Emm Labs DV2 versus Tambaqui

@fleschler I agree with you on the close vs. distant miking at least to some extent. I agree too many live classical recordings excessively distant miked. Sounds too messy and blunts dynamics to some extent. I prefer something in between close and distant miking, I want to hear some recording venue ambience. Same for rock, or any genre of music.

@lordmelton @fleschler  I don't see the above as a vinyl vs digital artifact, this is recording artifact. Actually, I think digital and vinyl sound are converging. There has been long and slow progress on resolution and dynamics front in vinyl and more natural timbre in digital. This is good thing to me. One of the differences that will always remain is with streaming or cd rips one can play music continuously, for  me stream of consciousness playback has become critical to my enjoyment. I may create real time playlist of initial song being classical piece, next bluegrass, next electronica, and or I can string two or three cuts of each in any order. I love completely mixed up real time listening, its like my own free form radio station and I'm the dj! Vinyl listening is totally different for me, I get nostalgic with the smell, feel and cover artistry, the work involved in cleaning, changing sides, having to listen to all cuts on album. Completely different mindsets, both have their place.

So I received the Mola Mola Tambaqui, this is Day Two in my system. I am sure it will improve over time.

For reference, the other DACs I’ve heard at home are totaldac (my reference), the latest Weiss, latest Meitner, and the Sonnet Morpheus.

The Mola Mola strikes me as a cross between Weiss and Meither. Like Weiss, it gives you a clear and raw view into the recording, tremendously good resolution. Unlike the Weiss and more like the Meitner, there is a touch of fluidity to the sound, which for me increases the engagement factor and eliminates the fatigue factor. Nothing clinical or mechanical here. There is also a great sense of force and pace with the Tambaqui, it really throws music into the room. Maybe that’s the 6V output, it’s nice that you can select lower voltages as well (which I haven’t tried yet).

These very early impressions are using the Tambaqui’s internal Roon endpoint. I will be trying it with the Grimm MU1 as well (a popular combination), which should be quite a step forward (but raises the cost vs. value issue).

@metaldetektor

Thank you for your very helpful and concise feedback. When you ‘actually’ compare DAC’s that are comparative in both performance and price, it gives our readers a true perspective on what to expect vs anyone who loves sharing their biases with a particular DAC without having the need to compare.

Please continue to share your objective impressions in your journey.

Purchasing products based purely on price is rather like confirmation bias in regard to faulty posits.

I’ve heard this argument many times before. I’m sure there are a few people who fall under this category, but by and large most people I know who purchase higher-priced DACs buy them after considerable research. Their top priority is system synergy. They are very clear in their heads about what kind of sound they're after. Price is usually not the driving factor. The DAC that I have today is the best that I can afford. But I don’t feel the need to validate my decision by questioning those who buy DACs that are significantly more expensive. I’m sure sure there are exceptions, but by and large the more expensive DACs do perform at a higher level, provided, and this is an important point, that the rest of your system is on par. You can’t put performance tires on an affordable family sedan and expect it to perform like a Ferrari. Same holds true for the higher end equipment.

@lalitk thank you! I have long admired your contributions to this forum, as they are based on direct experience. I have also found that folks with wonderful systems (like yourself) are more open minded about what’s possible in hifi (less bias), which makes for more productive conversations!

@arafiq well said. I had the Weiss in my system twice, separated by many months. What’s interesting is that the first time around, I heard it with budget speakers but fairly honest cabling. The second time, much better speakers but lower resolving cabling. It was a more impressive DAC the first time around! The second time around, I needed to switch cabling to hear it at its best. Point being, sometimes folks make hasty judgments on the quality of electronics (this DAC blows this other DAC out of the water and it’s way cheaper!!!) when it’s really a synergy problem they’re experiencing (they didn’t hear what the component was truly capable of).