DCS Scarlatti

Bryan, I spend just one hour listening DCS in my system in which I still have Emmlabs TSD1/DAC2 and can say that Scarlatti is in different league! It is 4 times more expensive, but this money you must spend if you can, to get really incredible live reproduction!
It is not just a little better in this or in that.
It is dramatically better in everything!
Usually I can explain the difference, but here it is just new reference!
Emmlabs, Berkeley, Empirical are very similar and Scarlatti I can compare only with very good vinyl setup!
I'm going to buy it...don't say to my wife:)

The Scarlatti right now is the finest digital system there is. Bar none.

DCS are a fabulous little English company. If I needed another digital system I would not know where to look. There is nothing out there that could better this.

Murataltuev, thanks for your brief report.

On last Sat, I talked to a 2nd hand shop who did sell both Scarlatti & emm Labs TSD1/DAC2 before. The shop-owner swear that both users who bought the Scarlatti sold it after a short while and got back the emm Labs. He said he can find me a 2nd hand Scarlatti if I like but he warned me that knowing my taste he won't recommend me to do so.

Too bad I can't find a chance to have A/B test these two at the same time.

Bryan

Murataltuev
Under your "system" it appears you have already owned the Scarlatti full stack for some time now. Am I missing something( is this a second version or something)?

Bryan,
the thing with DCS is it is absolute. There is no sugar coating. I think EMM labs has a warmer presentation, and may be more forgiving of the rest of your system. However if you want the finest source I know of no other that comes close. The Scarlatti has a purity and the ability to let you observe any aspect of the recording or performance as opposed to a one trick euphonic pony. It is uncanny what it is capable of.

At this level of gear you will be fine whichever one you go for, but if you just want to listen to music and not get drawn into the ins and outs of each recording, go for the EMM lab or stick some tubes in front of the DCS.