Esoteric P03 - D03

Yes, everything about the P-03/D-03 was better than anything else I've heard in either redbook or SACD, but I haven't heard either the P-01/D-01 or the Scarlatti stack.

Sacarlatti neither have I. The P01/D01, well they don't sell it in Europe; at least not in the EU. Seems they have an homologation problem with the power supply., so that is not an option. Regardless, if it was, asking price is just too much. Not really willing to pay that much for digital. I think P03/D03 + clock is already a bit over the limit. I don't think beyond this point there is really an absolute improvement, but liking one over the other is more a matter of taste. In my personal opinion and for what I've heard, once you get here, if you want a big jump you need to go into analog, with its pros but also its cons.

A little update on my digital. Last Friday dealer passed by and delivered the P03-D03 combo by "surprise". It did arrive a week or two earlier than expected...! Maybe production pipeline is not that strong these days...

He basically dropped them and left. I guess didn't really want to take the D2 out of rack, unpack, move thing around, correct placement and the like. Not in the best of shapes. I didn't mind really. I enjoy doing it and also at this point things are quite loaded back there with all the cables and stuff. I take great care on placing them in the right order and really prefer not to have anyone messing around.

Anyway, into the task I went. Unpacked. I'm already used to the Esoteric packing system, form the D2 and X03se. Still impresses me the quality and convenience. First thing I thought when i saw them: man this things are MASSIVE. I was expecting something like 2 sets of D2 (in size and termination). Not quite. These 2 units are quite more impressive to the aye. Quite something, I have to admit, and very nice looking.

Placed them in the rack and found myself the only cable I had to connect them was a single digital low end RCA from Van der Hull. SInce the unit came in early the cables I ordered to connect them had not yet arrived...

So plug them in with this unit and started playing. Of course no DSD capability. DId not really pay attention to the unit that night, since it had 0 hours in and poor connection.

Next morning I spoke to my dealer. He lend me a brand new pair of Esoteric Mexcel DA6300 balanced. They are supposed to be, according to Esoteric, THE cables to use with this units, period. He will confirm to me price on monday, but I suspect they will be EXPENSIVE. Not sure how they compare to the also expensive Synergistic Research D3 pair I already ordered. Still no cable to clock the transport to the DAC.

Today Sunday, I did my first listening session with the unit. Very preliminary findings to follow. Consider the unit only has about 40 hours of playing in, the Mexcel cables are quite new as well, and I don't have the units clocked to each other. For what I read this units need LONG 200 to 300 hours of break in.

So, that may be the case. But still I can advance this unit is much much superior to the D2 on SACD playing. It is really much more pronounced than I would have expected. If this is going to get better over time, I can't even imagine. I am surprised on the findings, really, considering short time in, not perfect connection the like. SACD playing, just got into a nee dimension, when you compare. Bass is crazily deep and detailed. Soundstage just raised and expanded all over the place (this is something remarcable). More detail, and much more definition. In two wordsrealy re SACD playing: IN CREDIBLE.

With redbook had only listened for short periods, and haven't tried DSD mode still. Can't really comment much here, but for the little listenign I've done there seems to be lees of an increase in quality in for this format. This could change when I do a more detailed listening and try different settings.

So just a little advance of my findings, D2 vs Combo, from very early stages still. More to follow if you are interested, let me know.

One question regarding cables: anyone has experience in direct comparation between the Mexcel DA6300 and the SR D3 cables? Or at least with any of them? Any feedback on either one of them

Best
Eli

Eli, I suspect that with 200 or 300 hours you will have just tickled the P-03/D-03 combo into life. . . not really broken it in. Expect the two creatures to evolve for much longer until they reach musical maturety.

Ok, that's a long time. Actually, the performance has come down a bit from the first listening session I did and commented above. Huge soundstage reported has contracted in all senses. This I've seen before with other gear. Fist few hours they perform well to go under for a long time, and eventually they emerge with an even greater performance.

Anyway, the sound is very good still as it is now. Even with so little time, it is still superior to the D2 in SACD playback. Not much testing still with Redbook.

Guidocorona, any experience with Esoteric Mexcel digital cables and these units? They are suppose to be good but big $$$. I have intensive experience with SR and love them, but only analog. Assume digital should be just as good. What cable brands do you use with them. Have you tried the SR D3? I will report on these but was wondering if anyone has first hand experience already.

Thanks
Eli