did you like better, what is missing?. Did you end-up buying PS combo? Currently I have esoteric k-05x and would like to upgrade to better sounding cdp or cd transport ad DAC. Your comment s are appreciated.

Thank you.

in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
Denon , I do have the Direct Stream Memory Player and Direct Stream Dac senior. Well I never heard sacd sound so good , I mean really good and standard CDs , well the known out standing recordings are fantastic. So much so I finally sold off my analog front end and most of my vinyl which was hard to do at first but I realized there were many hundreds of Lps I haven’t listened to in decades .

Its a new chapter for me and I don’t mis the fuss and care I put into vinyl playback,
 PS Audio have a brilliant product line with their memory player and top dac in this price category and as good as the Esoteric KO3X is PS Audio do it better . You really need to listen to this combo .
jazzbird's avatar
jazzbird
24 posts
 
I just noticed that there is used P S Audio Direct Stream DAC available for $3099 at Upscale Audio in California.  I have no contact with this company, but I wanted to tell people on Audiogon about this good deal !   
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