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My EMC-1 24 192 experience

After reading the Stereo Times review of this player against the SCD-1, I got goose bumps. This reviwer said the emc-1 made redbook cd's sound better than SACD on the SCD-1. I own the SCD-1, and on SACD it is wonderfull, but on redbook one knows that he is missing something. I tried the MF DAC w/ zero success. Last week I purchased a EMC-1 and immediately it was much better than the SCD-1 for redbook. There was more detail, warmth, air, and the sound stage was deeper and wider. I then played Take 5 on both players since I have them both on sacd and redbook. The sound is close, but the edge goes to the SCD-1. The sound is sweeter on the SCD-1, no doubt about that. With that being said, Is the EMC-1 worth the extra coin for listening to redbook CD's? Without a shadow of a doubt. Does it beat SACD? No, but it is close.

P.S. I forgot to mention how warm sounding this player is, all the harshness and rough edges of digital are history.
128x128hughes12
subaruguru
1,376 posts
 
Judit...you melt me heart! Yup, I'm using a Pass Labs Aleph P (predecessor to the X-1), and know what you mean. Even those bright-stringed early DGs sound great, eh?
I bought it to properly match my Aleph 2 monos, and am so glad I didn't screw around with other pre's. Cheers.
claud
52 posts
 
How much space do you need above the EMC-1 for CD loading?
hshapiro
40 posts
 
Claud,
You only need enough space above the EMC-1 so that your hand can slide the cd drawer back. Four inches of space above my EMC-1 MKII works fine for me.

Incidentally, does anyone know why in balanced mode, my EMC-1, in conjunction with my Spectral DMC-20 preamplifier, sounds twice as loud at the same preamplifier level setting? According to my Spectral manual, the balanced input can be set to reduce the gain level by 6dB, which I confirmed is its setting. I know this because I opened the preamp and toggled the gain switch. According to my EMC-1 manual, the balanced gain is 6dB greater than the single ended gain. This should mean that the result is zero difference in gain level, but it sounds about twice as loud.:~
judit
217 posts
 
Ernie,
Now that I realize you have a pass labs pre and the electrocompaniet, I am going to take your interconnect
suggestion very seriously. I will audition the Discovery essence in the near future.
subaruguru
1,376 posts
 
Judit, FYI the balance of my system is a pair of Verity Audio Parsifal Encores, set up in a 7.5' equi-triangle in a well-damped room. I sit on-axis with the toe'd-in drivers, so I suspect that I needed a bit of softening, as Redbook, even with the EMC-1 MkII, has only 16 bit rez, and in the top octaves that's not enough!
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