Since its inception in 1987, Esoteric has been at the forefront of innovation as a high-end audio brand from Japan, continually pushing the boundaries of high quality sound reproduction. The Esoteric brand is known for its outstanding acoustic engineering that has sustained its reputation and prestige, its massive investment without regard to cost, its “museum quality” craftsmanship, and its beautiful designs worthy of music reproduction.

The legendary VRDS-ATLAS Super Audio CD transport mechanism, Master Sound Discrete DAC and Master Sound Discrete Clock with proprietary discrete circuits, and the most advanced network audio playback technology utilizing a unique linear power supply system provide Esoteric's hallmark sound that is reminiscent of vinyl sound.
It is no exaggeration to say that Esoteric's history is synonymous with digital playback innovation in high-end audio.

Finally, the SE version of the digital player models is now available with new discrete clock technology and improved analog circuitry in the DAC. We are proud of our brand and always strive for the best sound. The SE models we are releasing this time reflect every conceivable technological accumulation from the time the original model was launched to the present. Enjoy the enhanced presence, dynamics, and beautifully organic and musical textures of the new SE models.

It is no exaggeration to say that the clock circuitry is the biggest key to high sound quality in digital music reproduction. For its flagship master clock generator Grandioso G1X, Esoteric has perfected its own in-house manufactured OCXO clock module, the Master Sound Discrete Clock. The G1X’s unique discrete circuitry has been highly acclaimed for its superior musical expressiveness, creating a buzz in the world of high-end audio that has traditionally been described only in terms of technical specifications.
The “Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player” used in the new SE model applies the basic design concept of G1X's in-house manufactured OCXO module to the internal clock of the digital player models. The unique circuit design using carefully selected discrete components, such as a large crystal oscillator, achieves high sound quality that reflects Esoteric’s philosophy in every detail, which cannot be achieved with an off-the-shelf clock module. The new SE model can also be connected to the Esoteric G series external master clock generator to improve sound quality by synchronizing the internal SE clock circuitry to an even more accurate 10 MHz clock.

The “Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player” has an impressive performance with a center frequency accuracy strictly within ±0.5ppm. For Esoteric, however, the development of a clock circuit does not end with the achievement of excellent technical specifications. Rather, the real development begins after the basic performance has been determined.

With the Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player, Esoteric aimed for a sound quality free of any artificiality, with a raw presence, exciting dynamics, and an organic texture that gives each note a more "musical" feel. To achieve this ideal, the engineers took advantage of the discrete design, tried many different circuit patterns and component combinations, and spent a great deal of time listening to prototypes to perfect the circuits.

Clock signal is produced by the vibration of the crystal oscillator, so there is a deep correlation between the physical properties of the material and the sound quality. Larger crystals have a wider oscillation range and more stable oscillation even when the resistance on the circuit is high, because the oscillation itself is larger. We have selected large crystal oscillators that have been grown slowly over a long period of time and have ideal electrophysical properties. We also manufacture printed circuit boards in our own factory. Parts are assembled onto circuit boards in an oxygen-free, nitrogen oven in a clean room equivalent to a medical operating room, and are produced under the same quality control as the medical, instrumentation, and aerospace equipment our factory manufactures for OEM partners. Gold plating was used for the copper foil on the circuit board and connectors, the track pattern was selected from several candidates to achieve the best sound quality, and careful attention was paid to details such as the way the tracks are rounded.

Our relentless pursuit of sound quality and uncompromising development process has resulted in the organic sound of the SE models. If you would like to experience the sound of Esoteric's SE models with your own ears, please contact your nearest Esoteric dealer to request a product demonstration.

In pursuit of the original master sound, Esoteric has finally completed a completely in-house designed discrete DAC, the “Master Sound Discrete DAC”. All processing is performed by Esoteric’s own FPGA algorithms, and the discrete circuit design without the use of conventional DAC ICs ensures that Esoteric’s philosophy is carried through to the smallest detail. This highly original new DAC platform, first introduced in the Grandioso D1X, has set a new milestone in the discrete DAC trend in high-end audio, with a sound that expresses the full dynamics and power of music.

In the new SE model, the FPGA algorithms and DAC circuit design were retained, but the discrete parts of the analog circuitry were brushed up to achieve an even higher level of sound quality with more vivid live sound, improved aural dynamics, and more organic texture.

Our engineers were all united in a bold mission to further improve the sound quality of the already perfected "Master Sound Discrete DAC" - an extremely difficult mission to accomplish.

In selecting the discrete parts for the analog circuitry of the N-01XD SE / K-01XD SE model’s DAC, we chose Esoteric’s proprietary modules, which did not exist when the original models were introduced. The Grandioso C1X, launched in 2020, uses the IDM-01 amplifier module, specially designed for Esoteric, as the heart of its amplification circuit. The IDM-01 is an amplification module designed entirely in-house, including the selection of materials, circuit patterns and circuit layout. This ensures the same thoroughness of Esoteric's sonic philosophy as that of discrete circuit amplifiers. The extremely short signal path, which takes advantage of integrated circuits, allows music to be amplified dynamically and delicately. In the K-03XD SE, we have also made the switch to a premium grade amplification module.
The SE model pursues an even higher level of sound quality through repeated listening tests and careful selection of analog parts, including the aforementioned amplifier elements, analog filter resistors, and capacitors.

As mentioned above, the main upgrade points of the SE models are the new Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player circuitry and the upgraded analog circuitry in the Master Sound Discrete DAC. However, these two items are not the only ones that have been fine-tuned. We made many small changes and adjustments to the power supply and other circuit components, as well as to the mechanical hardware that is the key to sound quality.