Digital Music Reproduction Reaches a New Pinnacle: Japanese-Made Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD Player and DAC Features ATLAS 01 Transport, Four Toroidal Transformers, Master Sound Discrete Clock, Much More

From its appearance alone — and yes, its five-figure price, too — you can pretty much tell the Esoteric K-01XD SE SACD player/DAC represents the pinnacle of disc playback and digital music reproduction. Several bleeding-edge features designed for Esoteric’s flagship Grandioso line – specifically, the VRDS-ATLAS 01 transport mechanism, Master Sound Discrete DAC, and Master Sound Discrete Clock – combined with one of the most impressive power supply sections to ever grace an audio component and an upgraded DAC board with an IDM-01 (Integrated Discrete-Amplifier Module) elevate this heavyweight Japanese-made machine to superlative status in terms of performance, sonics, technology, flexibility, and build.  

So, just how much better will your discs sound? Truthfully, the sky-high potential is limited only by the remainder of your system. The incredible dynamic range and resolution achieved by the innovations deliver everything from symphonic crescendos with an expansive spectrum of tones to pop favorites with breathtaking depth and vivid realism. Devised to make the impossible reality, K-01XD SE takes digital to a nearly unimaginable plane – a promise that extends to USB ports that support 22.5MHz DSD and 32-bit/384kHz PCM, MQA decoding, and the ability to convert PCM to DSD. 

Complete with a stunningly overbuilt 20mm turntable bridge, the VRDS-ATLAS 01 transport mechanism in K-01XD SE epitomizes the company's resolute focus on mechanical grounding in order to more effectively reduce vibration. Adopting a wide, low-profile design for the entire transport mechanism helps achieve a lower center of gravity, while the relocation of the turntable motor to below the turntable from its previous position above the bridge dramatically shortens the route for grounding vibration and reducing mechanical noise. Tray hollowing is further minimized for increased rigidity, and special stoppers made from vibration-absorbing elastomer cancel out resonance when the tray is in its closed position. What's more, the entire mechanism resides centrally within the chassis and remains fixed to a 5mm-thick steel bottom plate and supported by three proprietary pinpoint feet. The chassis' internal structure boasts a double-deck design, with the audio boards on the upper level and power supply circuits and transformers on the lower level to minimize magnetic flux leakage and vibration.

Playing with uncanny energy and realism that make you feel as if you're witnessing a live music event, and further enhanced with an upgraded board, the Master Sound Discrete DAC consists of 32 elements per channel. Each DAC element includes clock drivers, logic circuits, capacitors, resistors, and other component parts, while each group of 32 elements remains isolated from the main parts. In keeping with premium design philosophy, the DACs are packed with a luxurious selection of state-of-the-art components to ensure pure, effortless output. Relatedly, K-01XD SE’s independently developed Delta-Sigma modulator supports 64-bit/512Fs and 22.5MHz DSD and 768kHz PCM. The FPGA's dedicated digital processing algorithm is exclusively developed exclusively for the Master Sound Discrete DAC and fully optimized for outstanding playback of both DSD and PCM.

Amazingly, the transport and DAC serve as just two parts of the K-01XD SE story. Taking a back seat to nothing, its world-beating power supply – with no fewer than four high-capacity toroidal transformers with independent power supplies for the digital and analog circuitry (including two for the left and right DACs) – accompanies low-feedback DC power regulators that minimize feedback in a discrete configuration that eliminates integrated circuits by way of technology originally developed for the Grandioso Series. Once you wrap your head around that, know that a total of 71 EDLC super capacitors (1,850,000uF) also reside in K-01XD SE. Equally impressive, the Master Sound Discrete Clock claims hyper-low phase noise and phenomenal center precision. 

As you might expect, K-01XD SE boasts stellar connectivity. In addition to XLR and RCA line connections, the 68.5-pound unit includes Esoteric's ES-LINK Analog method of current transmission. Taking full advantage of the HCLD buffer circuit's powerful current supply ensures K-01XD SE is less susceptible to the detrimental effects of impedance on the signal route. It also enables a more powerful signal transmission, fully driving connected compatible devices. RS 232 and trigger inputs, a semi-floating top panel, a gorgeous remote control, and three-year warranty round out a work of art you need to hear in order to believe.

Master Sound Discrete DAC
The Master Sound Discrete DAC was first introduced in the Grandioso D1X as the most innovative DAC in Esoteric’s history, and its stunningly realistic sound quality has consistently garnered rave reviews for making listeners feel as if they are actually at a live performance. Consisting of 32 elements per channel, each DAC element contains a clock driver, logic circuit, capacitor, resistor, etc., and all 32 elements are kept isolated from each other to maintain maximum processing precision. These DACs are packed with a luxurious selection of state-of-the-art components to ensure the pure, effortless output of boundless musical energy.

Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player
It is no exaggeration to say that the clock circuitry is the biggest key to high sound quality in digital music reproduction. For its flagship master clock generator, Grandioso G1X, Esoteric has perfected its own in-house manufactured OCXO clock module, the Master Sound Discrete Clock. The G1X’s unique discrete circuitry has been highly acclaimed for its superior musical expressiveness, creating a buzz in the world of high-end audio that has traditionally been described only in terms of technical specifications. The Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player used in the new SE model applies the basic design concept of G1X's in-house manufactured OCXO module to the internal clock of the digital player models. The unique circuit design using carefully selected discrete components, such as a large crystal oscillator, achieves high sound quality that reflects Esoteric’s philosophy in every detail, which cannot be achieved with an off-the-shelf clock module. The new SE model can also be connected to the Esoteric G series external master clock generator to improve sound quality by synchronizing the internal SE clock circuitry to an even more accurate 10MHz clock.

Analog Circuitry on the DAC Board
In K-01XD SE, the discrete parts of the analog circuitry on the DAC board are refreshed for even better sound quality. The amplifier element is the original Integrated Discrete-Amplifier Module IDM-01. The materials, circuit patterns, and layout have been carefully studied by Esoteric’s engineers as if designing an amplifier with a discrete configuration, and the extremely short signal path that takes advantage of integrated circuits amplifies the vibrancy of music in a dynamic and subtle way. The IDM-01 and other analog parts, such as analog filter resistors and capacitors, have been carefully selected to achieve a more vivid live sound, improved audible dynamics, and a more organic texture.

ATLAS 01 Disc Transport
K-01XD SE’s ATLAS 01 disc transport features a 20mm SS400 steel bridge. The mechanism features ultra-high rigidity and a heavy-duty design to dampen any vibrations that could affect sound quality. The transport's duralumin platter also has a well-deserved reputation for excellent sound quality, and its solid steel bridge is larger than that of the VRDS-NEO, and it uses a single-point spindle bearing design that minimizes friction and rotational noise through its point-contact thrust bearing system, the same design as the high-end models.

Wide Design, Low Center of Gravity
As the quietest and most elegant transport in VRDS history, VRDS-ATLAS epitomizes Esoteric’s resolute focus on mechanical grounding technology to more effectively reduce vibration. The adoption of a wide, low-profile design for the entire transport mechanism helped achieve a lower center of gravity, while the relocation of the turntable motor from its previous position above the bridge to below the turntable dramatically shortened the path for grounding vibration and reduced mechanical noise. Tray cavities have also been minimized for increased rigidity, and special vibration-absorbing elastomer stoppers cancel out resonance when the tray is in the closed position.

Chassis Construction and Circuit Block Layout
The VRDS-ATLAS transport mechanism is centrally located within the chassis. It is mounted on a 5mm-thick steel base plate and supported by three proprietary Pinpoint Feet (Patent #4075477 and #3778108). Pinpoint Feet integrate a spike and saucer to provide effective mechanical grounding of vibrations. These feet are not bolted to the baseplate, but are held in place by the weight of the chassis when installed. By avoiding the stress concentration caused by screwing the Pinpoint Foot body into the large surface area of the baseplate, a more open sound is created. The internal structure of the chassis features a double-deck design, with the audio circuit boards on the upper level and the power supply circuits and transformers on the lower level to minimize magnetic flux leakage and vibration, while also shortening the power supply wiring.

Advanced QC
With a discrete DAC, where component tolerances are directly linked to arithmetic precision, advanced quality control is also required for the manufacture of electronic circuit boards. Esoteric’s in-house factory incorporates some of the world’s leading PCB manufacturing technologies, such as soldering in an oxygen-free oven located in a clean room with the same level of cleanliness as a hospital operating room. Technologies cultivated in the production of electronic circuit boards for the audio, medical, aerospace, and defense industries support the high production quality of the Master Sound Discrete DAC