Master Sound Discrete DAC

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

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.

Network Audio

With network audio, you can realize the opulent dream of full access to all your music with superior sound quality from the comfort of your listening position. All that is required besides the audio system is a regular home LAN (such as a Wi-Fi router), tablet or smartphone, and a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device for storing your music library. With these components, you can easily begin a life of relaxing music enjoyment with uncompromising quality.
The N-01XD features noticeable improvements in network playback quality, including the latest developments in network modules that supports 22.5MHz DSD and linear power supply technology without any switching elements.

Compatible with a Wide Range of Audio Sources

The N-01XD is compatible with 22.5MHz DSD, 384kHz/32-bit PCM playback and a host of other formats (DSF, DSDIFF, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, MP3, AAC and MQA). Gapless playback capability is also offered in all lossless formats.

Begin your encounters with new music through TIDAL, a high-end music streaming service that has officially partnered with Esoteric. TIDAL's lossless music distribution service operates on a fixed rate basis. Offering instant access to its enormous sound library, TIDAL enables users to enjoy their favorite music online with excellent sound quality.
Learn more here: TIDAL

Esoteric is an official partner of Qobuz, the leading Hi-Res music streaming and download service in Europe. Benefit from 1 month Free Qobuz Hi-Fi trial (worth = £19,99€)
Learn more here: Qobuz

Roon is the most engaging, enjoyable way to browse your music. Being Roon Ready means that Esoteric network players transparently discover and connect to Roon, with no network configuration, with bit perfect delivery of audio to your dac. Together, Roon and Esoteric deliver the power, flexibility, and performance benefits of networked audio, with the easiest setup and highest reliability available.
Learn more here: Roon labs

Spotify is an on-line music streaming service delivering over 40 million music. Two types of services are provided, a basic service called "Spotify Free" for free, and on-demand and high-quality sound subscription serive called "Spotify Premium" at flat rate.
Learn more here: Spotify

MQA is an award-winning technology that delivers master quality audio in a file that's small enough to stream or download. Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA captures and authenticates the sound of the original studio performance.
Learn more here:MQA 

Music Server Function

The N-01XD has two USB-A ports, one each on its front and rear panels, that enable connection of up to two large-capacity USB storage devices (USB flash drive, external USB HDD/SDD, etc.) for use as a music server. This allows easy music playback even without a separate NAS for people who find NAS configuration to be too complicated and troublesome. 

*HDD/SDD cannot be installed inside the N-01XD unit itself.*

Equipped with Four Powerful Independent Power Supplies

The key to the powerful and deep, rich sound provided by the N-01 and D-02X lies in their high-performance power supplies. The N-01XD features significant enhancements to its power supply to ensure it delivers even more robust, lifelike sound.

Its built-in D/A converter features a total of four independent toroidal power transformers, one each for the right and left channels, digital circuits, and network module. The DAC's regulator utilizes a low-feedback DC regulator for minimizing feedback in a discrete configuration that uses no integrated circuits, but instead adopts technology obtained in the development of the Grandioso P1X Super Audio CD Transport and D1X Monoblock D/A Converter. The result is a powerful, expansive sound.

 Esoteric Sound Stream

Esoteric Sound Stream is an Apple iOS/Android network playback app for smartphones and tablets designed with an emphasis on both sound quality and intuitive operability. Musical tracks can be easily selected using the smartphone/ tablet to create a customized playlist for later playback. All screens have been intuitively designed for simple operation and access to playlists and libraries, making it easy for anyone to use. Yet it also offers an extensive range of refined features that meet the demands of even the most experienced users.

Key to this achievement is a superb search and retrieval function that fully utilizes tag information. Images can also be stored using the app, enabling the user to instantly scroll through album artwork and libraries according to artist, year of recording, composer or other categories. This use of tag information even allows tracks that have the same name but different formats to be easily identified onscreen. 

Specifications