SACD's are making a big comeback and Esoteric's new $45k / 38k player proves it

Date:
Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:28:14 +0000

Description:
The Recording Industry Association of America recently stated that CD sales revenue was up 58% in the first half of 2026 and one Japanese ultra-luxury audio manufacturer has decided the same resurgence should apply to SACDs too

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Esoteric knows more of us are embracing CDs and we'll love SACDs too Meet the elite K1XE SACD player and optional PS1XE external power supply How much is it? If you need to ask, I fear it's going to be too much Money no object We love to give practical buying advice about the latest tech products here on TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most outrageously high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious propositions on the planet. That's what we bring you in these Money No Object columns you can read the whole series here . Well well well. We knew CD players were having a moment because we can't seem to stop writing about them whether ultra-luxe , super-fresh and with aptX Bluetooth , be they hefty and toting both analog and digital inputs , fully transparent like some sort of award , inspired by Death Stranding 2: On the Beach in neon orange or even an affordable little ripper, from FiiO.

So there's a CD player for everyone in 2026. TechRadar even published a roundup of 9 of the coolest new CD player releases not six weeks ago, in an effort to stay abreast of them all. And now, there's an option for people in possession of an awful lot of money. And why not? It's your money and if you have a collection of SACDs you want to make use of, along with a sizeable chunk of cash to invest into the experience, you should be able to do so. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

What am I talking about when I say 'SACD'? These delicate little beauties are shiny and circular just like your regular CDs, but the moniker stands for 'Super Audio Compact Disc'. It's a high-resolution optical audio disc format first introduced in 1999 and developed jointly by Sony and Philips Electronics. Unlike CDs, the format uses a 1-bit resolution with a sampling rate of 2.8224 MHz, also known as DSD64, to provide a data rate of 5.6 Mbps and that walks all over your typical CD's 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution, or a
data rate of 1.411 Mbps, in the hi-res audio stakes.

So, it makes sense to get a serious player for your seriously detailed recorded music, right? That's clearly what Esoteric was thinking too. Behold: the ultra-luxe K1XE SACD player. You may see it as an outrageously high-end player, for a format many people thought was largely done and gone. I call it a huge win for offline hi-res listening. You may like FiiO's new CD player features direct USB ripping and sales of the physical format are on the rise Surprise: someones actually making a new 4K Blu-ray player! But its far from
a mainstream option Think CD players died in the 2000s? These 9 wonderfully weird new models prove otherwise How many of us still dig SACDs? I'd say the number is growing (Image credit: Esoteric) Anyway, what you're looking at in the main image (and the one above) is the Esoteric Grandioso K1XE, the ultra-luxury Japanese audio specialist's new flagship Super Audio CD player.

It features the VRDSATLAS (try saying that out loud, or writing it out
several times in a news piece), Esoterics proprietary SACD transport mechanism, featuring an "exceptionally rigid, heavyweight platform engineered for outstanding mechanical precision". Also inbuilt is the proprietary Master Sound Discrete DAC G2, a next-generation, discrete digital-analog converter developed entirely in-house by Esoteric. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The K1XE is a fully dual-mono DAC configuration. Esoteric explains that this "large scale" architecture incorporates five independent linear power supply systems to achieve what the company calls "full-bodied sound reminiscent of vinyl playback".

OK but what's the thing on the right, in the main image above? That's the Grandioso PS1XE, an also-new optional external power supply because you want to power this player properly, don't you? Doing so will reduce electrical interference, lower the noise floor for cleaner SACD sound, move high-voltage AC and heat a sensible way away from those sensitive audio circuits,
including that beautifully rigid, hefty transport. Esoteric's K1XE is just part of the full Grandioso range, seen here in a particularly high-end listening space (Image credit: Esoteric) Both products will be available for international shipment from the beginning of November 2026. And it's worth considering shipping costs too (although if you're bothered by those, it's probably a little rich for the blood) because the K1XE alone weighs 34.3kg / 75lbs, which is roughly the weight of a large adult dog think German
Shepherd or Golden Retriever. What to read next The best MP3 players and hi-res audio players Syitren RM1 is a transparent CD player designed to display internal mechanics Fosi Audio Merak review: a compact and affordable CD player with a fatal flaw

Will this glorious beast still play your regular CDs? Almost certainly. Esoteric hasn't confirmed this in its marketing, but practically all SACD players are fully backwards-compatible and are able to read the standard Red Book CD layer of an audio CD (sometimes called a CD-DA) without issue.

And that's important, because CD sales revenue was up 58% in the opening six months of 2026 (and 45% in volume) in the US, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Also, the burgeoning popularity of newer portable CD players (along with the growing trend for wired earbuds
that do away with streaming and generally being online) proves that music lovers are buying new, pristine CDs alongside inheriting caches of old (possibly scratched) collections. And isn't listening to a full concept album in superior quality one of life's great pleasures?

Let's tackle pricing: both The Grandioso K1XE and PS1XE will be available worldwide starting November 2026. And I'm just going to write it quickly: the Esoteric Grandioso K1XE SACD player has an MSRP of US $45,000 / 37,999 (or around AU$72, 399). The PS-1XE external power supply is priced at $19,000 / 16,500 (approximately AU$36,199).

Just imagine how good those SACDs are going to sound though The best turntables for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best turntables 1. Best overall: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo 2. Best cheap beginner deck: House of Marley Revolution 3. Best budget Bluetooth deck: Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT 4. Best premium Bluetooth deck: Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/hi-fi/a-huge-win-for-offline-hi-res-listening- sacds-are-making-a-massive-comeback-and-esoterics-new-usd45k-gbp38k-sacd-playe r-proves-it


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