Sorry it is taking me so long. Lately I am quite loaded with work, which I guess is not a bad thing, and I also tend to do a lot of listening whenever I have some time. I will post some notes now. There is a lot more to say and I will try to do it as I listen more. However if there is a particular thing you may want to know just ask and I will answer best I can
I already gave some feedback on purely the looks of the units and the options of the menu. Not much differences in the first case. Just smaller things. Your casual observer would not probably notice the difference between 03s and 02s. Both are first class and quality all over. Slightly bigger screen on the DAC, the blue light on top of the transport and thats basically it. ON the menus options and set up, lots more of alternatives. Some nice ones. Also more options when it comes to listening modes. Most of my listening has been done with no conversion at all nor digital filter, or with the new ESL3. The later so far seems very good, but need to try others.
Now into pure listening, the first thing I noticed when I got the new units was how detailed they were. Right out of the box, almost without the need even to warm up
And that is probably the single aspect that is most significant when you upgrade to the P02 D02 (from the P03 D03, or any other digital that I have heard for that matter). Not that you will not notice improvements in other areas of reproduction. You will. But the level of detail these things can deliver is just incredible. To define it as a next step or similar, is probably just falling short of it
But, as said, this is not the only improvement as I have discovered with time and as hours of listening have been accumulated. I guess in this case, all the audiophile old topics apply. I will not go through them, or not through all of them at least in this post. Just the most relevant for now.
When I say as detailed in sound to a level that really impressed me, I dont mean that you could actually hear new little things in old familiar recordings
which you could. That is to expect to some degree. What I mean, and lacking better words, is how deep it goes into the main sounds of such recordings. Those that were there already. These units puts them right in front of you in I way I have never heard before. With all their texture, pretended expression and different intensity. Not only like the real thing. It is in this sense, like the real thing performed first row for you. If you want to focus per instance on a single performer out of a recording of several or many, you can actually get so much into what he is doing, how he is doing it, is almost as if you could see it. Is incredible how articulated, how much detail of his playing is offered. But also the intensity, even the feeling, the little variations or changes he does while performing, all unnoticed before...
Take per instance a string instrument in a chamber performance. It does sound so much like the real thing. A violin, viola, cello... In quartets or quintets, it is impressive how you can follow first string from second, from viola. The cello, or the double bass as the case may be, not only goes deeper than in other digitals Ive heard. It does so in a crystal clear way. Articulated, defined but also with lots of body and punch when needed. Like the real thing, again
. Not only that. You can almost see the stage in all its dimension and there, hear actually different intensity and tonality of the performers all the time, all at once. Really is hard to explain for me. In my natural tongue would be. Let alone English.
With big symphonic orchestras it is no less impressive to hear. In space and, once more in texture, tonality. As a whole it sounds fantastic. Right dimension, space, dynamics
It is just so coherent as a whole as well. And indeed very exciting.
I had never experienced before, aside than in real live, the difference between different performers or group of performers in such an extension. If you focus your attention on any of them individually playing, you can actually hear, almost see, what the particular performer is doing. Again inner detail is the word. As good as the 03s were in this regard, they are not even close to such fine level of detail and incredible amount of information transmitted. And those are big words, but it is what I hear and no matter how I say it, you have to hear it to know what Im trying to describe.
The units are not forgiving. If the recording is bad, they will let you know right away. But even in those cases I do find a pleasure listening to good performances in not so good recordings. See, they are also very musical.
Which is probably the greatest achievement. Detail is the biggest improvement and most impressive. Combining it, with a musical, exciting, powerful lifelike presentation, is the hardest to achieve. ONe without all the detail would end up being boring or even tiring. But not the case... and so the mix what finally makes them different to any other ting i've heard before.
Soundstage is just as it should. Also an improvement. Well defined, and as deep and wide as the performance requires. You do not get a sting quartet the size of the Albert Hall. You get it the size it is. Likewise, listening to a symphony gives you the widest and deepest soundstage I have yet to hear from any other digital system.
Another special mention goes to bass, mid and low. It is another big gain. It goes deeper all right, but above all in a much (yes I know the 03s are great) more articulated and defined way.
I could go on and on. But for now I will have to stop. All I have said is quite something when I say it comparing to, nothing less, than the 03s, which for me were and still are one of the finest digital I have ever heard out there.
Frankly speaking I was not expecting this at all. I was expecting a gain, yes, but not of this kind. I do firmly think they are probably the best out there right now, in absolute terms. They are for sure, and not by a small margin, the best to anything I have listened before, including top Esoteric, but also others like top of the range dCS, Linn, ARC and others.
I will write more in a few days as I do more listening, but in the meantime, feel free to ask anything you may want to know.
Disclaimer:
Some of you know already, but for those who don't I have no interest, direct or indirect, economic or otherwise, relationship or similar, to the audio industry. Just an aficionado that loves music and the hobby. Also, I would urge you, if you consider buying such an expensive set, to listen and try at home in your system, and than decide by yourself. What I've written is a candid, honest, non interested feedback of what I hear. But as always it could to some, small or large extend, be conditional to specific system synergies, or personal perception/preferences.
HOpe this helps and that it proves useful. Not many (none actually that I've seen) info out there of this units (why?).
Best
Eelii
