Esoteric SA50
 

Anyone heard this new player from Esoteric? It's interesting that they've chosen a mid level (for them anyway) player to be the second device after the D-05 to incorporate the AK4392 32-bit DAC chipset. It looks like they've also woken up and smelled the coffee and will be providing digital inputs on their players. Hello Ayre, ARC! I am not at all familiar with Esoteric's sound, have never heard them, but have long been impressed by what I've read about build quality and engineering prowess. Anyone out there familiar with the line and able to provide any insight into how their stuff sounds? Thanks.

Hey Salm,

Their stuff is pretty amazing. Super detailed sound, seriously. You can hear a lot more just using their transports let alone their transport + dac combos. Bass is well controlled. However I will be perfectly honest, the long term listening can induce fatigue in me. May be its the huge amount of detail but after a while I need to turn it off. It's a matter of taste imo.

Esoterics are often paired with Acrolink cables because these are more mellow and help to temper the detailed sound of the esoterics. However, if you pair an Esoteric transport with a more forgiving dac, e.g. accuphase or even a MDA1000 you still get the detail without the harshness.

They are well worth an audition but you must listen for a while to see if it suits you.

Build wise there is nothing on the market remotely comparable!

howie

Separates would be out of my league price wise. That's why the new SA50 interests me so much, it's $5K US MSRP, with the new 32-bit DAC and digital inputs so I could add a server and use the DACs. Wonder how they'd match up with Transparent ICs? Both Esoteric and Wadia are on my very short list of players to listen to, need to find a dealer when I'm on a business trip.

Don't know about the SA50 but the P05/D05 is a rich, full bodied sounding pair with resolution, transparency and bass slam to spare. :yes:

My dealer sells Transparent IC's, he uses Ayre, Nagra and EAR along with DCS.

I've seen the Nagra along with the DSC used with Transparent, I can't remember the EAR or the Ayre being used with them. He may have I just haven't seen it.

I was able to try the D03 combo over a weekend. This was shortly after I had replaced the X03-se with the MCD-500.

I really like the looks and build quality of Esoteric gear. As I have said previously I believe the 500 sounded better on CD's than the X03 and I had access to those DAC's for my server. I liked the sound of the D03's but not enough to want to change from the 500.

There is a world of difference still between the 03 combo and the 05 combo even though the 05 combo has the 32 bit dacs. Then again there is a world of difference between the 03 and 01 combos as well!

Personally I found a P-01 transport with an accuphase DC-801DAC to be a great combination although with that amount of money I would opt for a Naim 555.

howie

Howie, you seem to have an obsession with all things British. Meridian, Avid, Naim, Land Rover... :D

For Naim prices I would either go with the Zanden's or the MBL 1622 & 1611F

Honestly, I wasn't being patriotic :D Some of their stuff is just damn decent!

Did I mention Church's shoes, Billingham camera bags.......

btw, I think DCS stuff is quite awful :D