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Esoteric K-01 and Mac music server

I am considering the Esoteric K-01 as my digital source and also want to know that it works well with a Apple Mac as High Res music server. Does anyone have experience with this unit or the K-03 with a mac?
skinzy
gocubs999
156 posts
 
The USB Converter I am using is the Bel Canto Reflink. Once you acquire a Mac Mini the connection is as follows:

External HD (If the extra space is needed) > Mac Mini (via firewire) > USB Converter (via USB cable/Input) > Esoteric K-03 (via Coaxial S/PDIF using BNC connector).

A USB Converter essentially optimizes the asynchronous interface to reduce jitter before sending data to DAC.

Mark
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
994 posts
 
I use a usb conveter too from my pc to the coax input of my K-01 player. Once you have gone this route, you can never go back to usb direct. The coax input makes everything sound whole and right.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 
Just out of curiosity (not trying to start a war on this) but I am curious about the opinions expressed that using a USB converter is better than going USB direct. Wouldnt it really depend on the USB implementation? I am big fan of simplifying my system and have been thinking about getting a new DAC with a USB input so I can get rid of my cheapo Musical Fidelity V-link converter. However, if having a converter improves the sound then I would instead keep my current CDP/DAC (Luxman D-05) and get a much better USB converter like the Bel Canto or Berkeley or ????
gocubs999
156 posts
 
No war necessary....just trust your ears. I currently still have a USB cable running from my headless/modified Mac Mini to the USB input of the K-03. When I took the Bel Canto RefLink on a 30 day trial, I purchased a second USB cable for an A/B comparison. Used of course the same quality USB Cable (Audioquest Carbon USB).

So my available connections where:
Mac Mini > Esoteric Async USB input via Audioquest Carbon USB Cable
and
Mac Mini > Bel Canto USB Converter via Audioquest Carbon USB cable > Transparent Ref (75 Ohm) Digital link out of Converter (Using BNC Adapter) to Coaxial input on K-03.

Using the same quality USB Cable for accurate comparison, as Jon2020 stated, the USB Converter provided an improvement in Micro/Macro Dynamics, greater detail recovery and just sounded better/right overall. Though the improvement was not overwhelming, it for me was an improvement worth the cost of $1,500 I paid for the Bel Canto. Some might define what I heard as reducing further the digital artifacts that are normally associated with digital playback.

Mark
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