To Garrett Hongo,
I read your review of the Esoteric K-05X on SoundStage! Ultra. Thank you and great job in comprehensively covering a complex machine. I had an impression that the Mac is not compatible with Esoteric DACs. Did this change only with the K-05X and its siblings, or could the earlier K series (without the X factor) also have Mac-based feeds? And how was the setup process with a Mac? Many thanks for your attention.
Best Regards,
Giri
India
Thanks for your question. I’ve no knowledge of or experience with how the prior Esoteric K-series DACs may have interacted with Macs. But, as I wrote in my review, even Esoteric acknowledged that the K-series DACs prior to the K-05X tended to fall more on the analytic side of the sonic fence. It’s why the X-iteration came about. That said, setting up my Mac was a cinch.
The K-05X has now gone through yet another iteration in the K-05Xs, said to be even more smooth-sounding without loss of detail. But I’ve not yet heard it myself, much as I was tempted to buy it outright. . . . Garrett Hongo
