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Esoteric K01: What are the best settings for CD?

The Esoteric K01 has several up-conversion and filter options for CD play-back. Unfortunately, each up-conversion option and each filter option requires approximately 500 hours of 'break-in' to sound it's best. I have owned the Esoteric K01 since it's release. It is a superb SACD and CD player. I have 'broken in' some but not all filter and up-conversion settings. I am still unable to decide which combination I like best. I am currently using S_DLY1 (for digital filter) and 2Fs (for up conversion). I would like to know what settings other Esoteric K01 owners like best. It would be helpful if If you can explain why those settings sound better to you than other combinations. I wonder which settings the experts at Esoteric/Teac would recommend?
matjet
washline
202 posts
 
From my experience and in my system, Slow Delay 1 with no upsampling sounds best. It was also the preferred setting specified on Arthur Salvatore's site. I tried all sixteen combinations, and my result concurred with that of his reviewers.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Hi Washline, how much break in time did you allow for each filter and each upsampler?

G.
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
As much as I love very good statement digital players!, There is no way I would go thru hours of warm up time and 100s of hours to break-in each setting on a K-01 player!, There is way more options out there to get fantastic sound from digital than going thru all the heart ache of useing this unit!, Nothing sounds that good for me to go thru that!, Its bad enough I have to waite an hour for my amp to warm up,LOL!, Better you than me!, I would get frustrated at the unit and litterally throw it out the window forreal!, good luck with this fellas!, cheers!
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
I read The Absolute sound review of the K-01, Remarkable player indeed!, I am sure the unit stands as one of the Best available!The unit would be perfect for my system!,I stand by my above post!, I do not believe I would have the patience for this player!, I wished I could sustain the heart aches of owning such a unit!,I mean,after the thousands of hours total of break-in of all the filter settings and up-sampling, you still have to go thru 2 to 4 hours of warm up time for the player to sound its Best!, Wow!
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Audiolabyrinth, just leave K-01 on when you are not using it... the player sounds wonderful without any pre-listening playing time.... but if you have the patience of letting it play a couple of CDs in the background before critical listening, you will maximize its capabilities, and K-01 will give you truly amazing results.

But if you really insist throwing it out the window... please be careful.... Vertebral dislocation is apparently not covered by TEAC extended warranty. G.
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