Emm labs DA2 v2 upgrade
- Thread starter awsmone
- Start date
You're off-topic here but I gotta say these are some really nice albums! I've just acquired some of them....
You're off-topic here but I gotta say these are some really nice albums! I've just acquired some of them....
Great!
Another new review from Enjoy the Music.com by Tom Lyle (August 2018):
There were many characteristics of the DA2 that made it the best I've ever heard it, and there is hardly enough space here to describe all the audiophile qualities that this component possessed. ... To my ears, it was the treble that the DA2 was able to reproduce that stood out during this particular listening session and that too was the finest I've ever heard from a digital source. No, this SACD of course didn't have a 20 kHz ceiling imposed by the Nyquist frequency that prevents the treble of "normal" CDs of having any ultrasonic extension, but I've heard this through many other DSD capable DACs in the past. Although, this time it was different, because the treble didn't sound like it was being reproduced from an SACD file, it sounded like it was simply being reproduced. Period. And of course, the audible frequencies were reproduced with the utmost in realism and extension, and all the other things us audiophiles like to talk about in the high-end when we hear the best components, such as the ultimate soundstage, imaging, transient response, etc., but now all these things hardly mattered, as the DA2 became an invisible component simply doing its job. I've dreamed of the day when digital would sound as good as was promised back in the day. It's here. Finally. ... here are a few other brands and models of digital-to-analog converters besides the EMM Labs DA2 that one could be consider if looking for a DAC to match with one's fine high-end system. Perhaps one or more of them might sound as good, or better than the DA2. Or maybe not. In my system the EMM Labs DA2 sounded sublime, mostly because it became a transparent link between the music that was digitally encoded and my ears. I've heard good digital before hearing the EMM Labs converter was in my system, but from now on this is the DAC that I'm going to have to compare to any others that I review -- or consider for purchase (even if it's scary to think that EMM Labs continues its research and development and may someday introduce improvements to this DAC. And so, I've decided in this case it's best to live in the now). Yes, the DA2 is a bit pricey. But occasionally, you get what you pay for. If you have the means, consider donating to a cause you believe in, and then purchase the EMM Labs DA2. It comes with my highest recommendation.
+1
It was the exquisite, natural reproduction of the top end that made Harry Pearson a Meitner advocate many years ago. I fully concur.
Hi Folks, these 2 articles by Jason Victor Serinus of Stereophile might be of interest to you.
"More on Jason's RMAF Day 2" (Oct 10 2018):
I almost missed the huge EMM Labs exhibit on the ground floor until John Atkinson told me that he had visited it, and the sound was exceptional. Don't quote me on the adjective, please. Instead, I'll own it for myself. When a system makes a recording of a 9' concert grand—in this case, Murray Perahia's instrument—sounds like it really is a 9' grand, color me very, very impressed. As one should be, given a system price tag of near $1,000,000.
When I entered the room, a recording of Dave Brubeck's Take Five delivered an extremely neutral presentation, ideal life on top, and near-ideal bass save for a bit of room-related booming. On Murray Perahia's recording of Handel's joyous Harpsichord Suite in E, HWV 430, the system not only presented amongst the most timbrally-accurate renditions of piano I've heard, but also conveyed the relaxation and delicacy of this wonderful music's initial passages. "Microdynamics" was no longer some audiophile concept; it was an organic component of a brilliant performance that ended with astoundingly fast, perfectly executed runs up and down the keyboard that reminded me of the smile on the exquisite Ms. Daisy Mae Doven's face when she runs down the beach after a ball.
Because I couldn't play high-resolution files—I had a ton of those on hand, stored on three 256GB solid-state USB drives—we fell back on my Channel Classics SACD of Mahler's Symphony 2, performed by Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The sound was tremendous, simply tremendous, in every respect. If you were to hand me one of the audiophile checklists that some reviewers use, there would be a 10 next to every one of them.
While I did not hear EMM Labs' new Ed Meitner-designed, MQA-capable DV2 Integrated DAC with high-resolution volume control ($30,000 and shipping soon—review forthcoming), I did hear the new PRE reference preamplifier ($25,000, available now), DA2 reference DAC ($25,000), TX2 CD/SACD Transport ($25,000), MTRX2 1kW class-AB amplifiers for the main stereo pair of speakers ($85,000/pair), MTRX reference 1.5kW amplifiers for surround ($130,00/pair), and PRE2 stereo preamplifier for surround channels ($15,000). Kimber Silver Select cabling and four Focal Grand Utopia EM Evo 4 speakers ($229,000/pair) for stereo and surround completed the chain. And what a chain it was!
"RMAF's Day One Capped by Awards" (Oct 8 2018)
RMAF 2018 was one of the few times that I've heard MSB's DAC and electronics paired with Magico speakers. (If memory serves me right, the last time was in Munich in 2015.) Judging by what I heard, I'll be hearing them together again before long.
Here, the MSB Select DAC with Femto 33 clock and Mono Power Base options ($119,450), Reference Transport with Reference Transport Power Base ($30,000), and M204 200Wpc mono power amplifiers with zero negative feedback ($39,500) joined Magico M3 speakers ($76,000/pair) to transmit a CD recording of John Lee Hooker and Hammond organ with wonderful air around the voice and believable organ timbres. The midrange was especially beautiful.
Listening to a favorite track on my Channel Classics SACD of Rachel Podger's La Perla Barocca, I again found the air around instruments exceptional. The sound was exceptionally beautiful, but a mite dry around the edges and lacking the last iota of liquidity. Ultimately, I missed the riotous fun I usually experience when Podger and her ensemble go to town improvising all over the place on this track, and thought the midrange a bit congested. (Vince admitted that he still had some work to do with speaker placement.) Having said that, the Select DAC with all the trimmings nailed the complex overtones of Podger's instrument as few DACs can.
Hi Folks
The following is from John Atkinson's RMAF 2018 report on the Emm Labs exhibit :
When I returned to this room at the end of the next day, I listened to a surround IsoMike recording—a track from tenor sax player Joe McQueen's Ten at 86—and was blown away by the envelopment of the sound. Experiences like this are what make attending audio shows worth the effort, I mused as I started my 1855-mile drive home to Brooklyn Sunday morning.
The following is from John Atkinson's RMAF 2018 report on the Emm Labs exhibit :
When I returned to this room at the end of the next day, I listened to a surround IsoMike recording—a track from tenor sax player Joe McQueen's Ten at 86—and was blown away by the envelopment of the sound. Experiences like this are what make attending audio shows worth the effort, I mused as I started my 1855-mile drive home to Brooklyn Sunday morning.
Hi folks,
Two relevant observations from the other sites:
Phishphan (at Audio Shark Forums) (Oct 13, 2018) says: "I’m in the hunt for a new DAC and had the opportunity to hear the DA2 today at the house of a fellow audiophile. I sold the guy my Esoteric Grandioso K1 a few months back and got to be friends with him. We were chatting about my search, and he told me I HAD to come hear his newest piece of gear. The rest of the system was a Ayre preamp, KEF Blades powered by boulder 2060 amp, and the DA2 was fed by a Mac mini tricked out by a company called 'your final system' ... I was completely floored at how amazing the DA2 sounded. We spent about a couple hours playing around with his collection of high end DACs and transports, and I can tell you nothing sounded even as good as the DA2. Even my old K1 sounded downright flat and 2D compared to the wall to wall semi circle of sound the DA2 created. The depth and placement was simply incredible. The closest any of his gear came to the DA2 was a dCS Vivaldi DAC with the Upsampler, which has a price tag of over double the DA2. He also had an MSB DAC V, that seemed to excel in mid range and bass, but was too bright sounding. ..."
Kobol (at Audio Aficionado) (10-22-2018) posted: "I've heard AB the full Vivaldi Stack with latest upgrades vs the Emm Labs DA 2 with v2 upgrade. The naturalness and soundstage of DA-2 made it a winner. Both equal in detail and presence.
Emm Labs has more organic sound more lifelike. The source was Aurender W20 and / or Roon Nucleus."
Two relevant observations from the other sites:
Phishphan (at Audio Shark Forums) (Oct 13, 2018) says: "I’m in the hunt for a new DAC and had the opportunity to hear the DA2 today at the house of a fellow audiophile. I sold the guy my Esoteric Grandioso K1 a few months back and got to be friends with him. We were chatting about my search, and he told me I HAD to come hear his newest piece of gear. The rest of the system was a Ayre preamp, KEF Blades powered by boulder 2060 amp, and the DA2 was fed by a Mac mini tricked out by a company called 'your final system' ... I was completely floored at how amazing the DA2 sounded. We spent about a couple hours playing around with his collection of high end DACs and transports, and I can tell you nothing sounded even as good as the DA2. Even my old K1 sounded downright flat and 2D compared to the wall to wall semi circle of sound the DA2 created. The depth and placement was simply incredible. The closest any of his gear came to the DA2 was a dCS Vivaldi DAC with the Upsampler, which has a price tag of over double the DA2. He also had an MSB DAC V, that seemed to excel in mid range and bass, but was too bright sounding. ..."
Kobol (at Audio Aficionado) (10-22-2018) posted: "I've heard AB the full Vivaldi Stack with latest upgrades vs the Emm Labs DA 2 with v2 upgrade. The naturalness and soundstage of DA-2 made it a winner. Both equal in detail and presence.
Emm Labs has more organic sound more lifelike. The source was Aurender W20 and / or Roon Nucleus."
Hi folks
Interesting comments from Jason Victor Serinus regarding the new Emm Labs DV2 in his article: Sonatas as Mozart Might Have Heard Them (Stereophile, Nov 20 2018).
"... The ability to hear that sound without compromise is one of the best arguments I can think of for investing in the highest quality components you can afford without risking eviction, foreclosure, bankruptcy, or a severed relationship. When I listen on an extremely resolving desktop/small room system—Macbook Pro streaming Tidal via either Audirvana or Amarra–>Nordost Odin and Odin 2–>Dynaudio Focus 200 XD powered loudspeakers abetted by a Nordost QKore and QB8—I certainly hear the tangy, piquant sounds of Faust's gut-stringed Stradivarius and Melnikov's modern (Kern) replica of a 1795 Walter fortepiano. But it's only when I turn to my reference system—NUC with Roon–>dCS Network Bridge–>EMM Labs DV2 DAC (here for review)–>D'Agostino Progression monoblocks–>Wilson Alexia 2 plus all of the above and a PS Audio P15 Power Plant—that I can hear the virtual symphony of undertones and overtones that make the sound of these extremely colorful period instruments so enticing.
Auditioned in 24/96, the recording is a feast for the senses, or at least those senses that prefer tang and spice with their sweetness. The Sonata in D K306—part of a group of six sonatas that Mozart completed in 1778, the year in which he turned 22—gallops out the gate, whizzing by as it dusts everything in its path with joy. Once you get over how fast Melnikov is playing, and how much delight both musicians take in every trail of notes as they dash up, down, and all over the place, you can begin to contemplate the inventiveness and subtle shifts that make these sonatas so interesting."
Interesting comments from Jason Victor Serinus regarding the new Emm Labs DV2 in his article: Sonatas as Mozart Might Have Heard Them (Stereophile, Nov 20 2018).
"... The ability to hear that sound without compromise is one of the best arguments I can think of for investing in the highest quality components you can afford without risking eviction, foreclosure, bankruptcy, or a severed relationship. When I listen on an extremely resolving desktop/small room system—Macbook Pro streaming Tidal via either Audirvana or Amarra–>Nordost Odin and Odin 2–>Dynaudio Focus 200 XD powered loudspeakers abetted by a Nordost QKore and QB8—I certainly hear the tangy, piquant sounds of Faust's gut-stringed Stradivarius and Melnikov's modern (Kern) replica of a 1795 Walter fortepiano. But it's only when I turn to my reference system—NUC with Roon–>dCS Network Bridge–>EMM Labs DV2 DAC (here for review)–>D'Agostino Progression monoblocks–>Wilson Alexia 2 plus all of the above and a PS Audio P15 Power Plant—that I can hear the virtual symphony of undertones and overtones that make the sound of these extremely colorful period instruments so enticing.
Auditioned in 24/96, the recording is a feast for the senses, or at least those senses that prefer tang and spice with their sweetness. The Sonata in D K306—part of a group of six sonatas that Mozart completed in 1778, the year in which he turned 22—gallops out the gate, whizzing by as it dusts everything in its path with joy. Once you get over how fast Melnikov is playing, and how much delight both musicians take in every trail of notes as they dash up, down, and all over the place, you can begin to contemplate the inventiveness and subtle shifts that make these sonatas so interesting."
Hi all,
You might be interested in this review of the EMM Labs MTRX2s by Doug Schneider (EMM Labs MTRX2 Mono Amplifiers, SoundStage! Hi-Fi, 01 January 2019). He wrote: "But at this point I had to remind myself that there was more at play here than the MTRX2s -- the Pre and DA2 Reference were up front. But still -- all that Meitner gear could map soundstages like crazy." His conclusion: "The EMM Labs MTRX2 monos are the best-sounding amplifiers I’ve ever heard."
You might be interested in this review of the EMM Labs MTRX2s by Doug Schneider (EMM Labs MTRX2 Mono Amplifiers, SoundStage! Hi-Fi, 01 January 2019). He wrote: "But at this point I had to remind myself that there was more at play here than the MTRX2s -- the Pre and DA2 Reference were up front. But still -- all that Meitner gear could map soundstages like crazy." His conclusion: "The EMM Labs MTRX2 monos are the best-sounding amplifiers I’ve ever heard."
Hi all, The following is an interesting observation from Phishphan (on the Audio Shark forum) regarding the EMM Labs DA2 vs the MSB Reference DAC and my response to his post:
Originally Posted by Phishphan 
Sorry for my delay in getting this post updated. The holidays were crazy, and I've been on and off the road for work since the beginning of the year.
To push the rewind button for a moment. I was simply in love with the Esoteric Grandioso K1 when I had it. I put it in a very short list of fantastic DACs that I had heard to that point. That was until MSB and EMM came into my room.
The way that each of the 3 DACs present the soundstage is vastly different. The K1 places each instrument in the soundstage with pinpoint accuracy, but that accuracy can lead to the soundstage feeling thinner and less realistic than the MSB or EMM. I preferred the MSB and EMM over the K1, and am somewhat puzzled why I liked it as much as I did. I guess I didn't do enough shopping before buying it.
Both the MSB and EMM have very accurate sound stage, but instead of just a pin point like the K1, it's a broad stroke of sound in each instrument placement. Which creates a far more robust and extremely wide soundstage. In terms of soundstage, I think EMM does it just slightly better. I found the EMM was more 3 dimensional, not just wide. I found myself looking over my shoulder a few times with the EMM thinking there was someone walking into the room.
When it comes to accuracy in reproduction, both the MBS and EMM are extraordinary at extracting immense amounts of information. In my system, which has Bryston amps, and KEF Reference speakers.. both known for being analytical, I found the EMM did a better job of pairing with my gear. Some call it sterile, but I find it enjoyable to hear every-last-freaking-detail. The EMM just squeezes ever last drop, for better or worse, out of the files I fed it. All quality of FLAC files & Tidal sounded great, and in some cases better than DSD, which is odd given the Ed's ties to that format. DSD tended to be a little too bright, and got to be fatiguing in some cases. I converted some of those DSD files to FLAC, and it solved the problem.
The MSB did a great job at all quality levels of FLAC, and Tidal, so there were no difference there. I think MSB outperformed the EMM on DSD files, which again is weird considering the principal behind EMM's ties to that format. MSB did a better job of taming down the brightness of some of the DSD files I fed it. It most definitely has a warmer, analog sound to it.
I put 2 different versions of Bill Evan's Waltz for Debby on my Aurender. One is 24/192 FLAC, and the other is DSD. In listening to them both, the EMM sounded better with the FLAC files, but the MSB was the clear winner with DSD.
At times I found the EMM a bit bright, and at times I felt the MSB was too warm. There were moments of pure joy listening to both of these DACs. They are both incredible pieces of equipment and finding flaws in either was difficult.
In my system, I found the EMM DA2 to be the better fit. I bought cassette tapes as a kid, and a few years later CDs took the world by storm. I don't have that childhood nostalgia for the sound of vinyl that others in our community have. I think that's a key contributing factor to gear that I own and enjoy, and why I like the EMM DA2 more than the MSB. The MSB without question has more of that warmer toned analog sound to it. I'm not saying that EMM sounds digital, it just felt more resolving and hyper-detailed... and I love hyper detail.
That's my 2 cents. Go listen to them both, and decide for yourself.
1. Phishphan said: "the MSB outperformed the EMM on DSD files. MSB did a better job of taming down the brightness of some of the DSD files I fed it. It most definitely has a warmer, analog sound to it. I put 2 different versions of Bill Evan's Waltz for Debby on my Aurender. One is 24/192 FLAC, and the other is DSD. In listening to them both, the EMM sounded better with the FLAC files, but the MSB was the clear winner with DSD. At times I found the EMM a bit bright, and at times I felt the MSB was too warm." I have no experience with music download/streaming, so I cannot comment on his observation. However, I listen exclusively to DSD, that is, SACDs (either pure DSD or PCM converted to DSD) Through this format, the DA2 is certainly not "bright". I would say that the DA2 is neutral sounding, i.e. if the recording is "bright", it will sound "bright" and if the recording is "warm", it will sound "warm".
2. Phishphan found the EMM Labs DA2 "more three dimensional" and "more resolving and hyper-detailed" when compared to the MSB Reference DAC.
3. The DA2 is an extremely high resolution dac. The DA2 is able to reproduce the subtlest nuances of very-low-level musical detail in quiet passages. What you get from these particular excellent recordings (MA recordings: MA on SA: Selection from the MA catalog - a sampler SACD 2006; and Tutti! Orchestral Sampler, Reference Recordings SACD) (thru the DA2 - EMM Labs Pre2, just updated to current standards (this updated Pre2 is now a world class preamp = of highest resolution) - Magico Q speakers - Magico Q-Sub 15 subwoofer - Constellation Audio Centaur - Critical Mass Systems Maxxum rack, amp stands, footers - Shunyata Research Sigma power cables - Shunyata Research Hydra DPC-6 power conditioner, etc.) are: extreme purity of sounds, great and accurate timbre, great palpable sense of presence, great dynamics (both micro and macro), and great retrieval of hall ambience. And most important of all, these recordings (on my sound system) sounded most alive and real.
Sorry for my delay in getting this post updated. The holidays were crazy, and I've been on and off the road for work since the beginning of the year.
To push the rewind button for a moment. I was simply in love with the Esoteric Grandioso K1 when I had it. I put it in a very short list of fantastic DACs that I had heard to that point. That was until MSB and EMM came into my room.
The way that each of the 3 DACs present the soundstage is vastly different. The K1 places each instrument in the soundstage with pinpoint accuracy, but that accuracy can lead to the soundstage feeling thinner and less realistic than the MSB or EMM. I preferred the MSB and EMM over the K1, and am somewhat puzzled why I liked it as much as I did. I guess I didn't do enough shopping before buying it.
Both the MSB and EMM have very accurate sound stage, but instead of just a pin point like the K1, it's a broad stroke of sound in each instrument placement. Which creates a far more robust and extremely wide soundstage. In terms of soundstage, I think EMM does it just slightly better. I found the EMM was more 3 dimensional, not just wide. I found myself looking over my shoulder a few times with the EMM thinking there was someone walking into the room.
When it comes to accuracy in reproduction, both the MBS and EMM are extraordinary at extracting immense amounts of information. In my system, which has Bryston amps, and KEF Reference speakers.. both known for being analytical, I found the EMM did a better job of pairing with my gear. Some call it sterile, but I find it enjoyable to hear every-last-freaking-detail. The EMM just squeezes ever last drop, for better or worse, out of the files I fed it. All quality of FLAC files & Tidal sounded great, and in some cases better than DSD, which is odd given the Ed's ties to that format. DSD tended to be a little too bright, and got to be fatiguing in some cases. I converted some of those DSD files to FLAC, and it solved the problem.
The MSB did a great job at all quality levels of FLAC, and Tidal, so there were no difference there. I think MSB outperformed the EMM on DSD files, which again is weird considering the principal behind EMM's ties to that format. MSB did a better job of taming down the brightness of some of the DSD files I fed it. It most definitely has a warmer, analog sound to it.
I put 2 different versions of Bill Evan's Waltz for Debby on my Aurender. One is 24/192 FLAC, and the other is DSD. In listening to them both, the EMM sounded better with the FLAC files, but the MSB was the clear winner with DSD.
At times I found the EMM a bit bright, and at times I felt the MSB was too warm. There were moments of pure joy listening to both of these DACs. They are both incredible pieces of equipment and finding flaws in either was difficult.
In my system, I found the EMM DA2 to be the better fit. I bought cassette tapes as a kid, and a few years later CDs took the world by storm. I don't have that childhood nostalgia for the sound of vinyl that others in our community have. I think that's a key contributing factor to gear that I own and enjoy, and why I like the EMM DA2 more than the MSB. The MSB without question has more of that warmer toned analog sound to it. I'm not saying that EMM sounds digital, it just felt more resolving and hyper-detailed... and I love hyper detail.
That's my 2 cents. Go listen to them both, and decide for yourself.
1. Phishphan said: "the MSB outperformed the EMM on DSD files. MSB did a better job of taming down the brightness of some of the DSD files I fed it. It most definitely has a warmer, analog sound to it. I put 2 different versions of Bill Evan's Waltz for Debby on my Aurender. One is 24/192 FLAC, and the other is DSD. In listening to them both, the EMM sounded better with the FLAC files, but the MSB was the clear winner with DSD. At times I found the EMM a bit bright, and at times I felt the MSB was too warm." I have no experience with music download/streaming, so I cannot comment on his observation. However, I listen exclusively to DSD, that is, SACDs (either pure DSD or PCM converted to DSD) Through this format, the DA2 is certainly not "bright". I would say that the DA2 is neutral sounding, i.e. if the recording is "bright", it will sound "bright" and if the recording is "warm", it will sound "warm".
2. Phishphan found the EMM Labs DA2 "more three dimensional" and "more resolving and hyper-detailed" when compared to the MSB Reference DAC.
3. The DA2 is an extremely high resolution dac. The DA2 is able to reproduce the subtlest nuances of very-low-level musical detail in quiet passages. What you get from these particular excellent recordings (MA recordings: MA on SA: Selection from the MA catalog - a sampler SACD 2006; and Tutti! Orchestral Sampler, Reference Recordings SACD) (thru the DA2 - EMM Labs Pre2, just updated to current standards (this updated Pre2 is now a world class preamp = of highest resolution) - Magico Q speakers - Magico Q-Sub 15 subwoofer - Constellation Audio Centaur - Critical Mass Systems Maxxum rack, amp stands, footers - Shunyata Research Sigma power cables - Shunyata Research Hydra DPC-6 power conditioner, etc.) are: extreme purity of sounds, great and accurate timbre, great palpable sense of presence, great dynamics (both micro and macro), and great retrieval of hall ambience. And most important of all, these recordings (on my sound system) sounded most alive and real.
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Hi all, SoundStage! Hi-Fi has an article by Doug Schneider just out today that might interest you: "The Best Got Better: Revisiting EMM Labs' DA2 Reference Digital-to-Analog Converter." He concludes: "But for those who can afford it and are looking for the ultimate in digital playback, here are my parting words about this amazing DAC: The best-sounding digital source component I’d heard up to July 2017 sounds even better in 2019."
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For those interested here's a direct link to the follow-up review: https://www.soundstagehifi.com/inde...abs-da2-reference-digital-to-analog-converter
Hi folks,
I fully concur in the following remarks made by Phishphan and Tom Lyle.
Phishphan (above) said: "In my system, I found the EMM DA2 to be the better fit. I bought cassette tapes as a kid, and a few years later CDs took the world by storm. I don't have that childhood nostalgia for the sound of vinyl that others in our community have. I think that's a key contributing factor to gear that I own and enjoy, and why I like the EMM DA2 more than the MSB [Reference DAC]. The MSB without question has more of that warmer analog sound to it. I'm not saying that the EMM DA2 sounds digital. It is just more resolving and hyper-detailed... and I love hyper detail."
Tom Lyle (World Premiere Review September 2018. Enjoy the Music.com: Analogue Artisan A1 Series Turntable with Remote Control VTA/SRA Mongoose Tonearm and Pod. $40,000 USD. Additional arm pods with remote: $25,000 USD) observes: "And in a word, that is my impression of the Analogue Artisan A1 Series Turntable with Remote Control VTA/SRA Mongoose Tonearm and Pod. Music. Never have I heard such source-less sounding analog music coming from my speakers. In my review of the EMM Labs DA2 digital-to-analog converter, I described its admirable sonic qualities as being neither digital nor analog sounding, and I believe the Analogue Artisan A1 setup behaved in a similar fashion, because on certain recordings I couldn't tell whether I was listening to analog or digital, I was simply listening to music."
Tom Lyle (August 2018. Enjoy the Music.com: EMM Labs DA2 DAC Review) said: "... EMM Lab's design and manufacturing techniques result in DACs that deliver state-of-the-art sound. When playing files from my server, regardless if they were DSD (SACD) files or the more common "CD quality" tracks, what came through my speakers was a sound that I could sit down and listen to with my full time and attention. I'm not trying to sound snobbish, but in my listening room I usually spin vinyl when I want to sit in the sweet spot and enjoy music, and digital is for listening to off-axis ... But with the EMM Labs DA2 in my system all this became moot, since when playing back music, I often forget which source was delivering the music, digital or analog. The EMM Labs DA2 is that good. ... Later in the review period I played an album of another contemporary large ensemble, even though this time "contemporary" meant ten years prior to when the Zappa set was recorded. It was the album recorded by Charles Mingus' band, the one that he assembled for the recording of The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady originally released on Impulse Records in 1963. But this time out I listened to an SACD version released by Analogue Productions in 2011, playing the DSD files via my music server. The EMM Labs DA2 managed to do it again, that is, to silence my inner dialog while I became entranced in the music, easily following all the members of Mingus' ensemble that were part of the sonic picture that formed in the front portion of my listening room. This was an enthralling listening experience, even though the band was reproduced in an odd way – Mingus was panned hard to the left speaker, and all the other instruments in the band emanated from either the left or right channel, except for the drums which were recorded in stereo and filled the rear and top of the soundstage. Through my large speakers the soundstage took the shape of a humongous arch, the stanchions of this structure were made of the piano and horns on either side, which held the top of the arch so high it seemed as if I would be able to walk under it, which was composed of the drums, which sounded as if they were recorded from microphones placed from above. Regardless of this uniquely shaped soundstage, it projected an extremely clear sonic picture of what went down in that sound studio during the recording of this album. It was as if I could "see" the band playing with my mind's ears. During solos, especially when Charles Mingus' piano was featured, it enabled me to hear the ambience, which was made up from the air of the studio, and this made it so I could perceive the room's dimensions despite the way the band was arranged in front of me. I've heard this album many times, through some very decent analog and digital sources, although the EMM Labs DA2 ability to reproduce this recording in such a non-digital and even non-analog way made this the best I've ever heard it. There were many characteristics of the DA2 that made it the best I've ever heard it, and there is hardly enough space here to describe all the audiophile qualities that this component possessed."
I fully concur in the following remarks made by Phishphan and Tom Lyle.
Phishphan (above) said: "In my system, I found the EMM DA2 to be the better fit. I bought cassette tapes as a kid, and a few years later CDs took the world by storm. I don't have that childhood nostalgia for the sound of vinyl that others in our community have. I think that's a key contributing factor to gear that I own and enjoy, and why I like the EMM DA2 more than the MSB [Reference DAC]. The MSB without question has more of that warmer analog sound to it. I'm not saying that the EMM DA2 sounds digital. It is just more resolving and hyper-detailed... and I love hyper detail."
Tom Lyle (World Premiere Review September 2018. Enjoy the Music.com: Analogue Artisan A1 Series Turntable with Remote Control VTA/SRA Mongoose Tonearm and Pod. $40,000 USD. Additional arm pods with remote: $25,000 USD) observes: "And in a word, that is my impression of the Analogue Artisan A1 Series Turntable with Remote Control VTA/SRA Mongoose Tonearm and Pod. Music. Never have I heard such source-less sounding analog music coming from my speakers. In my review of the EMM Labs DA2 digital-to-analog converter, I described its admirable sonic qualities as being neither digital nor analog sounding, and I believe the Analogue Artisan A1 setup behaved in a similar fashion, because on certain recordings I couldn't tell whether I was listening to analog or digital, I was simply listening to music."
Tom Lyle (August 2018. Enjoy the Music.com: EMM Labs DA2 DAC Review) said: "... EMM Lab's design and manufacturing techniques result in DACs that deliver state-of-the-art sound. When playing files from my server, regardless if they were DSD (SACD) files or the more common "CD quality" tracks, what came through my speakers was a sound that I could sit down and listen to with my full time and attention. I'm not trying to sound snobbish, but in my listening room I usually spin vinyl when I want to sit in the sweet spot and enjoy music, and digital is for listening to off-axis ... But with the EMM Labs DA2 in my system all this became moot, since when playing back music, I often forget which source was delivering the music, digital or analog. The EMM Labs DA2 is that good. ... Later in the review period I played an album of another contemporary large ensemble, even though this time "contemporary" meant ten years prior to when the Zappa set was recorded. It was the album recorded by Charles Mingus' band, the one that he assembled for the recording of The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady originally released on Impulse Records in 1963. But this time out I listened to an SACD version released by Analogue Productions in 2011, playing the DSD files via my music server. The EMM Labs DA2 managed to do it again, that is, to silence my inner dialog while I became entranced in the music, easily following all the members of Mingus' ensemble that were part of the sonic picture that formed in the front portion of my listening room. This was an enthralling listening experience, even though the band was reproduced in an odd way – Mingus was panned hard to the left speaker, and all the other instruments in the band emanated from either the left or right channel, except for the drums which were recorded in stereo and filled the rear and top of the soundstage. Through my large speakers the soundstage took the shape of a humongous arch, the stanchions of this structure were made of the piano and horns on either side, which held the top of the arch so high it seemed as if I would be able to walk under it, which was composed of the drums, which sounded as if they were recorded from microphones placed from above. Regardless of this uniquely shaped soundstage, it projected an extremely clear sonic picture of what went down in that sound studio during the recording of this album. It was as if I could "see" the band playing with my mind's ears. During solos, especially when Charles Mingus' piano was featured, it enabled me to hear the ambience, which was made up from the air of the studio, and this made it so I could perceive the room's dimensions despite the way the band was arranged in front of me. I've heard this album many times, through some very decent analog and digital sources, although the EMM Labs DA2 ability to reproduce this recording in such a non-digital and even non-analog way made this the best I've ever heard it. There were many characteristics of the DA2 that made it the best I've ever heard it, and there is hardly enough space here to describe all the audiophile qualities that this component possessed."
Hi, I noticed that your analog source is the VPI Avenger Reference / FatBoy 12” Gimbal & Fatboy 12” unipivot tonearms /ADS/Periphery ring/LPI Stillpoints Lyra Etna. Interestingly, Anthony Cordesman, when reviewing the VPI Avenger Reference Turntable (Dec 04, 2018, the absolute sound), said: "I’ve kind of coasted in my own analog setup in recent years because the Classic was so good. In fact, I found over time that it was good enough to consistently convince some of my most dedicated digital audiophile friends that analog LPs could be both a real pleasure and real competitor to even the best digital front ends. I can’t argue with them about the fact that records have more technical limits than digital discs or streaming, although digital has limits as well. Analog tape and analog LP mastering do impose limits in distortion, restrict dynamic range, and alter frequency response. The best turntable/tonearm combination cannot compensate for the fact that the cartridge introduces a significant amount of its own character to the music. But, I have found that when it comes to the actual aesthetic enjoyment of music, a good record and phono front end still have enough merit to win over most dedicated “digiphiles.” This was certainly my experience with the VPI Classic Direct, which costs substantially more than the VPI Avenger Reference and is now custom-made for special order because of the limited supply and complicated build. It proved to be equally true of the VPI Avenger and its new tonearm. You do come much closer to the “silence” of digital with the best “extreme turntables.” ... The sound is also more consistent, particularly in both softest and loudest passages. Much does depend on the cartridge, whose colorations impose the most obvious limits to sound quality in a phono front end. ... At the same time, analog is analog. No cartridge is ever as accurate in the frequency domain or has as much channel separation and lack of mechanical and electronic distortion as digital. ... Most records are cut in ways that compress the sound to some extent and limit the demands on the cartridge. But if you do as much as possible to reduce the background noise and dynamic limits of a really good LP, the resulting music can sound more natural in a home system than a digital recording whose quietest passages may actually be too quiet for listening in many homes and/or too loud in the loudest passages."
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