Esoteric P03 / D03 vs MSB Platinum Data cdIV transport plus Signature power base

infinitely baffled

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Hi guys
Had a casualty over the break....sat down for a session New Years Eve, and two tracks in to my first cd my beloved YBA CD1 Delta 3box gave up the ghost. I will try to get the mechanism repaired, but replacements are like hen's teeth and repairs always take forever, so in the meantime I'm planning to buy an understudy - replacement

What do i love about the YBA?
It has a wonderful, natural organic sound, both meaty and solid in the bass while ethereal in the mids and treble, with terrific PRaT and slam. To my ears it sounds pure analogue, and thus far i haven't heard another cdp that comes close....but then again i haven't heard any of the current crop.
The three boxes comprise Transport, and two power supplies, one for each of the onboard dacs stereo channel's analogue circuits

My current contenders, based on what's available, are an Esoteric P03 / D03 for £7500 s/h, or an MSB Platinum Data cd IV Transport, plus Signature power base for £2795 s/h, this will require an additional dac.

My YBA doesn't appear to accept digital in, unless I'm mistaken. There's just a pair of rca outputs and a coaxial connection, is that likely to be a digital input? Currently i use that connection to ground the chassis, Entreq style to an Olympus Tellus, while the output signal is also stereo grounded

If it were a possibility I'd be strongly tempted to use the MSB transport and the onboard YBA dac, and audition a tasty MSB dac when funds permit.
Another option is to mate the MSB transport with another company's dac, Lampizator etc. I am open to any suggestions here

Thank you for your thoughts
gavin
 

spiritofmusic

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Gavin, though not on yr list, I can heartily recommend Eera cdp's. I run the Tentation, and know someone who has a hugely modded (by Fidelity Audio) example, that sounds simply stunning. PM me if you'd like me to put you in contact w him.

Ticks all the boxes you specify, with a hugely holistic, fluid and textured sound. Cd only, no Sacd.
 
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infinitely baffled

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Thanks for the suggestion Marc, i will look into it However after perhaps the quickest deliberation ever I've agreed to buy the Esotetic combo.
Once i read a few reviews the lure became irresistable, and being that since that happened my only source is my tablet i really didnt want to hang about.

Also by happy convenience Alain also has my repaired-&awaiting -reinstallation AF 301analogue front end, and can bring them both on his next visit, two birds one stone, sealing the deal

So if anyone thinks I'm making a terrible mistake there's maybe ten days to dissuade me

In the reviews of the Esoteric P03 / D03 they talk about it's state of the digital art bass presentation, i like the build quality and the fact that there is one of the biggest names in the business standing behind it, given how fragile boutique brands can be, YBA being a classic example.
If i was confident i could keep my CD 1 Delta running i probably wouldn't even be making this move, but the more i hear about this Esoteric combo the more excited i become

SACD isn't really on my radar....i dont come across any music in the genres i like in that format. So no problem really.

Would i be wrong to say it's mainly Classical, Jazz, audiophile easy listening and the kind of vocal driven music favoured by wealthy far eastern aduiophiles?
I'm not aware of any drum and bass or deep house in SACD...when i looked at the DCS website i could see their music selection bears no relation to what i play, tho i guess the product naming strategy tells you all you need to know about their focus

The MSB is still interesting, if the package had included an MSBdac for the same money as the Esoteric pair it would have stood a better chance. But at that price just for the transport, it would still be tempting to acquire anyway, run through the Esotetic dac and keep as a backup until i pick up an MSB dac, and compare with the Esoterics
Since it's available solo my hunch is that whoever sold it has kept the dac, and possibly converted to streaming so didn't need the transport anymore


Lastly, this decision conforms to my philosophy of keeping one generation behind the current SOTA, hoping to correctly identify the true design classics that emerge with time.
From what i can tell, the EP03 / D03 were at the cutting edge of the last generation, and perhaps once i've learned a bit more might even be upgradeable to current sota with dac and clock upgrades.
 

infinitely baffled

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Gavin, though not on yr list, I can heartily recommend Eera cdp's. I run the Tentation, and know someone who has a hugely modded (by Fidelity Audio) example, that sounds simply stunning. PM me if you'd like me to put you in contact w him.

Ticks all the boxes you specify, with a hugely holistic, fluid and textured sound. Cd only, no Sacd.
Ok that does sound kind of interesting....wonder if anyone has compared the Tentation and Esoteric

JackD is / was an owner, p'raps I'll ask him if he's still using it
 
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spiritofmusic

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JackD is the major reason I bought mine.
 
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infinitely baffled

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spiritofmusic

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Gavin, the best of the few Eera Tentation review was the Positive Feedback one from Robert Learner
Issue 58, 2011.

Really authentic description of what I'm hearing. Chat to Jack, and Albert Von Schwiekert.

It will never compete w the build of the Esoteric. But as a pure music making machine, totally compelling.
 
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infinitely baffled

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I have a lot of respect for the Positive Feedback reviews.
I found their review of Boulder 2060 to be very accurate and relatable
 

spiritofmusic

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Gavin, PMs sent re Eera contact and my Qs to you on supporting cd in an age where even previous proud cd adopters now pretend 5" discs never even existed.
 

spiritofmusic

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I have a lot of respect for the Positive Feedback reviews.
I found their review of Boulder 2060 to be very accurate and relatable
Gavin, that PF review on the Eera is 200% accurate. There's also a thread on WBF that I initiated 6 years ago that JackD added a lot to.
 

CKKeung

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Hi guys
Had a casualty over the break....sat down for a session New Years Eve, and two tracks in to my first cd my beloved YBA CD1 Delta 3box gave up the ghost. I will try to get the mechanism repaired, but replacements are like hen's teeth and repairs always take forever, so in the meantime I'm planning to buy an understudy - replacement

What do i love about the YBA?
It has a wonderful, natural organic sound, both meaty and solid in the bass while ethereal in the mids and treble, with terrific PRaT and slam. To my ears it sounds pure analogue, and thus far i haven't heard another cdp that comes close....but then again i haven't heard any of the current crop.
The three boxes comprise Transport, and two power supplies, one for each of the onboard dacs stereo channel's analogue circuits

My current contenders, based on what's available, are an Esoteric P03 / D03 for £7500 s/h, or an MSB Platinum Data cd IV Transport, plus Signature power base for £2795 s/h, this will require an additional dac.

My YBA doesn't appear to accept digital in, unless I'm mistaken. There's just a pair of rca outputs and a coaxial connection, is that likely to be a digital input? Currently i use that connection to ground the chassis, Entreq style to an Olympus Tellus, while the output signal is also stereo grounded

If it were a possibility I'd be strongly tempted to use the MSB transport and the onboard YBA dac, and audition a tasty MSB dac when funds permit.
Another option is to mate the MSB transport with another company's dac, Lampizator etc. I am open to any suggestions here

Thank you for your thoughts
gavin
Hello Gavin,

If you like your YBA so much, the Esoteric will not be your cup of tea.
Although all Esoterics are very well-built, their sonic character is nearly completely opposite to that of YBA.

And the MSB Data IV cd transport has been discontinued.
You found an used one in good condition?

Marc's suggestion of Eera is a very good choice.

Another nice choice is the Neodio Origine S2.
https://www.neodio.fr/en/hifi/origine-s2-cd-player-converter/
Now that the Neodio is selling direct or via resellers, the net prices have been lowered significantly.
https://www.neodio.fr/en/resellers/#top
Worth an audition!
 
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infinitely baffled

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Hello Gavin,

If you like your YBA so much, the Esoteric will not be your cup of tea.
Although all Esoterics are very well-built, their sonic character is nearly completely opposite to that of YBA.

And the MSB Data IV cd transport has been discontinued.
You found an used one in good condition?

Marc's suggestion of Eera is a very good choice.

Another nice choice is the Neodio Origine S2.
https://www.neodio.fr/en/hifi/origine-s2-cd-player-converter/
Now that the Neodio is selling direct or via resellers, the net prices have been lowered significantly.
https://www.neodio.fr/en/resellers/#top
Worth an audition!
Thank you for your suggestions.
That certainly is a beautiful machine, although it would take me an additional 3 months to get to that price point as this particular upgrade was unplanned:) However the uk distributor is suprisingly local to me, so it would be easier to arrange an audition than usual, and the perfectionist in me might be able to wait if it really is that impressive. But my instinct might be to continue with the purchase of the Esoteric, as both the Eera and the Neodio are brand new and i could trade the Esoteric in against either.

I hear what you say about the MSB, that does reduce its sheen somewhat.

With regard to the Esoteric sound, your comparison to the YBA presentation certainly made me take notice.
Could i just clarify...both reviews of this Esoteric pair acknowledge the company sound was as you describe, a little hard and analytical, basically the polar opposite of YBA. But they both make the point that that characteristic is not present with the P03 / D03, which is more musical, natural sounding and unfatiguing, and the better for it.
Might i ask, is your opinion based on the family sound, or on this specific model?

I think at this stage my plan is to continue with the Esoteric, then audition both the Eera and Neodio here, in my system, and compare to the Esoteric benchmark
The one reservation i have about the Eera is reviews describe it as not the last word in frequency extension. Actually, i have two reservations, the other is build quality.
The frequent breakdowns of my YBA left me questioning my luck, karma and life choices, as being stuck without music has been so challenging. However, as a wise man said, equipment does just break, and can just be unreliable. So build quality, serviceability, these are important things for me :)
But i will find some reviews of the Neodio and do some reading- thank you again for your advice
 

CKKeung

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Jun 17, 2011
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Thank you for your suggestions.
That certainly is a beautiful machine, although it would take me an additional 3 months to get to that price point as this particular upgrade was unplanned:) However the uk distributor is suprisingly local to me, so it would be easier to arrange an audition than usual, and the perfectionist in me might be able to wait if it really is that impressive. But my instinct might be to continue with the purchase of the Esoteric, as both the Eera and the Neodio are brand new and i could trade the Esoteric in against either.

I hear what you say about the MSB, that does reduce its sheen somewhat.

With regard to the Esoteric sound, your comparison to the YBA presentation certainly made me take notice.
Could i just clarify...both reviews of this Esoteric pair acknowledge the company sound was as you describe, a little hard and analytical, basically the polar opposite of YBA. But they both make the point that that characteristic is not present with the P03 / D03, which is more musical, natural sounding and unfatiguing, and the better for it.
Might i ask, is your opinion based on the family sound, or on this specific model?

I think at this stage my plan is to continue with the Esoteric, then audition both the Eera and Neodio here, in my system, and compare to the Esoteric benchmark
The one reservation i have about the Eera is reviews describe it as not the last word in frequency extension. Actually, i have two reservations, the other is build quality.
The frequent breakdowns of my YBA left me questioning my luck, karma and life choices, as being stuck without music has been so challenging. However, as a wise man said, equipment does just break, and can just be unreliable. So build quality, serviceability, these are important things for me :)
But i will find some reviews of the Neodio and do some reading- thank you again for your advice
Hello Gavin,
I understand that you must be in a hurry, because your YBA is down at this moment.
However please try to audition them before signing the cheque, particularly the Esoteric.

Esoteric is very popular in Hong Kong, and has been so for many years.
They are present in many retailer showrooms and nearly all of the local hifi shows and demos.
Many of my friends have them too so I do listen to many diff models of them over the years.
IMHO the real breakthrough in term of "musicality" is the newest Grandioso Series (P1X, D1X & K1X).
 
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infinitely baffled

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Understood?
Unusually for one of my purchases, i will be able to audition the Esoteric first, in my system at home. The broker who can supply the P03 D03 is due to visit me with my analogue front end after servicing it. He will also bring the Esoteric.
So if i don't get on with it, i won't go ahead
 
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CKKeung

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Understood?
Unusually for one of my purchases, i will be able to audition the Esoteric first, in my system at home. The broker who can supply the P03 D03 is due to visit me with my analogue front end after servicing it. He will also bring the Esoteric.
So if i don't get on with it, i won't go ahead
Happy hunting! :D
 
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JackD201

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This Far East Asian is a Beatport junkie :D

So I've been playing with the Majestuoso Sabre DAC for a few weeks now. System 1 with the Ultra 11s , Pictor and Centaur II 500 Stereo amp, System 2 with VR-44s and KR VA900 integrated. It retains the EERA house sound but differs slightly from the Tentation. It is slightly more extended but the lower output voltage makes it slightly less meaty. It is a relatively affordable DAC, relative to my mainstay CH C1-X1 and Light Harmonic Da Vinci II anyway. I find the input selector controls a bit quirky and switching USB in from an Aurender to a MB Pro has required me to reboot the DAC a couple of times. That is the full extent of my negative experiences so far. Build quality is up but the jury is still out on Didier's decision to use HDMi as his interface between the transport and the DAC for DSD and Is2. Ultimately it is agnostic to program material and IMO does layering of synth pads as well as most I wreckon. Just hard to touch the CH when it comes to that or layering of orchestral sections for that matter. Last set of tracks I chilled to were Ben Bohmer remixes. Father Ocean was a standout. No problems with rolling bass lines I love oh so much.
 
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spiritofmusic

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Jack, I've been trying to convince Gavin of the Eera signature. After 6 years ownership, I can't think of one box it doesn't tick. For me to effortlessly flip btwn cd to lp and back to cd w no "buyer's regret" says it all.
 

JackD201

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It is very analog sounding indeed Marc :) Tape like even :)

Hard to generalize but that appears to be the French digital aesthetic. NeoDio has been mentioned and of course YBA. Metronome follows the same vein too. it's a, shall I say, less technical sound. Some liberties are taken on transitions but 99 percent of the time I find it serves the musical message.
 
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spiritofmusic

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Jack, natural and organic, w fantastic texture and flow. That's how I'd sum up the Eera sound. With a spooky ability for real timbral accuracy and tonal variety disc to disc. Like the best analog, no two cds sound the same. That suggests plenty of resolution and ability to tease out instrumental flavour and micro inflections better than most.

I'm convinced had streaming not happened and right now in this parallel universe we had still all be buying our music on cd, Eera would be a very prominent name in the best systems, esp those vinylphiles like me who had struggled l/t to find cd playback an issue in even the top machines.
 
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infinitely baffled

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This Far East Asian is a Beatport junkie :D

So I've been playing with the Majestuoso Sabre DAC for a few weeks now. System 1 with the Ultra 11s , Pictor and Centaur II 500 Stereo amp, System 2 with VR-44s and KR VA900 integrated. It retains the EERA house sound but differs slightly from the Tentation. It is slightly more extended but the lower output voltage makes it slightly less meaty. It is a relatively affordable DAC, relative to my mainstay CH C1-X1 and Light Harmonic Da Vinci II anyway. I find the input selector controls a bit quirky and switching USB in from an Aurender to a MB Pro has required me to reboot the DAC a couple of times. That is the full extent of my negative experiences so far. Build quality is up but the jury is still out on Didier's decision to use HDMi as his interface between the transport and the DAC for DSD and Is2. Ultimately it is agnostic to program material and IMO does layering of synth pads as well as most I wreckon. Just hard to touch the CH when it comes to that or layering of orchestral sections for that matter. Last set of tracks I chilled to were Ben Bohmer remixes. Father Ocean was a standout. No problems with rolling bass lines I love oh so much.
Your ears must have been burning Jack:)thank you for your input
 

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