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The core model of ESOTERIC Super Audio CD players, the K-05, is finally available in an XD edition. The design platform is completely revamped and now features VRDS-ATLAS and Master Sound Discrete DAC / Clock circuitry. This is an arrival of a completely new Super Audio CD player. The first K-05 model was introduced in 2011, evolved into the K-05X in 2015, and K-05Xs in 2018. It has become the best-selling model at the heart of the ESOTERIC K Series. The K-05XD inherits the philosophy of the historic K-05 series but is totally redesigned as a Super Audio CD player; completely different from the previous 05 models by way of revamping it with an all-new design platform. It provides unprecedented accuracy, richly detailed sound, and a completely immersive listening experience, making it the ultimate sound system for serious music enthusiasts.
A new VRDS-ATLAS transport mechanism "ATLAS 05" is designed exclusively
for this model, and the DAC section employs a discrete circuit with
the "Master Sound Discrete DAC" to further refine the music reproduction capability.
The VRDS-NEO Super Audio CD transport mechanism, which has been adopted
by some of the world’s most prominent brands, and its superior performance,
which inherits the technical essence of the flagship models of the day, has
been highly acclaimed and have won numerous audio awards worldwide.
Incorporating the fruits of our labor resulting from the development of the Grandioso G1X
master clock generator, a unique discrete clock circuit for built-in players,
the "Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player" is employed.
An enlarged double-layer chassis accommodates the upgraded ATLAS mechanism,
each larger circuit block, and the power supply section, while it’s the elegant
the appearance of the K-05XD, – which is even closer now to the upper models, –
subtly asserts the richness of its content, worthy of being called a major innovation.
Spec Description
Analog Audio Outputs:
XLR/ES-Link Analog- x 1 pair
RCA- x 1 pair
Digital Audio Outputs:
XLR- x 1
Coaxial- x 1
Digital Audio Inputs:
USB- x 1
Coaxial- x 1
Optical- x 1
10MHz Clock Input:
BNC- x 1
External Control Section:
RS-232C- x 1
Trigger In- 1/8" (3.5mm) Monaural mini jack x 1
General:
Power-
AC 120V, 60Hz
AC 220-240V, 50Hz
Overall Dimensions (WxHxD)- 445 x 161 x 257mm (including protrusions)
Weight- 20.7kg
Audio Performance
Frequency Response- 5Hz to 70kHz (–3dB, SACD 0dB, DSDF: F2, XLR Output)
S/N Ratio- 110dB (IHF-A, SACD 0dB, DSDF: F2, XLR Output)
Total Harmonic Distortion- 0.0007% (1kHz, SACD 0dB, DSDF: F2, XLR Output)
VRDS (Vibration-Free Rigid Disc-Clamping System) is the core technology of the CD/Super Audio CD transport mechanism that Esoteric has been focusing on since the establishment of the brand. The disc is securely clamped to a turntable of the same diameter for rotation, thoroughly eliminating unwanted vibrations from the disc itself and the mechanism. Servo current is minimized by correcting the disc warpage with the turntable and greatly improving the relative optical axis accuracy between the optical pickup and the disc pit surface. With these features, disc read errors are significantly reduced and achieve superior sound quality.
With the complete renewal of the 05 series, the chassis has undergone the most significant evolution in terms of appearance. To accommodate a larger ATLAS mechanism than the VRDS NEO and to further enhance the scale of the circuitry, a dual-layer large chassis is employed instead of the previous slim, single-layer chassis, while maintaining the same depth. The VRDS-ATLAS transport mechanism is center-placed and rigidly fixed to a 5mm-thick steel bottom chassis via a 2mm-thick steel base plate, while the entire chassis is then supported at three points by a unique pin-point foot (Japan Patent No. 4075477 and 3778108).
Like upper-class models, the bottom chassis has been laser cut with slits to effectively disperse and suppress vibrations from the rotating mechanism. Inside the dual-layer chassis, audio circuit boards are mainly placed on the upper layer and power supply circuits and transformers on the lower layer to prevent magnetic flux leakage and vibration, and to minimize power supply wiring to refine the pure tone quality.
| Color | Black, Silver |