Esoteric N-05XD Network DAC / Stereo Pre-amplifier

Esoteric N-05XD Network DAC / Stereo Pre-amplifier - Esoteric

Reproducing the full sound quality of the original masters and represents a new frontier in network DAC/preamps.

This amp is packed with cool features like dual monaural construction, a balanced input amplifier for noise-free signal transmission, and a bi-polar 3 parallel push/pull circuit that responds super fast to music signals. Plus, it's got a large power transformer, high-capacity custom capacitors, and an ES-Link Analog input for super high-fidelity music signal transmission.

Key Features

A first
As Esoteric’s first-ever network DAC/preamp, the N-05XD was specifically designed to deliver superior sound quality from the smallest system configurations combining your favorite power amplifier, speakers, and headphones.

Path to purity
Integrating fully balanced circuitry directly derived from Esoteric’s flagship series, the N-05XD’s network engine is equipped with a pure, dedicated linear power supply and an in-house designed discrete DAC.

Fidelity
The discrete DAC ensures that its pre-amplifier and headphone amplifier are capable of clearly reproducing the full sound of a recording’s original master.
A seamless integration of the most Esoteric-like essences, the N-05XD has been thoroughly refined under the guiding principles of ultimate sound quality. Just a touch of its volume knob clearly reveals this quality in its most exquisite form, and promises the fullest and most satisfying enjoyment of Esoteric’s pure signature sound. No longer must superior sound quality be sacrificed in the pursuit of a simplified high-end audio system.

Faithful Reproduction of the Liveliness and Energy of Music
Esoteric’s primary goal in the creation of the N-05XD Network DAC/Preamp 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 recorded music, something simply unattainable using ordinary integrated chips. Esoteric’s top engineering teams put their pride on the line to design and produce a quality of sound that can only be experienced by way of our Master Sound Discrete DAC.

Luxurious Materials and Powerful Current Output Capacity
The N-05XD’s Master Sound Discrete DAC is the most revolutionary two-channel stereo DAC circuit in Esoteric 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-05XD’s Master Sound Discrete DAC, including 16 separate elements for each channel. Each of these 16 elements, including such key components as the clock driver, logic circuitry, capacitors and resistors, are kept fully independent in order to ensure the purest sound output with virtually no loss of musical energy.

Advanced Digital Processing Capability
The N-05XD is also equipped with Esoteric’s exclusive Delta-Sigma (ΔΣ) modulator, which supports 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 step in the conversion process. This enables the N-05XD to extract the optimum sound quality from all compatible digital sources.

Network Engine with Dedicated Linear Power Supply
As a source component, the N-05XD is equipped with a dedicated high-end network audio engine that supports DSD 22.5MHz playback. The key component in this design is its dedicated linear power supply. With a component configuration equivalent in scale to that of Esoteric’s top-of-the-line N-01XD, the N-05XD’s large toroidal transformers, high-capacity filter capacitors, Schottky barrier diodes, and high-end super capacitors — which feature a whopping 2,333,333μF in total capacity — and forgoing the use of any noisy switching elements, the N-05XD realizes a singularly impressive sound brimming with an analog-like sense of reality.

Compatible with a Wide Selection of Audio Codecs and Streaming Services
Providing full compatibility with an extensive range of audio codecs.

Tidal
Encounter new music from Tidal. Esoteric has officially partnered with the lossless subscription streaming service Tidal, which provides quick and easy access to a huge library of music that offers the highest sound quality for ultimate listening enjoyment. Tidal is becoming steadily more popular among music connoisseurs around the world.

Qobuz
With its origins in the heart of France, Qobuz has become Europe’s most popular lossless subscription streaming and download service.

Roon Ready
Roon makes music browsing exceptionally attractive and easily accessible. Esoteric’s network audio engine is fully Roon-compatible, providing bit perfect audio transmission to the DAC without requiring complicated network settings. The combination of Roon and Esoteric ensures delivery of the full power, flexibility and top performance of network audio in a simple and reliable format.

Spotify
Spotify is a world-renowned streaming service that allows anyone to instantly enjoy its library of tens of millions of songs created by artists from around the world. Besides Spotify Free, which offers the basic functions of music playback at no charge, favorite songs can also be listened to in much higher sound quality by upgrading to Spotify Premium.

Full MQA Support
In addition to its audio streaming and audio file playback capabilities, the N-05XD also supports full decoding of MQA digital input. It also provides support for the digital output of MQA-CD played on conventional CD players.

Audiolab Stereo & Video Center