Esoteric to Ship $45,000 Grandioso K1XE SACD Player in November

The K1XE is Esoteric's new flagship SACD player. It uses the company's VRDSATLAS SACD transport mechanism, which Esoteric describes as an "exceptionally rigid, heavyweight platform engineered for outstanding mechanical precision." The player also includes Esoteric's Master Sound Discrete DAC G2, a next-generation discrete digital-to-analog converter developed in-house. TechRadar reported that the K1XE uses a fully dual-mono DAC configuration; Esoteric says the "large scale" architecture has five independent linear power supply systems and produces what the company calls "full-bodied sound reminiscent of vinyl playback."

The PS1XE is an optional external power supply for the K1XE. According to TechRadar, it is designed to reduce electrical interference, lower the noise floor for cleaner SACD sound and move high-voltage AC and heat away from sensitive audio circuits, including the transport.

Both products will be available for international shipment from the beginning of November 2026, TechRadar reported. The K1XE alone weighs 34.3kg / 75lbs, and TechRadar noted that shipping costs are worth considering.

SACD stands for Super Audio Compact Disc. TechRadar described it as a high-resolution optical audio disc format introduced in 1999 and developed jointly by Sony and Philips Electronics. The format uses 1-bit resolution with a sampling rate of 2.8224 MHz, also known as DSD64, for a data rate of 5.6 Mbps. A standard CD uses 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution, or a data rate of 1.411 Mbps.

TechRadar said Esoteric has not confirmed in its marketing that the K1XE will play regular CDs, but that almost all SACD players are fully backwards-compatible and can read the standard Red Book CD layer of an audio CD without issue.

The launch comes as CD hardware and software draw renewed interest. TechRadar cited Recording Industry Association of America figures showing that US CD sales revenue rose 58% in the opening six months of 2026, while volume rose 45%. TechRadar also pointed to the growing popularity of newer portable CD players and wired earbuds as evidence that music lovers are buying new CDs alongside older collections.

Editor's Summary

Esoteric will begin international shipments of the Grandioso K1XE SACD player and optional PS1XE power supply in early November 2026, with TechRadar listing the player at $45,000 / £38,000. The launch targets high-resolution SACD playback and arrives as RIAA data cited by TechRadar show US CD sales revenue up 58% and volume up 45% in the first half of 2026.