Volume 12, Issue 2
selections. Conversely, when delicate material was
involved, the volume could be turned way down with-
out losing resolution.
With the level of execution the Esoteric engineers
and designers have achieved, everything occurs at a
refined plateau. I observed that seemingly small
changes could result in very positive performance
increases. For example, take system noise floor. I have
found that the lower it is, the more abundant the details.
It is very thrilling to have the music materialize from
what appears to be a very dark and empty sonic space.
With this sense of stillness as the backdrop details are
allowed to emerge and are perceived in very stark relief.
Being more aware of all this “small stuff” accents our
sonic involvement.
The P-03 and D-03 went a long way to stage this
background of black nothingness. I found that I was
able listen
into
the music and the performance to a
newfound degree. It also seemed to be an added benefit
when listening at lower volume settings. The music
appeared to be more welcoming, more inviting. More of
the core values of music reproduction were brought out
in a far more discernable manner.
I observed first-rate transparency and the performers
were revealed to have more presence. The midrange
was simply exquisite. Bass was more defined and at the
same time more forceful. Nothing like good, clean heft.
There was no performer or instrument that was not
revealed in an new and enjoyable light. The whole
soundstage was “alive with the sound of music.”
All this emphasis on definition and detail might lead
some to suspect that this equipment is overtly analytical
at the expense of musical values. Not so by a long shot!
The P-03 and D-03 did an elegant balancing act when it
came to dealing with the analytical and musical aspects
of performance.
So much so, that in all my listening, neither aspect
made itself conspicuous at the expense of the other. I
actually never questioned it. It only became a consider-
ation during the evaluation process when it occurred to
me to bring it up for the sake of clarity.
During their extended stay with me, this Teac equip-
ment delivered exceptional performance every day of the
week and every hour of the day. Some say familiarity
breeds contempt, but this was absolutely not the case
here. I have gained nothing but the highest respect for
these pieces, a respect that increased the longer I had the
equipment. Time and time again, this equipment demon-
strated an uncanny ability to delve into the music in a
most resolving manner and to come up with an astound-
ing amount of newfound musical details. These details
appeared very naturally combined and culminated in a
display of an exceptionally engaging sonic panorama.
This was performance personified, refined and finessed to
the finest possible level in my experience.
The Sound of ...
Let me briefly mention my experiences with some of
the options. For the most part, I used the G-0s to clock
the P-03 and D-03, as this configuration allowed these
components to do their best. And that best was
absolutely superb. What the G-0s brings to the plate is a
bit more of that best, more air, more presence and more
soundspace. Disconnecting the G-0s clock, that is using
the D-03 to clock the P-03, produced a slightly less
refined sound, which lost some of some its verve and
refinement. In addition, this diminished the volume of
the recorded stage just enough to let me know that
some space was gone. My advice is to get the G-0s if
you can afford its $13,000 price. Is it indispensable?
No, not in my experience. It does provide enough of a
performance gain to take it seriously. But if you do not
have the scratch, don’t despair. The P-03, running off
the D-03 clock, will do just fine. And the G-0s can be
added later on.
I also did not succeed in getting the up-conversion
options of 44.1, 88.2 and 176.4 to work to my advan-
tage. My preferred setting was “Conv Off.” Whenever I
up-converted, I observed a slightly better sense of air
and spaciousness, but I also found the sound to thicken
up slightly, and there was a loss of drive and a dimin-
ished sense of ease. All in all, the misgivings I had were
not eased by any gains.
Up-converting all the way to DSD did produce a slight-
ly smoother sound. The presentation gained in expansive-
ness and transparency by maybe a notch. I could now
“peer” into the stage, and I observed everything to have a
touch more presence. But I also perceived a mild tendency
for some transients and sibilants to become a little forward.
Returning to the “Conv Off” mode on the P-03 provided
me with a more enjoyable atmosphere. Overall my prefer-
ence was the “Conv Off” mode.
The SACD story was a touch disappointing to me. I
could not get the Esoteric equipment to outdo the SACD
performance of my stock Sony SCD-1. This old
warhorse did a better job of conjuring up a more
thrilling and involving soundspace, and it had better
dynamics. The Esoteric P-03 and D-03 were able to pro-
vide a more vivid soundstage with credibly ornamented
instrumental timbres. To be fair, the Teac’s SACD per-
formance is excellent and will be a great boon for those
of us who do enjoy this format. But if you are going to
get the P-03 and D-03, it should first and foremost be
because of their formidable Red Book performance.
What’s the P-03 like on its own? That’s easy. The
Esoteric P-03 Transport is the best mechanical transport
that I have ever used. That includes all the areas of per-
formance, features, and flexibility. It easily tops the
Esoteric’s own D-70 – which I owned for two years –
and the X-01 sonically and in versatility.
I also compared the P-03 to a borrowed Wadia
270SE. This Wadia transport does use the VRDS mecha-
nism, but not at the NEO level. And here too, the P-03
came out on top. The 270SE just was not keeping up
with the P-03 when it came to replicating the sound-
stage intricacies. It was just a step behind in low-fre-
quency extension, and could not attain the P-03’s level
of overall fidelity. To be fair, the P-03 is also one of the
priciest transports around at $13,200. As far as
ergonomics are concerned, the P-03 is a total joy, and
its many handy features were easy to choose and use.
Sonically, the P-03 offers stellar performance. It pro-
vides a very evenly balanced yet highly resolved output.
It retrieved what I perceived to be the most subtle of
details. How can I say that about a transport? Well,
when I compared it to the other transports, including
the transport section of my own Sony SCD-1, the P-03
always did a better job.
I have found that sonic gains are usually easier to
discern in the soundstage area. It seems that it’s here
that the newfound minutiae have their most impact.
With the Esoteric P-03 in place, its resolution resulted in
