4 CDP's

[ajay124]

Joshua

Yes, the Eagle has landed. I heard one SACD and one Red Book last night. Both recordings built up such a seductive and rich sound field. Frankly I am amazed that some folks think an Esoteric cdp is cold sounding. I was recommended the Ayre 7xe over the SA10. I am glad I stuck to my guns. There is not even a hint of 'cold' with the Esoteric in my set up. But then we all listen with different ears and reach different conclusions.

When is your eagle landing?

 

[captrajesh]

Congratulations Ajay. You sure have a collection of exotic malts as well.

 

[jls001]

Joshua

Yes, the Eagle has landed. I heard one SACD and one Red Book last night. Both recordings built up such a seductive and rich sound field. Frankly I am amazed that some folks think an Esoteric cdp is cold sounding. Even the dealer who sold it to me said so. He recommended the Ayre 7xe over the SA10. I am glad I stuck to my guns. There is not even a hint of 'cold' with the Esoteric in my set up. But then we all listen with different ears and reach different conclusions.

I am glad that your long search bore such sweet fruit, since you were essentially buying blind without an audition in your system and going by what trustworthy ears of others tell you.

When is your eagle landing?

Hopefully Independence Day. Thinking of flying down to hand pick up the eagle in person.

 

[ajay124]

Thank you anm, hydra, captrajesh.

I am wondering what to do with the SB Touch. For its price it is a fantastic source. But it is no match for the Esoteric.

Maybe we will dispose of the SB Boom, and use the Touch for listening to internet radio and high resolution music in a smaller set up.

 

[dillihifi]

Congrats Ajay enjoy your cdp

 

[himadri]

Congrats Ajay
The the long wait (sabr) has borne fruit (fal) at last. Im sure its sweet(meetha), especially the music, and of course with single malts to go along.
Enjoy
Cheers

 

[ajay124]

Thanks Tapan, Himadri.

The long wait has been worth it. For a while I had even lost interest in cdps, because the convenience of an SB Touch attached to a Berkeley Audio Alpha / Weiss Minerva DAC had started seeming attractive. I had planned to give the Esoteric a patient hearing for a couple of months, before deciding whether I wanted to keep it or sell it, and begin looking for a DAC.

The moment I opened the box last night, I knew that my long wait and research (aided by so many folks from the forum on this thread) had not been in vain. The first thing I touched was the remote. And then the cdp. The build quality is so sensationally good that it overshadows the Bryston's by a comfortable margin. And the Bryston's are very nicely designed and built.

The sound is so good that it transfixes you and does not allow you to move from your listening position. Today I am pulling out long forgotten music and finding every cd REMARKABLE. Currently listening to Automatic For The People, REM, borrowed from a friend to check out how rock music sounds on the Esoteric. It sounds great

 

[prem]

Hi Ajay

Good you liked the Esoteric. I was a little worried because it sounds different from other cd players. As you go up the line you keep getting more of everything. Thats the only difference.

 

[ajay124]

prem

I will always consider you one of the prime movers who helped me to discover Esoteric. Thank you.

 

[ajay124]

prem

Eagerly awaiting you 'third innings'. With the Esoteric PO5/DO5.

 

[prem]

Hi Ajay


It will either be the P03 and D05 or the K01 or the Neodio NR 22. With the Esoteric, a better transport yields better results. The Neodio is a french brand which also looks very promising. Lets see how it goes. Right now am enjoying my EMT.

 

[ajay124]

Hi Ajay


It will either be the P03 and D05 or the K01 or the Neodio NR 22. With the Esoteric, a better transport yields better results. The Neodio is a french brand which also looks very promising. Lets see how it goes. Right now am enjoying my EMT.

Right now please keep enjoying the EMT. There is no need to be constantly upgrading. But when you do buy a separate Esoteric transport and dac, I think it will be reason enough to hop on a plane and make a quick visit to Mumbai

Incidentally you have begun many innings with your source, but never seem to be inclined to change your amp or speakers. Are the Rethms that good

 

[ajay124]

asit

Water Lily Acoustics is a California based recording label specialising in Indian Classical and Fusion music. According to Wikipedia they use recording technology originally developed by Alan Blumlein, in which bidirectional microphones are used in a coincident configuration.

The Indian Architexture (2) SACD is available for 45$ inclusive of international shipping, on the Water Lily web site. Several titles are also available with Rhythm House.

Released Titles

Any idea or opinion about this site?

Chhanda Dhara CD Collection

 

[prem]

Yes Ajay,the Rethms are very good. Also for SACDs buy the Japanese SHM SACDs. Cost about $60 a title but great mastering. Meeting by River SACD is nice. Worth picking up.

 

[prem]

Hi Ajay

I have had the Esoteric P70 transport and D70 DAC before. That combo is pretty much top of the line. No SACD though. Its discontinued now but IMO it plays better than P03 D03 combo. The P70 transport is almost the same as Esoterics present top of the line P01.

 

[arj]

..

The sound is so good that it transfixes you and does not allow you to move from your listening position. Today I am pulling out long forgotten music and finding every cd REMARKABLE. Currently listening to Automatic For The People, REM, borrowed from a friend to check out how rock music sounds on the Esoteric. It sounds great

Great to hear this Ajay ! the impact a source can have needs to be heard to be believed.
i guess all your thoughts on speaker changes are banished for now ?

 

[ajay124]

Great to hear this Ajay ! the impact a source can have needs to be heard to be believed.
i guess all your thoughts on speaker changes are banished for now ?

arj

I am astounded by how beautifully the Vienna Acoustics have responded to every improvement in my system. There seems to be no end to their potential to keep sounding better and better. They have been 'served' by Cyrus, Arcam, Bryston's, Emerson UPS, SB Touch and now the Esoteric. And like a chameleon they have shed their old skin and donned a new one with every change.

Arcam CD192 was a good source. Warm, musical, good amount of detail, easy on the ears. As enjoyable as a train heading from Paddington to the Cotswolds. The Esoteric is lightning fast, utterly transparent, enormously detailed. Like a nozomi heading from Tokyo to Osaka

 

[ajay124]

11 o clock is about as high as I can go with the volume knob, without exciting unwanted room reflections. But even at that volume there is tremendous punch and 'illumination' in the sound. The Esoteric sound is like a brightly lit chandelier of the finest cut glass. It illuminates every bit of information that a compact disc holds.

Alone at home. Bliss! Not always But sometimes its good to be alone, doing your thing, no holds barred. On the cards:

Sauvignon Blanc from Luca. South African import, being bottled in India. Price 400 a bottle. Far better than most of the 'vinegar' being imported from France, Italy and Australia.

Rissoto De Funghi A pulao made from Italian arborio rice and wild mushrooms, cooked in white wine. Touch of cream and garlic. Self cooked. I would not trust a paid hack in a fancy italian restaurant to do it right. Besides a single helping cooked at home would cost 200 bucks. A lousy substitute in a pretentious restaurant would be 500 bucks or more. Order a wine and you would have been s...... for a couple of thousand. Which is why I never eat out now. Buy the best ingredients and cook at home. All the recipes are a google search away. But the 'Touch' will only come with time Eating out is not 'fashionable', as the newly rich middle class seems to have recently decided. Eating out is passe! Distinctly 20 th century. A relic from the past!

Talking about food suggested the first album for the evening.

Breakfast In America

What do I follow it up with?

Goats Head Soup?

 

[sidvee]

@ajay124,
Pleasure reading your posts about the Esoteric. Enjoy the reference to single malt even more:beer: I am more of an Islay malt enthusiast - Lagavulin rocks my boat so does Laphroaig. Been enjoying Caol Ila lately as well as some 12 yr old Bowmore. Njoy - I think music (classic jazz in my case) and single malt complement each other as well as a Reisling and mahi-mahi(at least to my palate). If it comes to red I prefer a good Chianti Classico like the Ruffino Chianti Classico 2005 that I used to buy by the case at Costco for $25 a bottle.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[ajay124]

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