Esoteric P/70 D/70 upgrade

I think you should audition the meridian 808 reference player. It is the best sounding 1 box player I have ever heard. I sold my esoteric x01 limited to get one after doing side by side comparisons for over 2 weeks. The player is magical and by far the best redbook player out there. The esoteric may have a more "durable" transport but the music from the meridian is just awesome

Which proves Mitch7711, that an 'best' player does not really exist in an absolute sense. You will have to listen to a few of these top-dogs and decide by yourself.

I can't respond on the "upgrade" because, although I have heard the P70/D70 in someone else's system, I haven't compared them to the X-01 Limited in mine. I can tell you that the Limited is an excellent CD player and an absolutely extraordinary SACD player, and that while there is limited availability of SACD's, the medium is vastly superior to CD. Let's hope it doesn't die. While it's around, I'd grab whatever titles appeal, and they do keep sneaking out in dribs and drabs. It's the "wait and see" which is dooming it. Meridian has supported DVD-A, and that has truly died, without a twentieth of the titles that have made it onto SACD. I also have Mac-501's, but have a Rowland Synergy 2i between them and the Limited. The combination is quite extraordinary.

Hi Mitch,

Please do audition the Meridian 808.
I own one myself and have also compared it to the X-o1.
The 808 is the better sounding player by far.
At first there is much more rythem in the music.
The focus is better,the soundstage is more realistic,the instruments are more "organic".

The only thing that was better on the X-01 were the "sub"frequenties on DSD.
But then again thats the only better thing about SACD.(musicaly seen)

Best Regards,

Menno Keizer

Interesting Leonx, did you experience the X-01 to manifest a form of arythmia? I am also not terribly sure about the meaning of the word organic in this musical context. Please let us know. Guido

I ( Bobby ) and Menno did compare the X-O1 and 808i, and the 808 was by far a better player than the X-O1. It was superior in playing redbook cd's, but I also found this player better when we compared the X-o1 with sacd and the same recording at the 808 at redbook cd. They only advantage of the Esoteric is the low freq when played at sacd. But the 808 wins by having a much better individual focus. And it had a soul, and this is missing by the Esoteric. The 808 had so much more texture in the mid freq. as it sould be. You hear much more nuances and this gives you so much more pleasure. Listen to them both and you understand. Soon Menno and I will compare the 808i with my 800 dax v4. The 8081 can also play dvd-a and dvd's. Only the music, but that is the most important part. It makes a downmix from a dvd and this is stunning. It gives a bigger soundstage in the length and also in the depth.

I did a lot of testing between DVD-A and SACD. Al the dvda's where superior to the sacd's. All the dvd-a's had more depth information, more resolution, better individual focus and a mid what sounded more natural. Buy soms recording's on dvd'a and the same one on sacd and you know what I mean. Compare them and then write me back again. Sacd is missing good individual focus and also the proportions of instruments and voices are often to big. Sacd has many faillers, it only is stunning in the low freq. And no I am not a fan of DVD-A. I am a fan of good music.

Did you compare the X01 limited and the 808 Signature?

Not the limited version