K01

About the K01

The Esoteric K-01 is a premium digital source device designed for audiophiles, featuring playback of Super Audio CD (SACD), CD, CD-R, and CD-RW formats. It incorporates Esoteric's advanced VRDS-NEO VMK-3.5-20S transport mechanism with ceramic spindle bearings and a heavy duralumin turntable for precise disc reading. The DAC section uses a dual mono configuration with eight AKM AK4399 32-bit DACs per channel, delivering exceptional sonic purity and supporting PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD formats. The player offers multiple digital filters, three upsampling levels, and two output levels, with analog outputs via balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connectors. Digital inputs include USB (asynchronous, supporting DSD up to 5.6 MHz and PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit), coaxial, and optical. The K-01 also features a fully balanced, fully buffered analog output stage with a 32-bit digital volume control, providing linestage-quality performance. Its chassis isolates analog and digital sections physically, and it weighs 31 kg with dimensions 445 x 162 x 438 mm. Power consumption is 33W. The unit includes an RC-1156 remote control and was released around 2015.