Esoteric UX-1: How "noisy"?

Yes, the TEAC VRDS Neo transports in the X-01, UX-1 and I presume other similarly engineered TEAC player is mechanically relatively noisy. I suspect though, that if you can hear the motor spinning while you play music, your player may be resting on a resonating surface, such as a relatively thin shelf on top of a cavity. Try applying dampening materials under the player or under the shelf, or add an isolation platform, or place the player on the lowest shelf, closest to the floor.

On the X-01, only on start-up for a couple of seconds when I've just started it up, at the player, not from my listening chair, and certainly not when music is playing. My player rests on an isolation platform with cone feet, which rest in 4 Aurios Pros, which may help.

I'm always surprised when anyone says that they can hear something, but it's not a problem for them if they can't hear it when music is playing. Surprised because it is still part of the noise floor, even though it can't be detected as a separate and distinct noise when music is playing. Same thing when many instruments (or voices) are heard, of course. One may not be able to "pick out" the flute, for example, but it's clearly intended to be a part of the larger "gestalt". For me, anything that I can hear at my listening chair when music is playing - e.g. the furnace, A/C, a refrigerator, a whirring platter - is a problem. In my opinion, the platter noise is a flaw, which, of course, is different than saying the Esoteric is not worth living with the flaw.

Something is wrong. I've had a dozen properly operating different Esoteric players/transports here and there is virtually no extraneous noise whatsoever. I can actually put my ear directly on the P-03 chassis and hear (or feel) nothing. Contact your dealer.

Thank you to all who responded. To solve the mystery, it was determined quite quickly that the "whirring" noise was indeed a mechanical fault. Even my DV-50S is dead quiet. Esoteric, to their credit, has been lightning-quick in making arrangements to replace the unit.