This peerless new Esoteric system has been designed from the ground up to showcase two unique innovations; a completely new VRDS-ATLAS transport and new in-house designed discreet DAC circuitry.
Grandioso P1X SE
£53,000
From NEO to ATLAS
It has been 16 years since the VRDS-NEO Super Audio CD transport mechanism first debuted in 2003. Improving on the NEO transport posed a difficult challenge, as it had long been praised as offering the highest audio reproduction performance in the industry. However, the design was totally reengineered from the ground up, resulting in a completely new platform that boasts unparalleled levels of structural refinement and audio fidelity.
The Highest Rigidity and Heaviest Construction in the History of VRDS
ATLAS boasts the highest rigidity and weight in the history of VRDS mechanisms. With its larger new SS400 steel side panels and bridge, the ATLAS is 27% heavier (6.6kg mechanism unit, 13.5kg including base) than the NEO, achieving both exceptional rigidity and impressive tone. It also dampens any and all vibration that might adversely affect audio quality. The turntable is machined from solid duralumin for excellent audio quality, and its spindle features a newly designed thrust bearing system. This friction-free one-point spindle support system ensures smooth, noiseless turntable rotation.
Wide & Low Center-of-Gravity Design
One of the keys to achieving the quietest mechanism in VRDS history is mechanical grounding technology that efficiently dampens vibration. By adopting a wide and low profile for the mechanism's design, the entire construction now features a low center of gravity. The turntable's drive system has also been refined and its motor moved to below the turntable from its previous position above the bridge, thus shortening the route for grounding vibration and greatly reducing mechanical noise.
Elegant Tray Mechanism Operation
The tray’s form has been designed for the least possible resonance by minimizing hollowing, and boasts exceptionally smooth opening and closing operation with very little play. The use of special vibration-damping elastomer resin also further minimizes tray resonance during music playback.
ES-Link5 Digital Transmission
Esoteric’s own ES-Link digital interface utilizes HDMI cables for
signal transmission. With the introduction of the P1X SE / D1X SE,
ES-Link has been further upgraded to Ver. 5 and supports an even wider
range of superior sound quality formats (Max. 22.5MHz DSD and
768kHz/48-bit PCM). HDMI's multi-conductor structure permits full
balance transmission of audio data and LR clock and bit clock signals.
This differs from regular digital transmission as signal modulation is
not required on the sender side and demodulation processing is not
required on the receiver side, thus dramatically reducing digital
processing loads on the DAC side and enabling ideal digital
transmission.
Dual-Chassis Construction with Separate Power Supply
The P1X SE’s power supply, as a fundamental source of vibration, has from its very first iteration been designed and constructed as a separate yet integral unit in order to achieve the quietest possible disc read characteristics and higher audio quality.
Four Independent Toroidal Power Supply Transformers
The power supply incorporates a total of four independent toroidal transformers, which provide each circuit with a clean and powerful supply of electricity.
Low-Feedback DC Regulators
Both the P1X SE and D1X SE feature low-feedback discrete DC regulators. The reduction in feedback level helps achieve a vibrantly energetic sound that seemingly overflows with a sensation of openness.
EDLC Super Capacitors
Both the P1X SE and D1X SE include EDLC* super capacitors throughout their power supply circuitry. The P1X utilizes a total of 38 EDLCs (with a combined capacity of 1,400,00μF or 1.4F), while the D1X features a total of 50 EDLCs (for a combined capacity of 1,300,000μF/1.3F) for the pair. Through this maximization of power supply capacity, remarkable improvements in low-range resolution and audio quality have been achieved.
* EDLC(Electric Double-Layer Capacitor): Developed as next-generation power devices for the electric vehicle industry, these capacitors are attracting wider attention as cutting-edge technology due to their exceptionally high capacitance.
Master Sound Discrete Clock for Digital Player
It is no exaggeration to say that the clock circuitry is the biggest
key to high sound quality in digital music reproduction. For its
flagship master clock generator Grandioso G1X, Esoteric has perfected
its own in-house manufactured OCXO clock module, the Master Sound
Discrete Clock. The G1X's unique discrete circuitry has been highly
acclaimed for its superior musical expressiveness, creating a buzz in
the world of high-end audio that has traditionally been described only
in terms of technical specifications.
Tech spec
Playable disc types
Super Audio CD, CD (including CD-R and CD-RW)
Digital audio outputs
ES-LINK
1
XLR
2 pairs(During Dual AES output, one connector each for left and right channels of a stereo pair)
RCA
1 pair
Clock input
BNC
1
Input imepedance
50Ω
Input level
Sine wave 0.5 to 1.0Vrms
Input frequency
10MHz (±10ppm)
Power consumption
20W
External dimensions (W×H×D)
Main unit 445 × 162 × 449mm / 17-⅝" × 6-½" × 17-¾" (including protrusions)
Power supply unit
445 × 132 × 452mm / 17-⅝" × 5-¼" × 17-⅞" (including protrusions)
Weight
Main unit
29kg / 64 lb
Power supply unit
24kg / 53 lb