quicker transients, richer harmonics, and very credible
timbres. The soundstage was imbued with a billowing
volume and materialized in immense yet very resolved
proportions. The P-03 was also responsible for adding
to the overall focus and the fleshing out of instruments
and performers.
The P-03 also did a great job of distinguishing
among the discs I played, be they CDs and SACDs. No
matter the format, to me every disc has its own charac-
ter. That’s apart from the music contained on the CD or
SACD. The opposite of delineation is homogenization.
When things sound all nice and pleasant, you should
watch out because that system is not doing its job. But
the P-03 did its job with stellar results. It dug deeper
than every other mechanical transport to reveal every
disc for exactly what it was, to the best degree in my
experience.
In short, the Esoteric P-03 is the best mechanical
transport that I’ve ever used. Only the Nova Physics
Memory Player competes with it as a digital source, and
that unit is rather more a computer-controlled digital
storage unit than it is a standard two-piece DAC and
transport.
The D-03 DAC was not far behind the standard
set by the P-03. I am a bit hesitant to similarly praise
it to the sky because I was only able to hear it with
one preamp. As I explained, the JRDG Synergy IIi
was doing the best job possible being powered by
the BPS battery power supply. But when I heard the
other DACs I had, the D-03 did distance itself from
them and moved to the forefront. To keep things
even, I ran the other D/As through the preamp as
well, even though the MSB Platinum DAC III and the
Nagra DAC had output level controls for the audio
signal. The MSB does it in the analog domain, the
Nagra in the digital. As they don’t need further pre-
amp level amplification, these two D/As might be
connected directly to a power amp.
The D-03 is a great DAC. Of all the D/As that I have
heard, it is my favorite. It has a way with music that is
very rewarding. I still marvel at the profusion of minutia
that was revealed from practically all of my favorite
CDs. In addition, the D-03 could really put some heft
behind the music without appearing overblown. Talk
about balancing the analytical and the musical; the D-
03 is a champ at gilding the sonic lily to a very refined
level. At times it appeared to take the edge off some
passages, but in the next breath I heard everything fast
and resolved. All I can say is that it served the music
exceedingly well.
Conclusion
I had nothing but pleasure and fun using these units.
They were easy to use and I was taken by their numer-
ous flexible options. Plus, they “look simply mahvel-
lous!” The P-03 and D-03 were the most sophisticated
and sonically most refined high-end digital products to
ever play in my system. Only the Nova Physics Memory
Player compares for sonics, and as I say, it has a very
different product conception.
When compared to Teac’s P-01 and D-01 which run
to $50,000, I suggest that the P-03 and the D-03, being
priced at a total of $26,200, can be considered to be
best buys. Of course, the P-01 and the D-01 are the bet-
ter performing pieces, Esoteric’s
crème de la crème
. But
taking into account that double the money is involved,
and considering what the P-03 and the D-03 can do,
this best buy idea has a lot going for it.
I have been racking my brain about how to keep this
equipment. Try as I may, I cannot come up with a way
to pay for it. I’m certain the editor won’t pay me enough
for this review to allow me to buy it. So, with a heavy
heart, I will have to pack them up and call the shipping
company to take them away. Let me tell you, this part-
ing is far more than just sweet sorrow.
But wait, how many bricks does it take to make up
60 pounds? OK, Teac guys, just kidding.
I hope it is very obvious that I am immensely
impressed by the P-03 and the D-03. Separately, they
stand on the firmest ground imaginable and will provide
exemplary performance. But together they are true
world-class products. As such, they have my highest
recommendation.
Esoteric by TEAC P-03 CD Transport and D-03
D/A Converter,
$13,200.00 each. TEAC America
Inc., 7733 Telegraph Rd., Montebello, CA 90640;
phone 323/727-7627; web site www.teac.com/eso-
teric; e-mail [email protected]
.
Associated Equipment
MSB Platinum DAC III D/A Converter with Volume
Control, Sony SCD-1 CD/ SACD Player, Esoteric
G-0s Rubidium Master Clock, Jeff Rowland Design
Group Synergy IIi preamp with BPS-1 Battery
Power Supply, Mark Levinson ML332 Power
Amplifier, JRDG Model 12 monoblock power
amps, Marantz MS-9S1 monoblock power amps,
Avalon Acoustics Eidolon Diamond Loudspeakers,
TARA Labs ISM Onboard The 0.8 Interconnects,
TARA Labs Omega Loudspeaker Cables, TARA
Labs The Zero AES/EBU and SPDIFE Digital
Cables, Stereovox XV2 75 Ohm Digital Cables,
Echobuster and ASC Tube Traps room treatment.
N
O
T
E
S
G-0s
the audiophile voice
Reprinted from Vol. 12, No. 2 of The Audiophile Voice ©
2007 by permission; Guts & Elbow Grease Publishing Ltd.,
P.O. Box 43537, Montclair, N.J. 07043.
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