Since the first debut of the K-01 and K-03 Super Audio CD Players, Esoteric’s integrated digital players have captivated listeners with their unrivaled playback of musical sources. They have also gone on to win numerous awards as they have come to be regarded as the gold standard of digital players around the world. This new “XD” edition boasts even more advanced features, combining two innovative technologies originally developed for Esoteric’s flagship Grandioso K-1X model: VRDS-ATLAS, the superlative Super Audio CD transport mechanism, and Master Sound Discrete DAC, designed completely in-house by ESOTERIC to provide even more enhanced playback from digital musical sources.
The K-01XD’s new ATLAS 01 disk transport features a 20mm-thick SS400 steel bridge that is identical to that used in our high-end Grandioso models. The mechanism boasts ultra-high rigidity and a weighty design to damp out any vibration that could affect sound quality. The transport’s duralumin turntable also has a well-earned reputation for excellent sound quality, and its solid steel bridge is larger than that for the VRDS-NEO, using a one-point spindle bearing design that minimizes friction and rotational noise through its point-contact thrust bearing, which utilizes the same steel ball featured in the high-end models.
The key to the powerful and deeply luxurious sound quality of the K series has always been their high-performance power supplies. This new XD edition features a significantly enhanced power supply design that delivers even richer, more lifelike sound. The K-01XD is equipped with a total of four high-capacity toroidal power transformers that provide more than ample power by dedicating separate transformers to the D/A converter’s Left and Right channels, the transport mechanism, and the digital circuitry.
