Brisbane - excellent Esoteric dealer

[Anthony1]

Shop HiFi Connoisseur in Sunnybank Plaza outer Brisbane has a good selection of Esoteric products to audition.

Streamers - N-01XD SE (latest) & N-05XD

SACD K-03XD

Class A Power amp S-05

Master clock G-05

 

I enjoyed comparing the DAC section of the K-03XD vs N-01XD SE with and without the external clock.

What I can say is the DAC & clock within the K-03XD is superb by my measure.

 

Listening ancillaries were world class with the Innuos Statement streamer and absolutely world class Aventgarde (active) horn speakers.

 

Seriously worth a visit.

 

 

 

[brodricj]

On 22/05/2024 at 4:38 PM, Anthony1 said:

...What I can say is the DAC & clock within the K-03XD is superb by my measure.

I don't understand what you mean by this.

[Anthony1]

Expanded answer:

As there’s two external clocks in the Esoteric range I compared the less expensive G-05 clock with the sacd K-03XD’s VCXO II Clock and heard  little difference.
Also the DAC section via usb in of the  K-03XD wasn’t hugely different to the new DAC/Streamer N-01XD SE but this had few hours on it.

[brodricj]

14 minutes ago, Anthony1 said:

...As there’s two external clocks in the Esoteric range I compared the less expensive G-05 clock with the sacd K-03XD’s VCXO II Clock and heard  little difference...

That still doesn't compute I'm afraid....

[Anthony1]

Couldn’t be any clearer. PM me if you wish.

[brodricj]

Well, you put this observation out there, I'm unclear what you are talking about, perhaps others aren't clear either.

Firstly, there are three master clock generators in the Esoteric product lineup. G-05, G-01XD and G1X. I gather you are experimenting with G-05 and K-03 XD, was that when using the K-03 XD as the source (i.e. playing a CD?). You do realize when CLK> is set to SYNC you are not bypassing the K-03 XD internal clock? Which means you aren't comparing the master sound discrete clock and the VCXO2 clock.

The way you would do this is with the N-01XD SE. Compare the sound of the digital output of the K-03XD to the N-01XD SE vs the K-03XD on its own. But then you are introducing a new variable into the equation with the digital cable. Digital cable make a noticeable difference to the sound. It's still not clear to me what you did (the configuration).

[Anthony1]

Source is a streamer via USB cable.

This is the methodology:

Press Mode button to select Settings and click the players internal clock to Off (so it’s impossible to be on).

The connected External clock automatically switches in and this is clearly indicated by a blue light appearing on the K series facia with the word Clock above.

 

Quite straightforward really.

[MTL]

CLK on or off does not switch the clock on or off but rather the synchronization to an external clock is switched on and off. You are using the internal clock all the time- it’s just working on its own(sync off and clock indicator does not light up) or it’s disciplined by an external clock (sync on and clock indicator stays lit)
@brodricjis 100% correct  

[brodricj]

As I suspected, a possible configuration problem.

A few points.

It's been explained to me you don't use an external clock with the USB input (this isn't explained very well in the manual, and the block diagram for the unit does suggest otherwise). For USB input CLK> should be set to OFF and the clock light should be GREEN.

You are mistaken about the operation of MODE setting. When CLK> is set to OFF the external clock is disconnected, not the internal clock. There is no way to disconnect the internal clock, it's always ON. When you set CLK> to SYNC the 10 MHz external clock and internal clock are being synchronized together by the clock sync circuit and this signal becomes the master clock reference used by the DAC.

With CLK> set to ON: external clock + internal clock = master clock reference.

With CLK> set to OFF: internal clock = master clock reference.

So if you go back to the store try that configuration, with CLK> set to OFF. It should sound better for the USB input. One thing I'm not absolutely sure about is the CLOCK light in this particular model. I'm assuming its behavior is the same as other Esoteric models (D1X - which I own - see attached photo for correctly configured USB input, the CLOCK light is GREEN). The Esoteric N-03T is an oddity because its CLOCK light stays OFF when USB input is selected. With N-01XD SE the CLOCK light should be GREEN with USB input selected (same as D1X).

And if I might mention something else. The manual of the Esoteric N-03T explains the proper configuration for the USB interface better:

"When the output connector setting is USB, the connected D/A converter controls the clock, so there is no need to supply an external clock signal to this unit."

Finally, what clock cable was being used in the store? The quality of the clock cable makes a noticeable difference to the sound (once the system is correctly configured for using external clock).

 

[brodricj]

23 hours ago, Anthony1 said:

...Quite straightforward really.

Now I understand your point (I think).

You assessed the K-03XD as a DAC with a USB source when switching between the G-05 and the internal clock. Your conclusion that the K-03XD internal clock was superb was founded because you heard no difference between it and the G-05 which is built on a much higher pedigree clock. On the mistaken belief that the clock source was one or the other.

 

This was the cause for confusion because that is not what's going on with the CLK> setting (as explained above). I couldn't understand how you came to that conclusion, not realizing what you were actually doing.

 

The input source = USB was also an important factor we were not initially made aware of. In the Esoteric USB communication is isochronous, the K-03XD polls the source device down the USB cable which then sends a packet of data. The timing source for this is the master clock signal in the K-03XD. The quality of the clock doesn't really matter so much in doing this, it's just saying "send another data packet" and the server does just that. Which is very different to how the other sources work (CD/SACD, RCA, OPT) which just spit out data continuously based on their own clock reference. They have no knowledge of the timing reference in the DAC. When you synchronize the timing of the CD/SACD/RCA/OPT  sources with the DAC that is where the magic happens.

 

So the short story is, no need for an external clock when source = USB as it doesn't bring much (or anything) to the party. Which is exactly what you found. However, spin a CD in the K-03XD + G-05 and you will notice with CLK> = SYNC a more spacious and detailed sound is delivered on account of the G-05 + internal clock compared to CLK> = OFF.

 

Thanks for your report. It's nice to learn of a dealer actively supporting the Esoteric brand with an in-store demonstration. I love this Esoteric stuff, it's fantastic. But the price of admission is quite steep. Ultimately you get what you pay for.

[Anthony1]

Thanks Brodric for your significant contribution to the Esoteric Clock subject and what inputs benefit by an external clock and what can’t i.e. USB, as I noted without fully knowing why.

 

As you mentioned the manual could & should be clearer and include more information.

Esoteric has value added and created a range of world class clock crystals for internal and external use, so it’s worth a few extra words in the CD/SACD player range manuals on external clock 

implementation to educate new potential customers.

[brodricj]

The Esoteric manuals are quite good but I think the instructions about clocking didn't quite come across as well as they might, possibly due to the Japanese to English translation. I would re-write that part of the manual for sure. My education on Esoteric clocks came from the technical boffins at the Esoteric factory in Japan. I had an issue with clocking my D1X DAC but as it turned out it was simply on account of my misreading that part of the manual. Being connected with the factory expert had my operator error problem quickly sorted out.

 

You might not be aware that Esoteric recently announced clock upgrades for K-01XD and K-03XD to the current SE model with the master sound discrete clock. The D1X, P1X and K1X upgrades were announced in October last year but they are not available in Australia yet.

[BrisAnalog]

Aiden from HiFi Connoisseur in Sunnybank is super knowledgeable and very generous with his time 

Edited May 27, 2024 by BrisAnalog

[Steever]

Timely thread as I’m throwing around the idea of reducing my box count from 12 to about three. An upgrade at the same time while staying with the one brand is also very tempting. 
Esoteric was shortlisted and HFC was noted as a new retailer here. Never been there. Might have to pop in to try the Cool Aid. 

Edited May 28, 2024 by Steever

[brodricj]

One box. One power button. 4 cables. Simplicity is bliss.

[Steever]

4 minutes ago, brodricj said:

One box. One power button. 4 cables. Simplicity is bliss.

Sounds ideal. 
I stream, play CDs and enjoy records. A Wadia Intuition or Cyrus Lyric wouldn’t quite fill the void. 
Im hoping a streamer, a CD player and an integrated with good MC phono stage will do the job. 
 

I also enjoy FM but if I lost my Cyrus FMX in the changes, I probably wouldn’t miss it too much. 

[brodricj]

I don't see the need for a CD player any more. All my music can arrive on a single network cable and I'm happy.

[BrisAnalog]

Having just bought an SACD player, the fidelity is quite surreal, but nothing beats the convenience of the iPad, a whisky and a few hours exploring new tracks I never would have otherwise heard. 

[Anthony1]

Being this threads original poster (OP),  I’ve had the chance to listen again at HiFi Connoisseur via a top flight system on what an external Esoteric Master Clock offers, by playing a few CD/SACD’s on the fabulous Esoteric K-03XD player attached to the Esoteric G-05 external Clock. 

Note that ‘first’ time around I used the USB Input from a streamer and didn’t notice any real change with the external Master Clock fitted, and this thread flushed out why -> as the external Master Clock is simply not designed to work on the USB Input, instead the player uses it’s inbuilt advanced VCXO clock only.

 

Findings - With the Esoteric G-05 Clock attached (via standard cables), YES, there was a difference and overall I found it tonally lighter sounding with more emphasis noted on the upper midrange / tweeter frequencies, these being more dramatic with more vibes brought forward, more details from each note it seemed. 

On the flip side, I found the overall sound tone presentation to be not quite as loveable with the external master clock in circuit due to this more intense & revealing upper mid /tweeter concentration.

 

With the external G-05 clock switched OFF on the CD/SACD K-03XD player, I noted comparatively the overall sound had more body, a bit deeper bass, and importantly an easier balanced presentation top to bottom.

 

So, an interesting experience with these two specific components. Ultimately, different setups, cables and room treatments could tame the upper frequency concentration and make the benefits appealing.