New Esoteric P02 D02

while it depends on individual taste, but once people compare D-02 with D-01, you will find D-01 is more relax, comfortable, not pushy, than D-02. (D-01 VUK is even better.)

Might be the technical spec of D-02 is better, but unfortunately audio is not only "made" by engineering, otherwise people do not need to "trust your ears".

Nowadays second hand price of P-01/D-01 is the same as new P-02/D-02, we have one more option.

I have A/B compared D-01 and D-02. Similar comments given by my better-half, and other friends who like music/concerts (but do not know audio) in various occasions.

Hi Operalover, how many hours of break-in did D-02 have... and what upsampling / filtering settings had been applied on the two units? G.

comparison done after 500 hours break-in D-02.

tried several upsampling/filtering.

in fact, any upsmapling/filtering setting did not change the fundamental character. (upsampling/filtering only adjusted to the taste preference, not the fundamental character)For example, the exaggerate soundstage, and pushy character.

My friends are amateur concert musicians and conductors. My better-half pointed out the locations of instruments were too far apart compared with those in real concerts.

And more importantly, we were feeling tired after an hour or so of listening. (For example, during the day, we turned on the tuner all the time. We could do so using D-01. But for D-02, we turned it off after an hour or so.)

Hi Operalover, at 500 hours D-02 was unlikely to be broken in.... In addition to the basic 500 hours breakin, D-02 likely requires another 500 hours on each targeted filter+upsampling value. Before the machine has settled completely, D-02 is likely to exhibit some residual aggression. On the other hand, an exhuberant stage/imaging may exists by design.

A D-01 unit would have had time to settle down for quite a spell... D-02 at 500 hours is a mere youngling DAC, with all the emotional problems of a tempestuous adolescence.

On the other hand, I freely admit that I am extrapolating from my experience with single box X-01 and K-01, which is a somewhat risky logical proposition... Pharma should comment, having had significant direct experience with most Esoteric front ends.

G.

Before I decided to give up D-02 (sold already), it continued to run day and night until around 800 hr.
Until the point I thought why I needed to spend several thousands hours just to break in D-02, with unknown result?
On the other hand, second-hand D-01 VUK is readily available with well broken-in.
So D-02 was sold, D-01 was sold, and now D-01 VUK is in home; very relax, with good details at the same time.