What is the best cd playback system?

I don't think the OP said or even imply that he was going to buy a system w/o listening to it. I'm not sure where that came from.

I think he just wants general opinions.

The answer depends, I suppose, on what your priorities are in your listening, as each of these units has something of a sonic signature and I don't think you can call any piece of equipment the best, there's just too much personal taste, system synergy, etc. involved. That said, I have heard the dcs stack at my dealer's and the EMM Labs gear in my home, and suffice it to say that, in its current form, I'm saving my money for the EMM Labs gear (I felt the earlier version was a little threadbare tonally, but not the current version), though by the time I've saved enough there may well be a new king of the hill. I feel that unless you get the Verona master clock you will not hear any dcs gear at its best, and that adds to the price substantially. When both are at their best, they are both superb, my leaning towards the EMM Labs being because I think it does the better balancing act of letting through all the details of the recording (where I think it is a little better than the dcs, which I think is just a little noisier) without calling attention to that detail, so you can concentrate on the music and not the guy blowing his nose offstage. Anyway, that's my opinion. YMMV.

IMO the EMM combo is certainly the best most accurate digital front end that I've heard. My DAC-6 is in for the Signature upgrade. I will report back in a new thread with the differences that I hear.

All the best,
Tom

To my ears the best CD playback has been from the Meitner EMM labs as well. Sweet, clear, smooth....... Looks pretty bare and industrial, but who cares when it sounds like that!

NWO-2, Mine is on it's way, HEH< HEH< HEH

I take on ALL machines, I win