We’ve been talking about fuses way too much when someone ask’s what’s a Matrix?
OCL (Optimized Contour Contact Line) is the shape of the stylus. It has more contact area to the record groove which means more critical alinement to the record groove is needed. It may have better sound performance, but needs more precise setup. My brother says he would probably get the CL version if he decide to get one himself. He is lazy on setup. I don’t know if they have a mono version either.
Yes, we have taken the Matrix for granted. People don’t realized how much the Matrix adds to the performance of the DS, especially when you add in the Farad external power supply and AQ Dragon HDMI to the I2s. I really heard it today when I was comparing the Esoteric and the DS DAC’s.
So depending on the cost of the PC you used with the Farad you added between $4-5000 worth of add-on accessories between your Esoteric streamer and the DS in this comparison while doing nothing to optimize the Esoteric DAC?
I think this is why the next upgrade is AirLens and DS MKII.
Not sure why you would take a step backwards in streamer hardware to match a DAC that doesn’t exist and with no firm release date.
Did you do the 3M AB7050HF absorber tweaks on your matrix? I lost track. But glad and not surprised your tweaked DS is still killing it!
Yes, I added a lot to the cost of the DS and but it does sound much better, I mean the difference is not small. I would do it again in a heartbeat because the resulting sound is so riveting from these add ons. The only thing we can do for the Esoteric DAC is add on an external $9k which is the least expensive Esoteric clock. Then the tables may turn.
I only did the 3M in the display panel, the XS4400 transformers and M-1 fuse which broke in nicely and really open up the sound. My brother noticed the increase in fidelity on my DS.
Oh yeah, those, and the $1500 Acoustic Zen Gargantua II power cord and Purple fuse for the Farad and the $3500 WyWire Diamond Digital power cord for the DS. It does add up to the cost quite a bit for these mods.
I modified those WyWire Diamond power cords also. They did not have good shielding so I covered the cable with my own add on shielding and I’ll be dam if it didn’t made the cord even quieter and even more revealing.
You Matrix owners should try the Singxer SU-6, ideally with whatever 7.5V+ LPS is currently on your Matrix.
My audiophile friend bought one of those Singxer for his Holo May. I may ask him to bring it over someday to do a comparison.
I am not selling my Signature Rendu SE. I am buying the AirLens to try it. Who knows, it might be awesome.
I have the Kitsune KTE SU-2. It’s very nice. I sold my Matrix after I bought it.
I have been reading your interesting review, and was rather flabbergasted about the results.
Have you connected the Esoteric Streamer via Esoteric ES-link to the Esoteric DAC?
If I had already so many Esoteric components I would be like your brother, not wanting to bother with extra electronics, and cables (which in theory only add noise and distortion), 3M stickers and power supplies.
I would add that beautifully visually matching Esoteric DAC with single equally esoteric (adverb) power and HDMI signal cable. I can not imagine such system would sound so bad that I would need to worry about any other comparison.
I wasn’t expecting this result either. Perhaps when the Esoteric breaks in some, it will get much better. It is practically out of the box, but there was so much mods done and added cost to get my DS to sound the way it does.
Yes, my brother didn’t want all those boxes either, that’s why he bought the DAC/streamer in one box, but separate boxes may sound better because of the separate power supplies and isolation of circuits.
No, my Esoteric streamer does not have the two I2S e-link as the one box streamer DAC. It uses the co-axial, XLR, or USB out only, That is why we used the USB from my streamer and XLR from the Matrix into his DAC/streamer.
Common now…illucidate…tell the story not just a synopsis
please 
Thanks waymanchen
Best wishes
Full review…required… 
Our home is 34 years old and we were still running our original AC unit and we were on our second furnace. The AC was a crazy, noisy dinosaur that just didn’t want to give up. My wife and I decided to put in a new high efficiency HVAC and tankless water system. The latest tech available from Daikin. We also had newer technology breakers installed too. The reason it’s in upgrades, is that it made a dramatic change to my sound system, for the positive. The music is decibels louder and more detailed. Who would have thought that something so simple would have such a dramatic effect. I now have to reconsider my system, to optimize the newfound improvements.
Maybe if I upgrade my electric toothbrush, hmmm 
I do like your new AC.