the audiophile voice
Only Meant for Each Other?
The P-03 and D-03 units have obviously been
designed by Esoteric to complement each other. Oh
sure, they might be used separately with different com-
ponents. I can attest to that. And they will perform
superbly. But since the up-conversion and clocking
functionality offered by the P-03 and D-03 is unique to
Esoteric products, a significant portion of the perfor-
mance capability and synergy occurs when the two
units are used in tandem, and this performance level
can potentially be compromised if either item is used
with other equipment.
One important caution when starting out with these
new pieces right out of the box: Let the units cook for a
while before listening critically. What’s “a while”? I sug-
gest letting them play 24/7 for at least two weeks.
Ideally, put in a CD, hit “Repeat,” and leave the units
be. Of course, there’s no audiophile I know who is
capable of such detachment, not when dealing with
equipment at this performance and price point. Maybe
you know some guys like this, but I don’t! Everybody I
know will be strongly inclined to rush to hear the units
as soon as possible. But the equipment is not ready! So,
be patient and do the right thing.
I would also suggest that you do read the manual.
And do that closely! As I mentioned, these are very
sophisticated and exceptionally flexible units. In order
to get the most out of them, they have to be configured
properly. Knowledge of the manual will be a great help.
For instance, you can up-convert when Red Book CDs
are played. But since this function resides in the P-03
transport, the D-03 DAC has to be set to receive the up-
converted data. Also note, that while SACD audio play-
back can be accomplished via the iLink or the dual ES-
LINK connection, iLINK will not support any up-convert-
ed data above 44.1 kHz even though it will pass the
SACD data. The most flexible connection for two-channel
audio appears to be the dual XLR configuration. This will
support up-conversion starting at 88.1 and going up to the
DSD rate. It will handle SACD playback as well. The
manual is quite clear in explaining all of the iterations and
it covers a number of other important functions.
The remote is handy and provides all of necessary
control commands for most of the necessary functions.
It even includes the ability to dim the displays and LEDs
from the listening position, a very nice touch. Back-
lighting isn’t included but would have been nice,
though. Just remember, when Esoteric refers to “Play
Area,” they are talking about the SACD and CD layers
of the CD disc.
I had nothing but pleasure and fun using these units.
They were easy to use and I was quite taken by their
many flexible options. The P-03 and D-03 were the
most sophisticated and refined high end products to
ever play in my system.
The Sound, The Whole Sound, And ...
Evaluating the Esoteric P-03/D-03 pair provided me
with countless marvelous listening sessions. That should
not come as a surprise – after all, this is uncommonly
great equipment. In all fairness though, the many
instances when I sat there, captivated by the stunning
musical spectacles unfolding in front of me, really did
not qualify as “listening sessions.” These were times
when music was the featured attraction; this was enjoy-
ment time, pure and simple.
Because the musical events were presented in a vivid
and relaxed manner, a very engaging sonic setting was
created. I was listening to sounds so refined, delicate
and dynamic that I would often get carried away and,
you guessed it, listen far into the night. What I heard
was clear, clean, and very pure, a free and easy flow of
music within a seemingly boundless soundspace. Those
were the days! Evaluation was the furthest thing from
my mind.
But real is real. Esoteric did not provide me with
$26,400 worth of gear just so I could have some fun.
The name of the game here is evaluation.
For starters, let me look at the performance picture in
broad strokes. In all my listening did I get a resolved 3-
D soundstage? Yes, I did. Was the gear good at commu-
nicating musical values? Absolutely! How about detail
retrieval and instrumental tonality? Yes and yes! An
expansive soundspace? All there, in spades! Dynamic
contrasts? Done! Evenly distributed spectral response?
All the way! Staging? As good as it gets! Soundspace?
Totally immersing!
You name it, the P-03 and D-03 could do it.
But as I was listing all these sonic characteristics, it
occurred to me just how little they convey about the
whole performance picture when singled out separately.
At this level of performance, it’s not the quantity of posi-
tive sonic characteristics that counts, but the overall
manner in which they are presented. What counts is the
degree of refinement and finesse. And in this important
aspect, the Esoteric equipment just plain shines.
We are not talking about a nuance here or a detail
there. The improvement is far more global than that. For
example, because the advances are conveyed in a very
finely measured way, recordings on the whole become
much more enjoyable. The laterally delineated width,
the dimensional depth, all accented by superb defini-
tion and fast response, produce an absolutely stunning
sense of musical engagement. When all was said and
done, a very life-like sonic panorama materialized.
Orchestral assaults are easily perceived as awesome
and decidedly reminiscent of the feeling at a live perfor-
mance where loud is never too loud. Get too loud at
home and we usually reach for the remote. But with the
Esoteric gear, this was not the case. Here, the musical
presentation I encountered rarely peaked out due to the
equipment. Play clean material, and it will be recreated
accordingly. As a result, my playback volume had a ten-
dency to get louder for some of the more boisterous
D-03
