Esoteric K-01X world’s leading all-in-one digital player

As perfect a player the world has ever known - Huge sacrifice ....

Just 23 hours play time barely broken in

The
USB input supports asynchronous transmission and rates up to 2.8/5.6
MHz DSD and 384 kHz/32-bit PCM. Esoteric’s original PC driver software
achieves outstanding playback of even studio-master-quality source
files. DoP and ASIO 2.1 are also supported.

VRDS-NEO “VMK-3.5-20S” transport mechanism

 The culmination
of Esoteric’s most advanced mechatronics know-how, the VRDS system
radically improves the reading precision of Super Audio CD/CD discs by
mechanically correcting for surface run-out. The K-01X’s VRDS -NEO
VMK-3.5-20S drive also features two sets of specially selected ball
bearings supporting a duralumin turntable constructed to micron-level
accuracy, and a 20mm-thick steel turntable bridge. The combined
mechanical structure weighs an impressive 5.2kg (12kg including the
rigid base).

The drive employs proven Esoteric technologies, including a
high-flux-density magnet-driven coreless three-phase brushless spindle
motor, a thread feed control derived from the thinking behind the P-0,
and a shaft-sliding pickup which consistently illuminates the disk with a
precisely perpendicular beam of laser light. Additionally, the disc
tray features a silent shutter mechanism* that further ensures the
ultimate in operating precision.
* This mechanism closes the shutter when the tray is
retracted, then mechanically locks it into place in the front panel to
ensure a more secure environment that minimizes the effects of
extraneous noise and airborne contaminants, etc. on sound quality.

VS-DD* Spindle Servo Driver and Proprietary Toroidal Power Supply.

 At the heart of the VRDS-NEO drive is a spindle driven by
Esoteric’s proprietary VS-DD servo driver circuit. This uses a discrete
three-channel amplifier to optimize the motor drive current, minimize
vibration and provide ultra-smooth spindle operation and high-accuracy
servo control. The K-01X is also equipped with a proprietary toroidal
power supply that greatly enhances noise isolation.
* VS-DD = VRDS Spindle Discrete Driver

Grandioso D1 Lineage Dual Mono D/A Converters with Separate Left and Right Channel Power Supplies.

 The D/A converter
uses the same design philosophy as our Grandioso D1. Incorporating
Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation’ s 32-bit AK4495S DAC IC and MUSES
02 operational amplifier,* this exceptional DAC uses 8
parallel/differential circuits with 16 outputs driving each channel to
achieve outstanding linearity and low distortion.

Like the Grandioso D1, this D/A converter also features
fully independent power transformers and power supply circuits for each
channel to create a true dual mono configuration. The generous power
supply capacity and total channel separation enabled by this arrangement
provides excellent dynamics, with realistic stereo imaging and
exceptional resolution of fine detail.

X is the unknown.

“X” in a model name symbolizes the ultimate advancements of technology,
craftsmanship and creative commitment.

The K-01 and K-03 have won high acclaim as leaders of Esoteric’s line of all-in-one Super Audio CD players,
and
their extraordinary ability to reproduce the essential qualities of a
musical performance continues to enthrall listeners to this day.

Now, a new “X” inherits that solid pedigree and further refines these
qualities in the new K-01X and K-03X Super Audio CD players.
Concentrated beauty in an all-in-one form is a hallmark of Esoteric’s flagship Grandioso models.
The philosophy and technologies found in these high-end digital players reveal a new dimension of sound appreciation
unlike anything you have ever experienced before.

The Overview






Four years after the release of the K-01—the world’s leading
all-in-one digital player—the new K-01X debuts as a more compact version
of Esoteric’s flagship Grandioso model. Utilizing the same type of
highly rigid chassis construction as the Grandioso and a similar
four-transformer power supply, it integrates the Grandioso P1’s
high-precision VRDS-NEO “VMK-3.5-20S” turntable with two independent
monaural DAC units derived from the Grandioso D1 design, each configured
with a parallel array of 8 individual converters, which are summed to
optimize linearity and minimize noise.

Electronic circuitry has also been further improved with the latest
technologies, including a new AK4495S DAC IC, an advanced 35-bit D/A
processing algorithm, an HCLD buffer amp, a DSD-compatible USB
interface, and a large, low phase noise clock, all ensuring the K-01X
achieves the absolute pinnacle of sound quality.