I sold the LSA and just got the Emia a few days ago 9 can't imagine many have been sold yet) (currrently $1,250) because I felt the need for balance controls (room, ears, recordings). After sometime assessing the Emia, I will also be getting the LSA with dual volume controls to compare A/B as I did not have both at the same time - though without "steps" might be a PIA making adjustments. To some extent, Clio9 has already made the comparison between Emia and LSA as he owns a passive based on the Slagle Slagelformer AVC, which is essentially identical to the Emia, though Emia makes "artful" cases. Clio9 seems to love both with a slight preference to the LSA, which might very well be system dependent (he wrote a "review" comparing them on Agon).
Obviously the AVC is more"impedance flexible" than the LSA, but the LSA purer, and considerably cheaper. Whatever the case, from the time I have had with the Emia, and Clio9 with the LSA, they are both wonderful passives, and if passives can work for you, both worth considering, the LSA being the obvious bargain financially, and in the right system, perhaps sonically too, as there is simply less there interfering with the signal than with an auto former, but you signal may need "conditioning" to work optimally depending on your system.
I think Clio9 has heard more passives than any person in the western hemisphere, and LSA seems to be his preferred option as this time, but there are other options that might be better suited to certain system requirments. In my system the LSA was unimpeachable sonically - at least for my taste.
If you need absolute attenuation, the LSA may not work, how sensitive are your speakers, what is the voltage of your source[s] and sensitivity of you amp? George or Clio9 might be able to give you and idea of how much of an issue it might be for you - in my case it was a non-factor.
Obviously the AVC is more"impedance flexible" than the LSA, but the LSA purer, and considerably cheaper. Whatever the case, from the time I have had with the Emia, and Clio9 with the LSA, they are both wonderful passives, and if passives can work for you, both worth considering, the LSA being the obvious bargain financially, and in the right system, perhaps sonically too, as there is simply less there interfering with the signal than with an auto former, but you signal may need "conditioning" to work optimally depending on your system.
I think Clio9 has heard more passives than any person in the western hemisphere, and LSA seems to be his preferred option as this time, but there are other options that might be better suited to certain system requirments. In my system the LSA was unimpeachable sonically - at least for my taste.
If you need absolute attenuation, the LSA may not work, how sensitive are your speakers, what is the voltage of your source[s] and sensitivity of you amp? George or Clio9 might be able to give you and idea of how much of an issue it might be for you - in my case it was a non-factor.