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. “Grandioso” is the top model in each product category that has reached the highest level of quality defined by the brand.

In classical music, a phrase that indicates how a piece of music should be played is called a conception motto. For example, “cantabile” (as if singing), “legato” (smoothly), and so on. A flagship model should have the dignity and stature of a top-of-the-line product. We named it “Grandioso” (grand, majestic, dignified), which we likened to the motto of classical music. Grandioso has brought a number of highly original innovations to the world of high-end audio, including the legendary VRDS-ATLAS Super Audio CD transport mechanism, the Master Sound Discrete DAC and the Master Sound Discrete Clock, which consist of unique discrete circuits.

Finally, three SE models are 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 model we are releasing this time reflects 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 three 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 models 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 models can also be connected to the Grandioso G1X external master clock generator to improve sound quality by synchronizing the internal 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, sets 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 Grandioso D1X SE and Grandioso K1X SE, 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.

The history of the Esoteric brand is the history of the evolution of digital players.
In other words, our tradition, prestige and reputation can only be maintained by continually pushing the boundaries of high quality sound reproduction and remaining at the forefront of innovation. Our engineers, all united in the brand's philosophy, boldly took on this extremely difficult mission: To further improve the already perfect sound quality of the Master Sound Discrete DAC.

In selecting the discrete parts for the analog circuitry of the SE model’s DAC, we chose Esoteric’s proprietary modules, which did not exist when the original Grandioso D1X and K1X 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. The SE model pursues an even higher level of sound quality through repeated listening tests and careful selection of analog parts, including the IDM-01, 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. In addition, several mechanical hardware changes that are key to sound quality are also included.
Esoteric’s original Pinpoint foot, which integrates a spike and saucer, has been replaced with a new foot that is not bolted to the lower chassis, but is held in place by the weight of the chassis when installed. By avoiding the stress concentration caused by screwing the Pinpoint foot body into the large surface area of the lower chassis, a more open sound is created.

Since its inception, Esoteric has always offered an upgrade service for its products, unless there is a complete platform change, to ensure that its high quality products can be used for many years to come.
For owners of the Grandioso P1X, D1X and K1X we offer an upgrade service to the newly designed SE models.
If you would like to upgrade to the SE model, please contact your nearest Esoteric dealer.