Esoteric N-01XD Network DAC

Esoteric N-01XD Network DAC

The ultimate Network x DAC only ESOTERIC could achieve

An all unique circuit design called "Master Sound Discrete DAC", together with a further refined sound quality Network Module as core technology result in the ultimate Network Audio Player/DAC, the N-01XD. The outcome of ESOTERIC's passion that strives for the original master sound.

Our goal was to assemble a careful selection of rigorously tested discrete components into a complete circuit that could perfectly reproduce all the dynamics and energy of music, which is simply unattainable using ordinary integrated chips. Our top engineering teams put their pride on the line to design and produce a quality of sound that can only be found in our Master Sound Discrete DAC discrete D/A converter.

Luxurious Materials and Powerful Current Output

The N-01XD’s Master Sound Discrete DAC is the most revolutionary two-channel stereo DAC circuit in ESOTERIC’s history, and is based on the original circuit developed for the Grandioso D1X Monoblock D/A Converter. As an extension of the D1X’s design philosophy, an abundance of luxurious materials have been invested in the construction of N-01XD’s Master Sound Discrete DAC, including 32 separate elements for each channel. Each of these 32 elements, including such key components as a clock driver, logic circuitry, capacitors and resistors, are kept independent to ensure the purest output with virtually no loss of musical energy.

Advanced Digital Processing Capability

The N-01XD includes ESOTERIC’s exclusive Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ) modulator supporting 64-bit/512Fs audio frequency sampling. To perform D/A conversion on par with its excellent DSD and PCM characteristics, separate FPGA* digital processing algorithms were developed for each conversion process. This enables the N-01XD to extract the optimum sound quality from CDs, Super Audio CDs, and networks.
* FPGA: Field-Programmable Gate Array

Unique ESOTERIC-HCLD* Output Buffer Circuit with Enhanced Current Transmission

The N-01XD’s ESOTERIC-HCLD output buffer amplifier boasts an astonishing high-speed slew rate (response speed) of 2,000V/µs. Current transmission and speed—the most important factors in the design of any analog output circuit—have been pushed to the limits, while the array of EDLC** super capacitors used in the buffer circuit’s power supply provide a staggering capacitance of 250,000μF per channel for solid bass support and exceptional reproduction of all the dynamism of music coupled with a sense of realism that is truly breathtaking.

High-Quality ES-LINK Analog Current Transmission

In addition to its standard XLR and RCA line connections, the N-01XD is also equipped with Esoteric’s own ES-LINK Analog current transmission system. Taking full advantage of the robust stream of current supplied by its HCLD buffer circuitry makes the N-01XD less susceptible to the detrimental effects of signal path  impedance, ensuring more pure and powerful signal transmission that maximizes system potential to deliver outstanding analogue audio output transmission when connected to comparable components. 

Transport Connections for Super Audio CD playback

The N-01XD supports Esoteric’s proprietary ES-LINK digital wideband transmission standard. An Esoteric transport can also be connected using either two HDMI cables or a single XLR cable to enable playback of Super Audio CDs.

*ES-LINK is an ultra-wideband digital interface developed exclusively by Esoteric. Like our flagship Grandioso D1X Monoblock D/A Converter, the N-01XD’s ES-LINK has also been upgraded to Version 5 to support wide-range transmission using two HDMI cables (Max: 22.5MHz DSD  or 768kHz/48-bit PCM). The HDMI multi-cable configuration is used for fully balanced audio data, LR clock, and bit clock signal transmission. In contrast to regular digital transmission, no processing is required for signal modulation at the sending side or for demodulation at the receiving side, thus allowing a significant reduction in the DAC’s digital processing load to help realize pure digital signal transmission with near perfect optimization.