It would be easy to write off any new stereo disc player as anachronistic in this streaming-dominated age. However, that isn’t how we see things. We know many of our readers still have huge CD collections and want to get the best from them. And right now, we can’t think of a better way to do it than on Esoteric’s magnificent new K-05XD SACD/CD player. At £11,650 / $12,000 / AU$15,000, it comes in at the top-end of the market – but hey, such quality always costs. And this is the Temptation Award, after all. Tempted, then? You might well be after reading what this talented machine can do.
Rather than simply buy-in the mechanisms from OEM suppliers, as most other companies do, Esoteric has gone down the bespoke route for the K-05XD with its proprietary VRDS transports; the initials stand for Vibration-free Rigid Disc clamping System.
