Summary
‘’The sound of the Esoteric K-01XD player is exceptionally refined. It has everything that we expect from a top sound source, never mind whether it is analog or digital – just a source. It is both warm and precise, and such a combination is extremely rare. It is more “rounded” than the sound of the Ayon Audio player with which it was compared, warmer than the sound of the dCS Vivaldi One player, and yet it has just as much information, nothing is missing in it’’

‘’It would be closest to a high-class turntable, but with a better gradation of gray, with less "analog" sound, in the sense that it is not as "made" as vinyl – and let me remind you that a vinyl record is only an approximation of what is on tapes "Master". There is a very low bass and a precise high treble in this sound, but we will notice it only when we are looking. Without it, the sound seems simply complete and natural, there is no separate "treble" or "bass" in it’’

‘’This is literally one of the best-sounding and best-built digital players that I have heard in my life. It is also so different from the other devices mentioned above that it will be easy to decide if it is "our" sound – because it is the sound of all the mentioned sound sources, shaped in a specific way. And yet it is not the most expensive source of this manufacturer! A unique product from an exceptional company.