Is the Esoteric P03/D03 still relevant?

Bvdiman, nicely clarified, sounds logical.

A friend owns a discontinued (x-3?) CD player which sounds great. Detailed yet non fatiguing as mentioned above. The analog circuitry remains superior even if the dac chip is old. Lack of a digital input limits flexibility in his unit. YMMV

Yes exactly... Say p3/D3 vs the newer k1?

well, owner bias may well play a part here... but I listen to my P-03, D-03, G-0Rb on a daily basis... It is a highly musical and engaging product.

I also use the D-03 with a Human Audio Tabla USB/SPDIF converter and get terrific sound from my Mac server...

All things considered- sound quality, build quality, durability, etc., short of the newer P-02/D-02 combination, I'm not sure I've heard another digital source I'd readily trade it for.

Contrary to some of Esoteric's popular reputation, the P-03 D-03 has a warm and musical tonal balance, with sufficient inner detail to be a real contender in my book...

Hope this is helpful.

There's also this X01 that I'm seeing float around too.... so many choices. I'm sure they're all good.

I think the one thing I like about the K1 is that there is a USB input... and the p3/d3 does not.