Esoteric K01: What are the best settings for CD?

Hi Guido,

I have reviewed many of your previous comments regarding the K01and your wonderful review of the K01. I am now using a break-in disc with settings on 4X up sampling and slow delay 2 filter. I am amazed that you have had the time and discipline to break in all of the combinations and analyze the differences in such detail.

I do agree with all of your comments above.

What power cords have you tried with the K01?
Which power cord do you like best and why?
I currently use the K01 on a dedicated line with the stock power cord.

I read in one of your recent responses that you had the K01 for nine months. I am curious, why did you get rid of it?
What are you using for your front end now?

Thank you for your very thoughtful and intelligent analysis.

Best,
Matjet

Guido:
One additional comment:

My K01 always sounds terrific, at all times. But, I have found that the K01 sounds even sweeter smoother, more alive with better harmonics, detail, transients, dynamics, sound staging and imaging (on all settings) after it has run for a few days non-stop. My amps, Krell 600e mono blocks, are also kept on while breaking-in the K01. The extensive warm-up apparently makes a significant difference.

By the way, I use a Kimber Cable balanced connection 1 meter KS1136 (Kimbrer's top of the line silver) connected to a Krell 707 processor in straight pre-amp mode. All pre-amp to amp connections are MMF CAST.

What are your thoughts on how much warm up time is required to reach peak performance?

Thanks again,
MATJET

Hi Guido,

I received your email, the information is extremely helpful. I am not sure if my response reached you so I am adding a comment to the thread, hopefully you will see it.

I am using dedicated lines for my amps (Krell 600e mono blocks), processor/pre-amp (Krell 707), and the Esoteric K01. I use 240v lines for the amps, 120v for everything else. I am using stock power cords for all of my equipment. I do not use a power conditioner.

I have no problems with radio interference or hum. The equipment is extremely quiet and music emerges out of a dead silent 'black background'.

Please explain how the Shunyata King Cobra CS cable would improve the sound. Also, how would a Shunyata Triton improve my system? Adding 4 King Cobra CS power cables and a Triton is a significant expense; is it worth the cost?

Krell warns not to run their big amps through power conditioners. Also, their amps can operate with 120v lines, but the company strongly recommends 240 lines for their big amps. Therefore I would probably use the Triton for the K01, Krell 707, tuner, turntable, etc., not the amps.

Apparently, the King Cobra CS is discontinued, replaced by the Anaconda Zitron. I may be able to get the King Cobra CS for $1750 (approx. 50% off). The Anaconda Zitron retails for $2995. Any thoughts on performance of these two products? Is the Anaconda Zitron worth the additional cost?

Thanks again for your help.
MATJET

Hi Matjet,
I am another K-01 fan, having just acquired it a few months back.
I concur with your experience regarding warm-up time. I leave mine on all the time and put it on repeat play for 2 hours before serious listening.
I run it direct to my power amps via Kimber Select 1130(one notch below your 1136) balanced interconnects.
The thing about choosing the "right" filter and/or upsampling is about personal taste, your system context and the recording. My personal preference is FIR1 with no upsampling but with certain recordings, I use FIR2. When I switch from no upsampling to 2x or 4x, I notice a grainier texture to the sound. The difference is more obvious when you switch from 2x or 4x to no upsampling. Of course, this is all in the context of my system.
With regard to recordings, the following labels have their own "house" sound - ECM, Impulse Jazz, Telarc, Mercury Living Presence SACD, Concord Jazz, JVC XRCD, to name a few. So, you can tailor the options accordingly.
The observation by Guido about AC power conditioners, cables, etc, is very true. The K-01 transforms in very significant ways with changes to these ancillaries. When I placed my Shunyata Triton power conditioner on an isolation platform and ball bearings, the K-01 expanded the soundstage in depth, width and height, enriched tonal colors, and lowered the noise floor even further such that its already fine resolution becomes more appreciable.
The K-01 is a technological marvel and a delight for the hobbyist to experiment with all the different settings. Enjoy!

Hi Matjet, hoping the system cooperates with me today, here is my post from yesterday... am not at all surprised if you find that warm up time is necessary on K-01. I always left K-01 on all the time, and if I wanted to do some critical listening, I put it on repeat play for a few hours while listening to my favorite radio station to pass the time.

I did not "get rid" of the K-01 at all... But resources being limited under.... uhrn, marital concerns.... I had to choose between purchasing the Vienna Die Muzik and the marvellous K-01... So the K-01 review unit had to go back to TEAC *sigh!

Concerning PCs, my absolute favorite PC for all my equipment has been the Shunyata King Cobra CX. However I have heard that some of the members of the newer Z-Tron series from the same company may outperform it. Reason for liking King Cobra CX... the usual.... That marvellous sense of sinking into musical reality with revealing detail, depth of field, and no listening strain.

K-01 performs best fed from a dedicated outlet.... better staging and imaging in general, and I have some tracks that can otherwise show traces of brittleness in chorded higher bowed strings.

power conditioning... My favorite is the Shunyata Triton... have not found one that can yield the same magic yet, consistent with what Shunyata cords do for living, and what I deem to be music.

Footers/spikes.... I have tried Nordost Kones (Aluminum, Bronze, and Titanium)... I was conjecturing that I would like Bronze Kones best, but the most elegant sound with exposed rippling harmonics and lack of glare was from the Titanium variety.

Saluti, G.