Esoteric X-01 Limited or new D-03/P-03


I’m torn between a new X-01 Limited or the new D-03/P-03 combo. If I went with the D-03/P-03 combo, I would start off with the D-03 and add the P-03 later on. The X-01 uses the tried and true Burr Brown 1704 Dacs and converts DSD to 88.2 kHz PCM. The D-03 on the other hand uses Analog Devices AD1955 Dacs and can do the following: DSD>DSD, PCM>DSD, and PCM>PCM (upsampled) and not sure about DSD>PCM. The P-03 utilizes the latest VRDS-Neo transport although there are probably not many differences to the one used in the X-01 Limited.

Even though the X-01 was just updated to “Limited” status, it is still an older based product, whereas the D-03/P-03 was just released to the U.S. market at CES 2006 where it received some very positive press.

Any thoughts, comments, or more information are welcome.
Thank you.
cdw57
I read with interest Dittersdorf's comment about the noisy transports that he's encounted in the P01 and P03. A while back I purchased a UX-1 with a noisy transport and I even enquired in this forum about the noise. I, too, could hear it from 10 feet away, as Dittersdorf mentioned. Other X-01 and UX-1 owners reported that their units did not emit any noise. I swapped the UX-1 for a UX-1 Ltd and there is, indeed, no audible noise from the transport. Could this just be a series of bad transport mechanisms?
Dittersdorf, you are correct. Some Esoteric transport assemblies seem to be mechanically quite noisy. While the annoying crunckling&chuggering does not affect the sound, TEAC America has been more than forthcoming to address the issue with customers that have complained of noisy units. Before you give up your P03/D03 combo, you may want to contact TEAC in Germany, or elsewhere in the EU, to determine if the problem can be addressed, and perhaps the transport subassembly can be swapped with a quiet one, as it seems to be frequently done in the US.
GLAI, yes the upgrade to Limited is available in at least some geographies, like the US. Call TEAC America for details.
Glai,
You can schedule an upgrade for your X-01 by calling Teac in California at 323-727-7617. They will guide you through the procedure.
Have fun.