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The newly designed drive stage, a simple 5-parallel push-pull drive with large bipolar transistors, is Class-A (operating range 50W/8Ω) and has a full sound with clear transparency. However, the general characteristics of Class-A, – pure, polished tone – cannot fully describe the true beauty of the S1X.
Vivid colors like a direct heated triode amplifier, high-speed transient backed by ample idling current, power, and openness... The S1X’s new Class-A drive stage inherits the powerful and dynamic design concept of the M1X, including large bipolar elements and a powerful power supply section. Regardless of the amplification method, the S1X earnestly pursues what the best amplifier should sound like and achieves peerlessly powerful sonic signature people unmistakably recognize as Esoteric sound.
With the flagship Grandioso amplifier models, Esoteric is breaking new horizons by pushing the limits of fidelity in preamp-to-amplifier signal transmission. Esoteric’s unique current transmission system “ES-Link Analog” is the ideal method for preamp to amplifier transmission where the signal level is extremely low. Compared to the conventional voltage transmission, it transmits approximately 100 times more current, making it less susceptible to noise and sending the full energy of the music to the amplifier.
Also, it is not affected by the impedance of the interconnects running between the preamp and amplifier, so it maintains a perfect integrity between the output signal of the preamp and the input signal to the amplifier.
Power Transformers and Power Supply Boards for Drive Stages
Over-Sized Bare-Mount Power Transformers
The S1X employs the largest toroidal transformers that the S1X chassis can accommodate. The transformers performance, with a much larger size than the size required for actual use, allows for extremely high follow-through to dynamic changes in current supply, resulting in a dynamic and open sound. Also, suppressing transformer vibration results in limiting current flow. For this reason, the S1X dares to employ a bare mounting with the transformer’s metal cover removed.
Power Transformers and Power Supply Boards (L-ch and R-ch) for Pre-drive stages, and Power Supply Board for Input stage
Power Transformer Dedicated to the Pre-Drive Stages
The S1X’s high resolution sound is also a major feature, allowing the delicate tones of each instrument to be heard clearly, even at the climax of a full orchestra performance. A power supply section dedicated to the pre-drive stage (voltage amplification stage), which handles low-level signals from the preamplifier, eliminates the influence of the main drive stage, which has large current fluctuations, and improves resolution.
In addition to the two power transformers for the main drive and pre-drive stages, an R-core power transformer for control is installed in a three-transformer configuration to create a pure power supply with thoroughly low noise.
Biamp mode
When two S1X units are deployed and set to "bi-amp mode," the same audio signal is delivered from the output terminals that were L/R in stereo mode. This means that a single unit can be used as a monaural power amplifier with two speaker outputs. The output power is the same as when one S1X is deployed in normal stereo mode (50W/8Ω), but as shown in the figure, the HF/LF units of the speaker can be driven by separate power amplifier circuits, enabling a more pure sound of a multi-way system speaker. This mode is effective when resolution is more important than driving power.
Dual Honeycomb Grille
The most striking feature of the S1X’s exterior is the “dual honeycomb grille” at the top. A honeycomb-shaped opening is employed to improve heat dissipation, and a light-weight top panel is pursued to the last possible degree to enhance the openness of sound. By overlapping two grills of different thicknesses, vibrations are also efficiently dispersed in pursuit of a pure tone. In addition, the layout of the top panel opening is completed with a design that achieves both an elegant appearance and a high degree of heat dissipation performance to control the Class-A heat output.