Esoteric review
craigm -- Wed, 03/14/2007 - 20:14
How does the P-03/D-03 sound in comparison with Meitner players? In comparison to vinyl?
How does the P-03/D-03 sound in comparison with Meitner players? In comparison to vinyl?
I didn't get the hear the P-03/D-03 combo, but I have the DV-60 right now under review. As a first approximation, I would say the Esoteric and the Meitners are roughly in the same class, in that they extract more information from the disc than other players I have heard (which is far from all of them -- there are just an amazing number of high-end SACD players right now). And they do so naturally, not painfully. They do not, by any means, sound the same, though.
The comparison with vinyl is harder. When it comes to pitch stability, low noise, and inner detail, I have to say I think these players simply crush vinyl. But vinyl has a sound that these players don't have.
I have not heard the new Meitner player, but can say that the P-03/D-03 combination is stunningly great.
When you ask how it compares with vinyl, you must qualify that by specifying the LP front-end equipment.
Robert Harley
May I attempt to prhase the question, as I think it's an interesting one.
What is the lowest price point of a vinyl playback system (the entire system) that would be decidedly better than the Esoteric combo? (illustrated by an example of such a vinyl system)
Just want to add that I am taking pains to make sure that it's not perceived as a loaded question, or a negative one. The price point could go either way (lower or higher). I respect Mr. Harley enough to value his answer.
I didn't have a specific analog front end in mind for comparison. You can certainly get an awful lot for the Esoteric's $30k price -- an Air Tight PC-1, VPI SuperScoutmaster, ARC PH7 (for example) with $13k to spare! My thinking was that, given how hard it was to characterize the sound of the Esoteric P-03/D-03, a comparison with a good analog front end might help clarify the particular ways in which the Esoteric does and does not reproduce the absolute sound. Sometimes reviews such as this can leave one with the impression that the component is flawless, and yet I'm pretty sure that its sound differs from that of live, unamplified music in characteristic ways. Or perhaps the review is suggesting that it really is a flawless window onto the digital sources, and that its sound will differ from the absolute only because of limitations in the format(s)?
jfm's question might be answered in two ways:
1. Infinity. There is no vinyl playback system that does what the Estoterics, Meitners and Meridians do, and therefore there is no price at which such systems are decidedly better.
2. $5000. A VPI Scoutmaster, Shelter 501 and Sutherland Ph3D will do vinyl magic pretty well and you won't hear that from the big guns CD players.
What is the price at which a tube power amplifer is decidedly better than the mbl 9011?
What is the price at which a front-engine, rear-drive car is decidedly better than a Porsche 997 GT3?
tmartin, i appreciate your reply.
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