Esoteric K-03 User's Manual
Contents
1. ERIC New Product Information K 03 Digital Source Device VRDS NEO 4 DAC 32BIT CH 192 24 HIGH REZ INPUTS ADVANCED CLOCKING INTRODUCTION ESOTERIC releases the K 01 the flagship model of our all in one advanced D A converter and Super Audio CD CD player series capitalizing on ESOTERIC s state of the art technology and derived from our award winning P 01 D 01 series separates It has been seven years since the debut of the original X 01 with its high precision and high rigidity VRDS NEO SACD CD transport mechanism The X 01 X 03 series which have stayed at the top of ESOTERIC s all in one SACD CD player lineup have been completely updated and make their debut as the all new K series in November 2010 The design concept of the K series is extremely clear and simple a 2 channel D A converter and stereo player that gives a stress free musical experience without adding or removing anything from the original source material All aspects of the design and engineering process for the K series had extremely tough requirements to further advance ESOTERIC s top technology Design and engineering was completed applying all of ESOTERIC s know how in mechatronics technology state of the art audio technology and evolutionary materials including DAC implementation for which cost was not a consideration The K series is committed to advancing the state of the art for the 2 channel audio purist for both high resolution2. VERT current summing CD THRU DIGITAL OUT _ _ ANALOG BOARD R ch AUDIO WORDIN PLL cLock WORD SYNC Please note that ESOTERIC products are available at limited retailers in respective countries ESOTERIC is a trademark of the TEAC Corporation All ESOTERIC COMPANY other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders 2010 TEAC Corporation All Rights Reserved 47 Ochiai 1 chome Tama shi All text images graphics and other materials on this catalogue are subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of TEAC Corporation y i These materials shall not directly or indirectly be published reproduced modified or distributed in any medium Design and specifications are subject to Tokyo 206 8530 Japan change without notice Fax 81 42 356 9240 www esoteric jp www teac com esoteric
3. audio files and disc based audio playback applications The K 03 is equipped with our new VRDS NEO VMK 3 5 10 mechanism which has further advanced substantially beyond existing VRDS models and a dual mono configuration of 32 bit monaural D A converters with four parallel differential DAC circuits per channel The analog audio circuit has a separate power transformer The on board high precision clocking circuit has also been advanced Three sets of 192 kHz 24 bit digital inputs supporting the most advanced high sampling digital sources are also built in USB driver software supports 192 kHz 24 bit asynchronous transmission for connecting with a PC The K 03 is a high performance model that follows the philosophy of the top end all in one K 01 digital source 2 channel playback device FEATURES VRDS NEO VMK 3 5 10 transport mechanism ESOTERIC s proprietary VRDS NEO transport mechanism uses a high precision turntable for spinning Super Audio CD CD discs improving read precision by mechanically correcting for surface run out This is a comprehensive compilation of ESOTERIC s high end mechatronics technology The K 03 uses an evolutionary version of the mechanism configuration adopted for the X O3SE SACD CD player and now includes the VRDS NEO VMK 3 5 10 This new VRDS mechanism includes further refinements in the design of the driver circuit The all new driver circuit specifically for SACDs and CDs enables smo
4. ies received from external clock devices 44 1 kHz 88 2 kHz 176 4 kHz 10 MHz the accuracy of locking range limited within 15 ppm D A Converter K 03 32bit AK4399 x4 DACs per channel General Power supply AC 230 V 50 Hz AC 120 V 60 Hz AC 220 V 60 Hz Power consumption 27 W External dimensions W x H x D 445 x 162 x 438 mm 17 1 4 x 6 3 8 x 13 1 4 including protrusions Weight 28 kg 61 3 4 Ibs Accessories Remote control unit RC 1156 x 1 Batteries AA x 2 Power cord set x 1 Felt pads x 3 Owner s manual x 1 Warranty card x 1 This product is available in three different power supply variations shown in the chart above Make sure that the voltage shown on the rear panel matches the AC line voltage in your area The shape of the AC inlet and plug of the supplied power cord depends on the voltage rating and destination country DAC1 DAC2 DAC1 At DAC2 At DAC1 A DAC2 A DAC1 B DAC2 B DAC1 B DAC2 B ANALOG BOARD L ch 32bit DACs DAC2 At DAC1A HoT DIFFERENTIAL OUTPUT nner LPF BUFFER summing HOT opamp 2 FETs and 2 Transistors LINE OUT 6Y XLR VRDS NEO Ceo current summing DIGITAL BOARD COAX DIGITAL 4 UP DIGITAL IN OPT INTERFACE CONVERTER RECEIVER USB 2Fs 4Fs DSD RCA UP CON
5. implemented to achieve the highest level of sound quality for an all in one digital player A VCXO voltage controlled crystal oscillator of 0 5 ppm fe 2 that uses a large crystal is deployed in the K 03 which is very advantageous for advanced sound quality Additionally a stabilized power supply circuit improves the stability of clock circuit operation When using the K 01 without using an external WORD clock the high precision audio clock sync signal generated by the VCXO is directly delivered to the D A converter without passing through the PLL circuit This enables higher quality reproduction that is a step ahead of standard designs This also substantially reduces any audible jitter when transmitting audio signals to achieve high speed and high quality reproduction inclusive of a very dramatic presence and acoustic delicacy 2 Factory setting WORD sync function enabling synchronization with external devices The K 03 has a WORD sync function to synchronize with an external WORD clock This allows upgrading to a higher quality sound system by connecting the unit to a high precision master clock generator such as the G ORb rubidium master clock As for supported clock sync frequencies 10 MHz is newly supported in addition to 44 1 88 2 176 4 kHz 32 bit precision digital attenuator function This function enables 32 bit digital processing and a high precision volume control capitalizing on the 32 bit D A devices 32 b
6. ing asynchronous transmission and 24 bit 192 kHz sources enables high quality reproduction of music stored on a PC High sampling rate sources of studio master quality can DER OE AL GONIA be input at their original E e resolution by connecting the K 03 to your PC through 5 a USB port To ensure a E precise high end design for the USB connection ESOTERIC developed proprietary driver software the driver software can be downloaded from the ESOTERIC web site The USB input supports high quality asynchronous transmission and the input of high sampling rate sources up to 24 bit 192 kHz Three transmission modes including two types of high speed transmission including asynchronous transmission and the standard full speed mode are also provided to enhance compatibility with a wide variety of PCs and operating systems Additionally an Esoteric USB isolator isolates the power and signal paths from the USB input system This isolator eliminates interference from external devices including the PC to clearly reproduce high resolution music files without loss of fidelity Note Reproducible formats depend on the music player capabilities installed on the PC DIGITAL IN 1 AK4399 is the Audio4pro and is a branded product of ASAHI KASEI MICRODEVICES CORPORATION that is designed for professional studio and digital audio applications VCXO high precision clock A newly designed high precision clock is ea
7. ism with large inertia to ensure a highly solid base free from vibrations and resonance The interior of the K 03 chassis has a double decker structure with five compartments Each circuit block is contained within its own compartment to minimize conflicts between circuits Two separate audio boards for each channel are mounted on the rear part of the upper compartment which is nearest to the rear terminals to ensure the shortest signal path The audio power circuit and power transformers are isolated from the audio board by an internal steel chassis plate and hung inside the compartment on the bottom of the audio board Such a three dimensional layout allows the shortest wiring possible for the power supply and minimizes any impact of magnetic flux leakage and vibration The K 03 features two large capacity toroidal transformers including one specifically for the built in dual mono D A converters and the audio circuits and the other for driving the digital circuit and mechanism This design provides dedicated power supply capability to all circuit blocks without interference The K 03 s large mass of approximately 28 kg 61 8 Ibs is the result of ESOTERIC s commitment to the highest quality for component isolation and compartmentalizing These designs virtually eliminate resonance and vibrations from adjacent electrical and mechanical components Beautiful rounded form The K 03 inherits its appearance from the desig
8. its gives an allowance of 8 bits over the standard 24 bits and enables control of volume with no degradation of sound quality due to dropouts Excellent usability The output voltage of the XLR audio outputs can be switched according to the input sensitivity of the amplifier that you connect to the K 03 OdB 6dB You can also choose Hot 2 or Hot 3 for the XLR pin assignment Additionally you can switch the analog output between RCA XLR and OFF as desired based on connected components The K 03 features one coaxial digital output to support digital output of CDs and a pass thru output for an externally input signal however digital outputs for SACDs DSD data streams and the signal after the D D conversion are not supported For noise reduction purposes it is possible to switch the circuit off when not using the digital output Chassis construction with a separate compartment for each circuit block A chassis construction with separate circuit block compartments packs the design concept of separate SACD CD transports and D A converters into an all in one unit This helps to eliminate cross contamination between adjoining circuits The large mass VRDS NEO transport mechanism is positioned in the center of the unit directly attached to the 5 mm steel bottom chassis and supported at three points by ESOTERIC s proprietary pinpoint feet Patent No 4075477 This 3 point system effectively suppresses the vibration of the rotation mechan
9. n of ESOTERIC s flagship line of separate digital players and DACs with the front side top panels made of thick aluminum and a rounded form with no screws on the top panel and corners This form is sure to give you a feel of elegance and pleasure of ownership in addition to eliminating any unwanted vibrations that are well known from top and corner screw designs Feel the high end touch with a leather finished remote control The K 03 comes with a remote control unit that is finished in leather and has an aluminum body with just the right weight The ease of use and accuracy associated with this remote control is also based on ESOTERIC s P series system designs COAXIAL OPTICAL COAXIAL DIGITAL OUT DIGITAL IN WORD SYNC CERTIFICATION THIS PLIES WITH 21 1040 11 EXCEPT SPECIFICATIONS Compatible disc types Super Audio CD CD CD R CD RW compatible Analog audio output XLR jacks 2 channel x 1 RCA jacks 2 channel x 1 RCA 47 ohms Maximum output level XLR Gain 0 dB 2 45 Vrms 1 kHz full scale 10 k ohms RCA 2 45 Vrms 5 Hz to 55 kHz 3 dB 115 dB 0 0015 1 kHz Digital audio output 0 5 Vp p 75 ohms Digital audio input input impedance 75 ohms Optical digital terminal x 1 24 0 to 14 5 dBm peak USB 2 0 192 kHz 24 bit async Word synchronization input BNC format 75 ohms Rectangle wave equivalent to TTL levels Sine wave 0 5 to 1 0 Vrms 50 to 75 ohms The K 03 can accept and synchronize to the following frequenc
10. oth high precision servo control A duralumin turntable with micron level accuracy and a 10 mm steel turntable bridge are used resulting in a total weight of 4 4 kg 9 7lbs Additionally the proven features of the VRDS NEO such as the strong neodymium magnet driven coreless three phase brushless spindle motor the thread feed control which has evolved from the philosophy of the P 0 and the shaft sliding type pickup where the laser beam consistently illuminates the disk perpendicularly are all inherited by the K 03 Dual mono D A converters based on the philosophy of the K 01 The K 03 s D A converter circuits are based on the circuitry of the ESOTERIC K 01 providing a parallel differential output with four circuits per channel This achieves overwhelming linearity and an ultra low distortion factor For the D A converter device itself ASAHI KASEI Microdevices Corporation s top end 32 bit AK4399 1 was adopted after extended repetitive audio and system reliability auditions The 32 bit AKM D A converters with four circuits per channel are mounted on a separate analog audio board for each of the left and right channels and configured for dual mono operation with the same layout for each of the two channels The power supply has toroidal transformers specifically used for the analog audio circuits The transformers boast an ideal power supply capacity with a power supply that is separate from the transport power supply and e
11. xcellent channel separation achieved through a power configuration separated into right and left channels to enable high quality playback with rich localization and sonic depth High quality discrete buffer circuit with a high voltage power supply A discrete buffer output circuit with a high voltage power supply of 22 V has been deployed for the analog audio output following the technology used in the D 01 Full use is made of the exceedingly high drive capability and slew rate to provide a stress free playback capability for various signals from miniscule signals to high power output These powerful discrete buffer output circuits are laid out symmetrically for each of the hot cold signal lines to construct a rich and fully balanced configuration for XLR audio outputs Additionally a parallel buffer output configuration is implemented to switch the buffer amplifier to a parallel configuration when RCA audio outputs are used These enhancements provide advanced circuitry with the best sound quality for each of the balanced and unbalanced signal outputs Wide variety of D D conversion functions that support many source types A wide variety of D D conversion functions are implemented to match to your favorite source or to your personal sound quality preference These functions include a mode to convert DSD and PCM formats directly into analog signals as well as PCM up conversion to x 2 64 88 2 96 kHz or x 4 128 176 4 192 kH
12. z from the original sampling frequency and even a PCM to DSD conversion function is available 1 PCM signals from CD and or external digital devices Original Fs 32 44 1 48 88 2 96 176 4 192 kHz X 2 64 88 2 96 kHz x 4 128 176 4 192 kHz up conversion PCM to DSD conversion 2 SACD DSD signals DSD native playback Four types of digital filters and digital filter Off mode The K 03 features four types of digital filters for PCM signal processing In addition to two types of FIR digital filters that have a reputation for outstanding sound quality two types of short delay digital filters are featured These filters often referred to as apodizing filters eliminate the pre echo and ringing effects in the impulse waveform to reproduce the audio signal as a more nature and precise sound void of the artifacts often associated with CD recording The Digital Filter Off mode which bypasses all 4 of the digital filters is also provided You can select any of the digital filters or the off mode according to your preference Three digital input systems to support a high sampling rate Even when you use the K 03 as a discrete D A converter for a high sampling rate source the K 03 makes the most of the astonishing quality of its 32 bit dual mono D A converters The K 01 features three systems of input USB coaxial and optical and these digital inputs support high sampling rate sources up to 24 bit 192 kHz USB input support
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