The world’s first VRDS mechanism for Super
Audio CD players, incorporating a magnesium
turntable and a SS400 bridge
The VDRS mechanism completely eliminates any vibration of
the disc itself, thanks to the full-diameter clamp, which
clamps the disc securely to the turntable. In addition, warping
and other defects of the disc are eliminated. The constancy of
the reading angle between the optical pickup and the disc
pits is therefore increased, and read errors, together with the
occurrence of timing errors to the clock circuit, are
significantly reduced.
Playback of Super Audio CDs requires high-speed rotation and
a high degree of precision, and the X-01 accordingly uses a
magnesium turntable. This has only two-thirds the specific
gravity of aluminum and has excellent shock-absorbent
properties. The bridge employs a pair of precisely engineered
ball bearings, and is constructed of SS400 steel, mounted
directly on the 5mm thick steel base plate.
Coreless motor with neodymium magnets
A newly-developed three-phase brushless spindle motor
provides the fast and accurate turntable rotation required for
Super Audio CD playback. This, and the fixing of the
turntable together with the use of precision ball bearings,
eliminate irregular rotation and vibration.
Research has shown that neodymium is the optimum
magnetic material for this application. Neodymium absorbs
changes to the motor’s electric power supply, and exerts
minimal influence on the audio sections of the unit.
Constant-angle optical pickup mounted on a
sled with feedback-monitored speed control
By mounting the pickup on a sled whose axis is rigid, the
pickup lens is maintained at a constant angle and the laser
beam, and hence the optical axis, is maintained in an accurate
vertical orientation. An Esoteric original three-phase brushless
motor with Hall element detection drives the sled, and the
speed of the sled is monitored and used to control the sled
itself in a servo feedback operation, meaning the sled is highly
responsive and smooth in its operation.
Sturdy, rigid chassis with triple-point
pinpoint foot support
The unit is constructed with a 5mm thick robust steel base
plate, and is divided into three logical sections, thereby
reducing interference between components of the unit.
Highly rigid mounts are used for the VDRS disc mechanism.
To eliminate vibration, three solid (tool steel) feet support the
unit and isolate it mechanically.
4
Brushed aluminum finish exemplifies the
quality of construction
The front, side and top panels are constructed of thick
brushed aluminum. The high-quality luxurious finish matches
the overall attention to the finest possible quality, shown in
such details as the illuminated surrounds to the control
buttons, the milled top-panel logo, and the milled aluminum
disc tray.
Unsurpassed design and features
The X-01 is truly the most advanced Super Audio CD player to
date. Separation of power supplies for each major function
(digital audio, DAC circuitry, analog audio) ensures total
fidelity. The DACs have sub-ground impedances with
exceptional S/N figures. Full 5.1 surround Super Audio CD
playback is possible with the X-01.
Audio DACs
All audio channels use Burr-Brown 24-bit DA converters
(PCM1704). Improved linearity is achieved for the two front
channels by the use of 4-tip-converter for each channel.
The audio DAC boards employ a high-quality quartz crystal,
which results in the almost complete elimination of jitter and
subsequent high-quality DA conversion.
Word synchronization
A master word clock from a high-quality DA converter or
master clock generator can be used for clock synchronization,
resulting in the almost complete elimination of jitter.
Using a high-quality clock signal provided by an external DA
converter such as the Esoteric G-0/G-0s provides optimum
video and audio quality, up to 192kHz, optimizing a top-
ranking universal player like the X-01.
Features