Moving from the Esoteric P-05/ D-05 to the K-03

Do you know what internal changes they made? When I asked Esoteric about the X-Version I got the info I wrote above. That was also on their website announcing the X-Version.

I believe there is a difference between X models purchased new and upgrades of existing units to X status. The upgrades don't get the new DAC, etc.

......some have said that the K-03x with the newer Dac's is almost and not by much- just as good sonically as the discontinued K-01

Just to be clear, 68Pete did a nice job of summarizing (above) the improvements specific to buying a new K-03X vs K-03.

For those looking to upgrade their existing K-03 to "X" it only includes the new USB interface to allow for playback of DSD in native format. The upgrade in the US costs $1,500 which includes shipping back to owner after upgrade is complete.

If you go to the Esoteric USA website there is ample information for both the K-03 upgrade and K-03X. The upgrades are being completed at a facility in CA.

Here is the link for upgrade path:http://www.esoteric-usa.com/USB-upgrade.php

Correct...Esoteric/Onkyo told me the same thing; the X upgrade for the K03 and K01 allows for only the new board and DSD playback in native format. Buying a new K03X or K01X gets you many other improvements beyond the upgraded board. From the Esoteric Japan website;

"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."

Much more detail on the US Website;

http://www.esoteric-usa.com/Products/audio-players/X-series.php