Esoteric Amplifiers

[CnoEvil]

As to source, you are probably quite right Cno. USB is in a DAC board Rick installed for me. Async USB, so it should be fine. Linn streamer would be great, I have no doubt. But would it be better or just different. I'm sure it would only confuse me for a week or two.

All it takes, is to hear the difference the hierarchy in the Linn Range makes....no confusion, just better in every department, while keeping their House sound.

My point was not necessarily to use Linn, but to give an idea of the quality needed.....which Mac discovered in his Streaming adventure. IME. You cannot really get to grips with an amp of that quality, until you use a Source of similar talent. This is hard to get across, as it's something you have to witness for youself....and it can be a bit of an eye opener. It's why a highend system is so expensive. In fact, I'd rather have speakers as the weak link, as they will be made sound as good as they can...whereas all brilliant speakers/amp will do, is highlight the inadequacies of a cheaper Source.

I heard this in a Kef/Arcam demo evening, where the 1k Arcam CD/Streamer held back the A49/Ref 3 system...making it all a bit unpleasant when it was turned up....not something that happened in the same system with the Linn ADS.

 

[insider9]

What I meant was if compared to Esoteric DAC board I'm currently using. I don't doubt Linn sounds better when you go up the range.

 

[CnoEvil]

What I meant was if compared to Esoteric DAC board I'm currently using. I don't doubt Linn sounds better when you go up the range.

Sorry, I forgot it had a DAC. I suppose it then gets into the argument of what you feed the DAC with and how it might effect things.....on that score, I'm not sure I can help.

 

[insider9]

It is a fully balanced, dual mono DSD DAC board. Fed from huge power supply. Having been installed inside the amp it has the shortest signal path as well. Sure, it may not matter as much with it being balanced but removes "what cables are you using?" debate

DAC board is £1,100 upgrade (making the package £9,600). I'm running it via async USB. It's based on an AKM 4490 chip with selectable filters for both PCM and DSD. I've not tried different filters, yet. Having read how much care has gone into this amplifier desing I'm sure it's good enough in the eyes of Esoteric. Otherwise they wouldn't sell it. I suspect it also closely matches sonic traits of the amp, but that for now is only speculation.

Would it sound even better with £10k source? I don't see why not.

 

[Singslinger]

I've listened to Esoteric amps driving Focal speakers in my dealer's showroom several times.

In my view, their presentation is dry, transparent and neutral, as opposed to warm, organic or pacy (when paired with Esoteric SACD and network players).

Quite similar to the Swiss brand Soulutions, if you've ever heard these amps.

Very well made and with a type of sound that will appeal to those who value neutrality and transparency.

How much of that sound do you you think was down to the Focal Speakers?

Good question!

I'd have to confess that I'm not absolutely sure, and have to add that I'm not a big fan of Focal speakers, even their higher-end models. Too harsh and bright for me.

 

[nopiano]

I've listened to Esoteric amps driving Focal speakers in my dealer's showroom several times.

In my view, their presentation is dry, transparent and neutral, as opposed to warm, organic or pacy (when paired with Esoteric SACD and network players).

Quite similar to the Swiss brand Soulutions, if you've ever heard these amps.

Very well made and with a type of sound that will appeal to those who value neutrality and transparency.

How much of that sound do you you think was down to the Focal Speakers?

Good question!

I'd have to confess that I'm not absolutely sure, and have to add that I'm not a big fan of Focal speakers, even their higher-end models. Too harsh and bright for me.

+1

 

[Macspur]

Anything to report yet Insider?

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

 

[insider9]

I'll be posting shortly *mail1* Hang on a little bit longer, as I type.

 

[insider9]

Here's what I wrote on Monday.

Ok, here goes a few things to consider. I'm not referring to individual tracks below, only albums. All listening was done via USB input at native resolution or upsampled to DSD64, with local FLAC files and Tidal Hifi. Various volume levels were used. These are only selected observations about the sound.

***

First thing that struck me, listening to System of a Down "Toxicity" was the clarity. Serj Tankian's vocals are generally difficult to understand. It isn't down to enunciation, but the speed and ferocity with which he's belting out lines. Esoteric makes them much easier to follow and connect with. Overall clarity means a lot of detail too and wonderfull imaging.

I've pushed it really hard with no fatigue (neither me, nor the amp), but it's the low level performace that I find remarkable. Level of detail and intimacy when listening around midnight to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" gives me goosebumps just writing about it. And the vocals are glorious.

Tonally it is a richer sounding amp. Dry and neutral remarks above surprise me. Full of timbral flavour with wonderfully open midrange, sparkly treble and beautifully low bass.

One criticism, if it is criticism at all is it needs good quality recordings. Ideally of unamplified / vocal nature.

 

[insider9]

First impressions are excellent. Build quality is exceptional. It may sound weird for a £10k unit but just the way it looks and feels give you impression of good value for money. I must admit I'm a real sucker for the way this amp looks. Just walking into the room and looking at it puts a smile on my face.

Esoteric logo and its model appear on the screen during power up. It's easy to use. Of course it is, it's only an amp. What I do like, a lot, is the volume pot. Volume can be set in increments of half dB. Built in DAC doesn't show any obvious weaknesses (for most part, read on). I didn't compare it against other sources though.

I've done quite a bit of listening for the review just as well as normal listening. What's the difference? I don't take notes when listening for pleasure. I also don't focus as much. It's also difficult to review a piece of equipment on music you've never heard before. Last bit in particular makes it more difficult as I do like to listen to new music.

The first few days although I did appreciate many of its virtues something didn't quite click. I wasn't sure if it was just because of direct comparion to Leema and Hegel, warm up or other factors.

You may see from comments made above I wasn't bowled over. Breakthrough came when I started playing with DAC settings. DAC has 4 filters and an "Off" position for PCM. My initial listening was at "Off" setting. The setting I finally settled on is called "SDLY2." Please don't ask me to check what it means in the manual. Sonically, it improved sense of timing immensely. Which for me is very important. I can't pinpoint any other differences. One of the reasons why I was trying not to post immediately as it could give a wrong impression. Experience with Leema was similar at first, again due to source.

All I can say that since chanign DAC settings, my review notes are getting longer and more descriptive by the album. Thus far I've mainly listened to Jazz, but there's so much more coming. It's an amazing amplifier, but I don't fully understand it yet. It will take time. But the experience has been great so far.

 

[Macspur]

First impressions are excellent. Build quality is exceptional. It may sound weird for a £10k unit but just the way it looks and feels give you impression of good value for money. I must admit I'm a real sucker for the way this amp looks. Just walking into the room and looking at it puts a smile on my face.

Esoteric logo and its model appear on the screen during power up. It's easy to use. Of course it is, it's only an amp. What I do like, a lot, is the volume pot. Volume can be set in increments of half dB. Built in DAC doesn't show any obvious weaknesses (for most part, read on). I didn't compare it against other sources though.

I've done quite a bit of listening for the review just as well as normal listening. What's the difference? I don't take notes when listening for pleasure. I also don't focus as much. It's also difficult to review a piece of equipment on music you've never heard before. Last bit in particular makes it more difficult as I do like to listen to new music.

The first few days although I did appreciate many of its virtues something didn't quite click. I wasn't sure if it was just because of direct comparion to Leema and Hegel, warm up or other factors.

You may see from comments made above I wasn't bowled over. Breakthrough came when I started playing with DAC settings. DAC has 4 filters and an "Off" position for PCM. My initial listening was at "Off" setting. The setting I finally settled on is called "SDLY2." Please don't ask me to check what it means in the manual. Sonically, it improved sense of timing immensely. Which for me is very important. I can't pinpoint any other differences. One of the reasons why I was trying not to post immediately as it could give a wrong impression. Experience with Leema was similar at first, again due to source.

All I can say that since chanign DAC settings, my review notes are getting longer and more descriptive by the album. Thus far I've mainly listened to Jazz, but there's so much more coming. It's an amazing amplifier, but I don't fully understand it yet. It will take time. But the experience has been great so far.

Thanks for the update Insider, insightful as ever... I look forward to more

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

 

[Vladimir]

The Esoteric F-05 attenuation is digital?

Is Accuphase still using that amazing analogue stepped attenuation AAVA? That's insane stuff. The tourbillon complication of amplifiers.

 

[insider9]

PREAMPLIFIER SECTION[/b]



A Fully Balanced Preamplifier[/b]

One result of the lavish attention given to the development of the F Series is the preamplifier's fully balanced configuration, which derives from our highly esteemed C Series preamplifier models. Impervious to noise, it delivers pure and powerful signal amplification at ultra-low impedance.

Dual Monaural by Design[/b]

The one design feature of these amplifiers that most clearly reflects Grandioso thinking is their dual monaural configuration, which maintains complete left and right channel independence through all stages, from preamplifier to the power amplifier's final stage. As Esoteric integrated amplifiers, the major investments made in circuit construction expertise and materials developed over the years yield excellent channel separation and a measure of sound quality that transcends the class.

ESOTERIC-QVCS[/b]

Playing a significant role in the F Series' balanced dual monaural configuration is the proprietary Quad Volume Control System (QVCS), which incorporates a total of four precision switched resistor ladder networks operating in unison to electronically and independently control the left and right channels and their positive and negative phases. This system helps maintain superb audio clarity, excellent channel separation and highly accurate phase characteristics. Further, by eliminating all volume control wiring on the audio board, the resulting shorter signal path minimizes deterioration of sound quality while realizing exceptionally low distortion.

 

[Macspur]

The Esoteric F-05 attenuation is digital?

Is Accuphase still using that amazing analogue stepped attenuation AAVA? That's insane stuff. The tourbillon complication of amplifiers.

Yes they are.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

 

[insider9]

Volume control really is very, very good. I like the fact that the longer you press volume down/up button on the remote, speed with which volume changes increases. It allows you to make more sudden adjustments. Very helpful if you've just listened to high dynamic range album with volume cranked up and are about to play something compressed that could otherwise give you a scare.

Individual presses result in small adjustments. As small as half dB. It reminds me of Class D Primare in this regard, although Primare doesn't show dB on their displays. It's a simple feature that's often executed quite poorly, but Esoteric got it spot on.

 

[Vladimir]

Wow, nice. It's good to see Esoteric has gone the same path like Accuphase, albeit with the more conventional ladder resistor network. From what I can observe it abides the general engineering philosophy implemented throughout the amp.

No amplifier with a classical analogue volume pot -regardless how well made- can be considered true high end. Such complicated attenuation as we see in this F-05 is a must.

 

[Infiniteloop]

I've listened to Esoteric amps driving Focal speakers in my dealer's showroom several times.

In my view, their presentation is dry, transparent and neutral, as opposed to warm, organic or pacy (when paired with Esoteric SACD and network players).

Quite similar to the Swiss brand Soulutions, if you've ever heard these amps.

Very well made and with a type of sound that will appeal to those who value neutrality and transparency.

How much of that sound do you you think was down to the Focal Speakers?

Good question!

I'd have to confess that I'm not absolutely sure, and have to add that I'm not a big fan of Focal speakers, even their higher-end models. Too harsh and bright for me.

+1

I love my Focals. All I can say is that you may not have heard them with the right amplification.

 

[nopiano]

I've listened to Esoteric amps driving Focal speakers in my dealer's showroom several times.

In my view, their presentation is dry, transparent and neutral, as opposed to warm, organic or pacy (when paired with Esoteric SACD and network players).

Quite similar to the Swiss brand Soulutions, if you've ever heard these amps.

Very well made and with a type of sound that will appeal to those who value neutrality and transparency.

How much of that sound do you you think was down to the Focal Speakers?

Good question!

I'd have to confess that I'm not absolutely sure, and have to add that I'm not a big fan of Focal speakers, even their higher-end models. Too harsh and bright for me.

+1

I love my Focals. All I can say is that you may not have heard them with the right amplification.

I do believe you, infinite, but I’ve tried to like them several times, but never succeeded. Once with high end Marantz amps which I thought would suit them too, with Ken Ishiwata himself overseeing proceedings.

It can be hard to shake off negative views, though I think I’m open minded. For example, I never thought I’d move from a Sonus faber until I heard my ATCs. But that’s sort of the opposite. There’s not much I actively dislike, but so far, Focal speakers sadly is one of the few. I promise I’ll keep trying!!

 

[Infiniteloop]

I've listened to Esoteric amps driving Focal speakers in my dealer's showroom several times.

In my view, their presentation is dry, transparent and neutral, as opposed to warm, organic or pacy (when paired with Esoteric SACD and network players).

Quite similar to the Swiss brand Soulutions, if you've ever heard these amps.

Very well made and with a type of sound that will appeal to those who value neutrality and transparency.

How much of that sound do you you think was down to the Focal Speakers?

Good question!

I'd have to confess that I'm not absolutely sure, and have to add that I'm not a big fan of Focal speakers, even their higher-end models. Too harsh and bright for me.

+1

I love my Focals. All I can say is that you may not have heard them with the right amplification.

I do believe you, infinite, but I’ve tried to like them several times, but never succeeded. Once with high end Marantz amps which I thought would suit them too, with Ken Ishiwata himself overseeing proceedings.

It can be hard to shake off negative views, though I think I’m open minded. For example, I never thought I’d move from a Sonus faber until I heard my ATCs. But that’s sort of the opposite. There’s not much I actively dislike, but so far, Focal speakers sadly is one of the few. I promise I’ll keep trying!!

If you don’t like ‘em, you don’t like ‘em!

It would be a really boring world if we all liked the same things.

They are really good with big valves though.

 

[nopiano]

I've listened to Esoteric amps driving Focal speakers in my dealer's showroom several times.

In my view, their presentation is dry, transparent and neutral, as opposed to warm, organic or pacy (when paired with Esoteric SACD and network players).

Quite similar to the Swiss brand Soulutions, if you've ever heard these amps.

Very well made and with a type of sound that will appeal to those who value neutrality and transparency.

How much of that sound do you you think was down to the Focal Speakers?

Good question!

I'd have to confess that I'm not absolutely sure, and have to add that I'm not a big fan of Focal speakers, even their higher-end models. Too harsh and bright for me.

+1

I love my Focals. All I can say is that you may not have heard them with the right amplification.

I do believe you, infinite, but I’ve tried to like them several times, but never succeeded. Once with high end Marantz amps which I thought would suit them too, with Ken Ishiwata himself overseeing proceedings.

It can be hard to shake off negative views, though I think I’m open minded. For example, I never thought I’d move from a Sonus faber until I heard my ATCs. But that’s sort of the opposite. There’s not much I actively dislike, but so far, Focal speakers sadly is one of the few. I promise I’ll keep trying!!

If you don’t like ‘em, you don’t like ‘em!

It would be a really boring world if we all liked the same things.

They are really good with big valves though.

...and big valves are another area I’ve yet to explore too! Now, where is my Premium Bond?!

 

[stereoman]

It would, and a huge dent in your bank account... ;-)

I am going to have to sell a kidney. Might have to sell both! Who needs kidneys anyway.

lol..