A review of the N-01XD SE has been published on Part-Time Audiophile, one of North America’s online Hi-Fi media outlets.
The N-01XD SE was also honored with the publication’s “Reviewer’s Choice” Award, with reviewer Mr. Graig Neville describing it as “the finest DAC I have reviewed to date.”

"Timing accuracy has been central to Esoteric’s engineering philosophy since the company’s earliest VRDS transports, and the Esoteric N-01XD SE continues that tradition."

"Perhaps the greatest compliment I can offer the Esoteric N-01XD SE is that it simply worked...The N-01XD SE consistently behaved like a purpose-built audio component rather than a computer disguised as one."

"The Esoteric N-01XD SE is unquestionably resolving, dynamic, and remarkably quiet, but many products at this level are. What distinguished the Esoteric was its ability to organize those strengths into a presentation that consistently sounded natural, spatially convincing, and musically coherent."

"the finest DAC I have reviewed to date. That statement is not based solely on absolute sonic performance, although the N-01XD SE certainly delivers it. It reflects the complete ownership experience: the engineering, industrial design, streaming implementation, operational stability, flexibility, and, above all, the confidence that every part of the product was developed with a unified purpose. I could easily imagine living with this component for many years without feeling the need to chase the next incremental improvement."

"When the review period ended, packing the N-01XD SE for return was more difficult than usual. That is perhaps the strongest endorsement I can offer. Of all the digital components that have passed through my system, this is the one I would most seriously consider purchasing for myself. It did not simply impress me—it changed my expectations for what an integrated digital source can achieve."

You can read the full article here. https://pt.audio/2026/08/14/esoteric-n-01xd-se-network-player-dac-review/