Esoteric P-03 - Manual (Page 5)

5
Highly rigid chassis completely eliminates internal and external
vibrations preventing sound quality deterioration
The bottom plate of the chassis that supports the mechanisms is 5 mm thick and weighs 6 kg.
Thick aluminum is used in the top, side, bottom and front panels. Esoteric-exclusive pinpoint feet
(patent pending) made of quenched steel support the chassis. Every possible effort has been
accorded to precision in the mounting of mechanical parts, the rigidity of the housing and
eliminating sympathetic vibration. The thick, brushed-aluminum front, top, bottom and side panels
contribute to a sense of quality and elegance found only in high-end Super Audio CD/CD units.
Upward conversion on CD playback
The upward conversion feature can output a maximum fs 176.4 kHz when playing back CDs. A
high-precision crystal oscillator precise to ±3ppm (temperature characteristics included) minimizes
jitter. During Super Audio CD playback, the DSD signal (1-bit, 64 fs) is output directly without
further processing. A mode for converting the CD PCM signal to DSD has also been added. This
gives the P-03 accurate control over signal differences for optimal expression of tonal texture
required by each signal type. It is thus possible to select the audio format (PCM or DSD) that best
suits the music genre played back or the amplifier and speaker combinations used to provide a
musical experience that only Esoteric is capable of.
Digital audio output
The output terminals include two XLR jacks (in ES-LINK and Dual AES output modes, both jacks are
used), one RCA jack and one i.LINK jack. The RCA jacks do not output sound from Super Audio
CDs.
ES-LINK, an Esoteric-exclusive format for Super Audio CD digital
output
Super Audio CD output is output in the Esoteric-exclusive ES-LINK format from the XLR jacks or the
i.LINK (AUDIO) jacks. When a Super Audio CD is played back and XLR DUAL is selected, the output
is automatically output in the ES-LINK format. Currently, only the D-03 and D-01 Esoteric D/A
converters support ES-LINK.
WORD SYNC
The word sync feature allows this unit to synchronize with an external word clock. The input
frequency can be switched between 44.1, 88.2, 176.4 and 100 kHz. The P-03 is designed so that
the phase shift between the word clock and output sampling frequency is kept within 10 degrees
when there is no discrepancy between the two.
High-quality wires for maximum performance
High purity 6N copper wires are used for most internal wiring that affect sound quality to improve
purity and sound texture resolution. Polyolefin, a non-PVC material was used for the insulating
sheath out of consideration for the environment as well as for sound quality. PVC is not used for
wire insulation. The high purity 6N copper cable is developed with the help of Acro Japan Ltd. who
also developed the highly acclaimed Esoteric MEXCEL interconnection cable and high-purity 8N
copper cable.
Play Area button on front panel
The front panel now has a PLAY AREA button to enable selection of play area for hybrid Super
Audio CDs also on the front panel.