Which has better sound is not between playing files or playing discs, it’s really in the quality of the transports used. My brother said his DMP sounds better than his Aurender N-10 server playing the same files vs disc. But the PST beats the DMP in SQ files or disc. The Esoteric beats both the Aurender and beats the DMP so badly that I didn’t use the DMP much until the Esoteric broke.
With the Esoteric I stream files from my NAS only because streaming sounded best. I tried Qobuz but the sound did not impress me enough to keep it. But streaming only sounded best with the Farad powered EtheRegen and WW Platinum Ethernet 8 cable, otherwise playing from the USB drive has the edge. Also on the Esoteric I play back with a Valhalla2 USB cable to the Farad powered Matrix to a AQ Dragon HDMi cable. The Matrix makes a huge difference.
I did so many changes when playing the DMP, like 3 or 4 power cords and the Dragon HDMI cables upgrade that the DMP sounded like it was as good as the Esoteric, until I got the PST which I thought sounded even better than Esoteric. My brother thought so also. But I forgot I changed my system quite a bit while the Esoteric was away so it’s not quite the same system anymore. So this is really the first time I heard the Esoteric with my upgraded system, and boy, did my jaws dropped!!
Anyway, the PST is still better than just about anything out there and I am very happy with it’s performance and plan to keep and continue to enjoy it.
Congratulations on getting back your network transpot.
You’re referring to the P20, right? 
Very Funny!! I may look stupid, but I was smart enough to not attempt to move the P20 myself. 
In Japan the companies believe that the customer thinks the heavier a component is, the better it sounds. That is why companies like Marantz and Pioneer makes their top end products with extra steel plates bolted to the bottom of their units. So is it with this Esoteric. But maybe the extra damping does help with the sound also.
Hmmm, carrying heavy objects depends on health conditions, fitness, and regular exercise. Given N-03T is under 38 lb., it is a safe bet except for a really bad back.
Re equipment weight, it is not uncommon for niche brands to weigh heavy such as FM Acoustics FM 1811. Yet, there are great products that are physically light, like Mola Mola Kula and Bel Canto ASC2/MPS1 Ultimate. The beauty of it, we make choices based on our own preferences.
How about the D’Agostino Relentless ?
My brother just came over to check out my Esoteric and the first words were “Sh#t, that’s a whole lot better than your PST. I didn’t think it will be that much difference, but WOW!!. Everything is right there in front of you and the air, incredible!!” But my brother don’t want to spend all that money and trade in his Aurender for now. He may still upgrade his DMP for the PST though, because he felt that the PST was way better than the DMP the last time he was here, and it’s much cheaper to do.
My friend is still looking for a speaker and was just outbidded on a pair of used Wilson Alexia II’s by $1k, oh well. I am still waiting for him to have time and bring over the May, and he can also check out my Esoteric. He has a similar streamer, the Lumin U1 Mini.
Now you’re talking fork lift, for anything higher than ground, a crane is a must! It’s more 2X the weight of Gryphon’s Mephisto; a real floor bender!
I had a large neighbor help me carry my Gryphon Antileon Evo from my garage, into the house, and down the stairs to my audio room. That was forklift duty. It was the heaviest thing I ever carried. 185 pounds I believe. A Mephisto is WAY heavier. Yikes!
Interesting, thank you for sharing. I would say that my PST is roughly at the level of my Lumin U1 + whole enchilada Matrix (Farad etc).
But the Esoteric is more expensive than the Lumin, so that makes sense.
No doubt the Esoteric performs at a higher level than the PST, but It also takes a higher level USB Cable and all the other enchiladas all together to do it. PST is a super value when it comes to approaching state of the art performance without all those cumbersome parts to help it. All it needs is an excellent HDMI cable and of course an excellent DAC with I2S inputs.