ESOTERIC K-01XD SE

The updated K-01XD and K-03XD are the new reference stand-alone players from Esoteric, the famous Japanese brand that renews its two flagship player models.

They are called K-01XD SE and K-03XD SE, and aesthetically they are identical to the models they are replacing, with a cabinet that remains the same, impressive in aluminum and steel, immediately making the class of the products evident.

The differences lie in the new ultra-low noise Master Sound Discrete Clock technology and further improved analog circuits in the DAC. The clock circuit is probably among the major contributors to sound quality in digital music reproduction.

For the flagship Grandioso G1X product, Esoteric has perfected the fully internally developed and manufactured OCXO Master Sound Discrete Clock module, highly regarded for its superior musical expressiveness, which has created a buzz in the world of high-end audio, traditionally described only in terms of technical specifications.

The Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player used in the new SE models applies the basic design concept of the Grandioso's OCXO module.

The exclusive circuit design, using carefully selected discrete components such as a large crystal oscillator, achieves high sound quality that cannot be obtained with a traditional type of clock module.

The Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player has impressive performance with frequency accuracy strictly within ±0.5ppm. With the Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player onboard the K-01XD SE and K-03XD SE, Esoteric aimed for a sound quality devoid of any artificiality, exciting dynamics, and an organic structure that gives each note a more "musical" atmosphere. To achieve this goal, Esoteric engineers used a discrete design, trying many different circuit schematics and component combinations, spending a lot of time listening to prototypes to refine the circuits.

But that's not all, as the SE versions also adopt an even further improved version of the Master Sound Discrete DAC with processing performed by Esoteric's FPGA algorithms. This highly original new DAC platform was first introduced in the Grandioso D1X, and in the new SE models, with discrete parts of the analog circuit tweaked to achieve an even higher level of sound quality, with more vivid live sound, improved dynamics, and a more organic texture.

In selecting the discrete components for the DAC analog circuits equipped in the K-01XD SE, Esoteric adopted proprietary IDM-01 modules designed entirely in-house, including the choice of materials, circuit schematics, and layout. In the K-03XD SE model, on the other hand, the circuit, although simplified, follows the exact same philosophy.

Technical Specifications

Esoteric K-01XD SE

VRDS-ATLAS mechanism (ATLAS 01) with 20 mm bridge

DAC: Master Sound Discrete DAC ladder with FPGA, 64bit/512Fs Delta-Sigma Board

DAC: premium grade with IDM-01

Analog outputs: high-speed Esoteric-HCLD 2,000V/μs

Clock: Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player

Power supply: 4 independent toroidals with low feedback regulators

Capacity: 71 SuperCap EDLC for a total of 1,850,000μF

Esoteric K-03XD SE

VRDS-ATLAS mechanism (ATLAS 03) with 18 mm bridge

DAC: DAC ladder with FPGA

Analog outputs: high-speed Esoteric-HCLD 2,000V/μs

Clock: Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player

Power supply: 2 independent toroidals with low feedback regulators

Capacity: 26 SuperCap EDLC for a total of 650,000μF