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EMM Labs CDSD / DCC2 - Initial Listening Session

With only 48 hours of burn-in on these pieces, this review is hardly definitive- but here goes...

I think old Ed (Meitner) has hit the cover off the ball with this, his latest offering in CD/SACD playback equipment. The following comments are based on comparisons to my previous front-end: Meitnerized Philips SACD 1000, Meitner DAC6, Meitner Switchman II and apply to both SACD & CD playback.

The CDSD & DCC2 - compared to the previous Meitner rig---

-Much deeper soundstage, much more layered, as well, width about the same.
-Hall ambiance retrieval is vastly superior.
-Tonal and timbral qualities are unsurpassed in any digital gear I've experienced. Piano reproduction is absolutely stunningly good!! Acoustic guitar has the string interaction/wooden resonance of the real thing.
-There is a "Bloom" to instuments, even voice, that seems typically absent in digital playback. This quality is very "Analog" like.
-So far, I sense not even a suggestion of stridency or digital fatigue- It is just not there. This new gear is just plain musical. That word is overused- but there is no other word to better describe the overall experience. There is a natural seamlessness and natural bloom to the music, as a whole, which reminds me of a live performance within a live venue. All of the elements of that live experience seem reproduced faithfully by the CDSD & DCC2. This is no small feat. In quantitative terms I'd say the new gear is 25%-35% better, in every listening category (it is about the same in soudstage width), than the earlier 3 piece set-up I had.

As the new gear continues to burn-in there will certainly be changes and refinements, probably for the better, which I will try to keep track of. But so far- Ooh, La, La!!!

ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT:
Kharma Midi Grand
Tenor 300 HP
Jena Labs Pathfinder
Shunyata Anaconda VX & VX Alpha
fbhifi
robm321
932 posts
 
Fbhifi,

Why are you addressing your comment to me? I'm not going to buy either way as stated in my previous post. I just like to hear what's out there and being friends with my dealer I get to hear most of the promising new stuff out there. I'm happy with my modest but musical setup.

And why would a "jury of your peers" be necessary if it is your stereo and everyone has different tastes? Why would I let my friends tell me what sounds good? If they say something sounds like crap and I like it, I get it anyway - end of story.

Trust me; I don't let HYPE skew what my ears hear.

IMHO

Rob
fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Robm321: The only reason to listen to others' opinions is that, on occasion, you may learn something new & valuable. This knowledge could allow you to improve your stereo and, more importantly, your listening enjoyment.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
The only thing vital in all of these posts is that the DCC2 sounds considerable better than the DAC6/Switchman combo. If given a chance, I certainly will give it a listen, and I would love to have it side by side with the Exemplar/H-Cat combo.
ceol
13 posts
 
Yes the DCC2 does sound better than the DAC6 / Switchman primarily due to its simpler / shorter signal path...

Remember the DCC2 is essentially two channels of the Studio DAC6 packaged with two channels of the studio switchman packaged in one chassis for two channel audiophiles.

BUT look closer...you dont just eliminate an interconnect with the DCC2...compare the signal paths:

DAC6/SWITCHMAN:

DAC6 DAC OUTPUT - DAC6 OUTPUT BUFFER - INTERCONNECT - SWITCHMAN INPUT BUFFER - GAIN CONTROL - SWITCHMAN OUTPUT BUFFER - INTERCONNECT TO AMPS.

DCC2:

DCC2 DAC OUTPUT - GAIN CONTROL - DCC2 OUTPUT BUFFER - INTERCONNECT TO AMPS.

The DCC2 eliminates TWO BUFFER STAGES and an INTERCONNECT .. and surely a short PCB trace to get the signal from the DAC to the Gain control is a lot better than any interconnect !!

Remember, less is more in the analog domain...the best results are acheived by the shortest / simplest signal path.

Yours in Music

Ceol

P.S. I own a CDSD & DCC2 and am supremely happy.

tbg
5,263 posts
 
Good points, Ceol. Is there a DCC6 coming? On another thread there is obviously pressure on moders to do 6 channel mods on players, not that I have any interest.
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