Is the EMM DAC6e or DCC2 /CDSD the best out there?


Is this the best digital front end ever?

What about

Reiymo CDP 777?
dCS gear?
Audio Aero Prestige?

Any other contenders?
iujona
Guido;

"I am quite sure even old Ludwig Wittgenstein would find it problematic on purely logical or epistemological grounds."

if you're going to kick my ass please speak English.

:^)

but seriously......my comments about my SODA (i assume you mean SOTA--state of the art) vinyl setup performance being musically superior to digital is my perspective......my opinion......my feelings.

to be more specific; the emmlabs represents an acknowledged reference of the best digital performance. not to say there are not others; but for sure the emmlabs is in that very top level of digital performance.

if then, my vinyl setup consistently delivers a more satisfying musical performance then it is completely valid for me to say that. yes, i am specifically saying that at the very top of both formats vinyl is superior in reproducing music according to my and 100% of many others musical judgements visiting my room (25-30 listeners) in the recent months.

if we are judgeing the performance potential of two formats; and at least one setup represents the best of that format; and the other format is judged consistently better......then it is valid logically to say that one format is musically better. that is not the whole story; but it is not invalid.

now, this is only a subjective opinion shared by myself and other visitors to my room. and for sure; YMMV. certainly, there may be some/many that may not reach the same conclusion......which wouldn't invalidate their perspectives.

to call my perspective 'invalid' is quite pompous and unsupportable. this is not science but art which we are judging; which calls for subjective opinions; not scientific method.

have a nice day.
Guidocorona, I looked here:

Epistemological stereo

I see his opinions about life, religion and such, but cannot find a listing of his stereo system. Do you really believe this guy is a better expert on sound than Mike Lavigne?

He died in 1951, so I have my suspicions, Mike still listens, every day.
Yea, but Ludwig was using an old Garrard player in 1951 and you kept evolving until you reached the air bearing, linear track status for playback of your analog.

As memory serves, Ludwig was gone, long before (long gone?) the first Sony CD player ever hit the shelves.

Besides, I have it on good authority he did not cotton to the "Cool" Jazz movement, so I don't trust him.
I missed this thread for a few days. From my experience Mike is on the money. My analogue front end was always better than my Audio Aero. Unfortunately once my cartridge died I was without analogue for a while. I just listened to my Audio Aero and was basically unsatisfied. I then purchased my EMM setup. From memory, I was sure that my analogue would not equal the EMM setup. My previous cartridge, a Koestsu just didn't have the dynamics nor the extension to compete w. the EMM. I had to change phono preamps & cartridges which took a lot of time. Once my analogue system was put together w. now a VdH Condor & WN Audio phono section, my EMM setup was definitely still better sounding to me. But once my cartridge and phono stage began to break in everything changed. It became quickly aparent that analogue is better sounding in my system compared to my EMM setup. An analogue system that is compromised in any area will be bettered by the EMM setup. Especially in the bass and treble regions. In my system w. a Nottingham Hyperspace w. SME V & Condor I have incredible bass & midrange. My top end is just boardering excellent. In fact from the low end to the highs my analogue setup is equal to digital. In terms or musicality, image palpability, and harmonic integrity analogue is superior. Prior to my cartridge breaking in (still not done though 100%) we all felt the EMM was better. Once the Condor finally began to break in all my friends, only one of them an audiophile, the rest musicians prefered analogue to digital. When the LP was a poor recording obviously this was not the case. I don't know how anyone can conclude that any digital is better than vinyl unless they make the direct comparison in a system they are familiar with. That being said, I fully agree the EMM is good enough in most cases to abandon the pursuit of vinyl. The EMM gear is excellent and the sound is highly involving. I would easily accept the EMM setup as a parking place in terms of sources for most people. But my lowly analogue setup, not SOTA to all but for me in the ballpark, is better than SOTA digital of today.