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The choice of my new CD player

I’m using a Esoteric K-03SE CD player more than 5 years, currently I’m interest to get a new CDP, my target are:

Esoteric K-03X
Audio Research CD-9
Metronome CD-8 Signature

I love my Esoteric very much, it built like a tank, work very stable and reliable, very analytical and transparency sound. I heard the latest K-03X even sounds much better (Surely K-01X is better but out of my budget). However, I’m interest to try something new, and I heard ARC CD-9 and Metronome CD-8 also sounds very nice. Does anybody compare these CDP? And what is your choice?

PS: In the future, I’m interest to get an external DAC which has complete different sound with my CDP. At the beginning I won’t use it for CAS, what I will do is to use my CDP’s transport and this external DAC to produce different sound, in this case I can have two different choice of sound. So my primary idea is K-03X because the transport system are extremely good.
mm622

Showing 3 responses by in_shore

in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
MM622 As a previous owner of a Esoteric KO3 which replaced an EMM Labs SACDSE playback from both players were enjoyable with the beautifuly built Esoteric edging out the older EMM Labs.
   Back to my dealer earlier this year a new player was on the my radar , the Esoteric  KO3X , I was a total convert and was set to buy it however I got distracted in another listening room where the PS Audio Direct Stream Memory Player and their top dac the Direct Stream Dac playing through Focals Maestro Utopia speakers which I have at home . 
I had the sales rep hook up the Esoteric 03x in this room and compared both players through speakers I am totally familiar with ,..

PS Audio ? Well I heard of them of course but didn’t know a single thing about them . Through the PS Audio I never heard sacd playback like this , never ,.and CD playback of known superb recordings is something you have to hear for yourself. The Direct Stream Memory Player is not your typical disc spinner , it’s not at all .
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
Wow , I just noticed how old the OP question was ,..Opps , too early in the morning , should of had that second cup of coffee ..
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
Denon , I do have the Direct Stream Memory Player and Direct Stream Dac senior. Well I never heard sacd sound so good , I mean really good and standard CDs , well the known out standing recordings are fantastic. So much so I finally sold off my analog front end and most of my vinyl which was hard to do at first but I realized there were many hundreds of Lps I haven’t listened to in decades .

Its a new chapter for me and I don’t mis the fuss and care I put into vinyl playback,
 PS Audio have a brilliant product line with their memory player and top dac in this price category and as good as the Esoteric KO3X is PS Audio do it better . You really need to listen to this combo .
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