Can Someone Explain This?


I just got my new EMC-1 24/192 about a week ago and absolutely love it. As a relative 'newbie' to this hobby, I have little experience or frame of reference in high end gear, and did not really fully understand how or why someone could describe a CD player as having an 'analog' sound. Now I do.

However, last night I experienced something that had me experimenting for hours and finally left me scratching my head in bewilderment. I was listening to one of my favorite CDs and a particularly beautiful acoustic track on it. For some reason, it didn't sound quite right. Something seemed to be "missing." After listening to this track over and over, I determined that part of the "plucking" of the guitar (specifically the higher notes) WAS missing. Just to be certain that I wasn't cracking up, I plugged in my old CD player, the Ultech (which sounded harsh and strident next to the water smooth EMC-1), and--sure enough--the information was restored.

I have not noticed the EMC-1 doing this with any other CDs, although I am obviously still getting acquainted with it.
I confess I am completely baffled with this turn of events. Does anyone have a clue what I might be experiencing or why?
Do I have a defective player? If the same CD plays perfectly on another player, the computer CD-Rom drive, and my car CD player, shouldn't it also play on the EMC-1?

I will send a box of chocolates to anyone who can help me solve this problem.:-)

Happy Valentine's Day to all.
128x128waltersalas

Showing 1 response by patmatt

I'm not sure what filtering Electrocompaniet uses in their player. I am using Perpetual Technologies P1A/P3A, and I had to send the P3A back for service because it was seriously cutting off high frequencies. Like you, when I compared it to another player, I got all my high frequencies back. The explanation I received from Perpetual Tech was that the upsampling was "Mistracking" for lack of a more approriate term. When the unit came back from service shortly afterwards, high frequencies were restored.
My advice is to go to the nearest dealer, friend, show, audiophile club and pop that disc into another EMC player. If you don't get the same results, I'd assume the player was defective, and I wouldn't sit on my hands procrastinating about returning it. Of course, why not return to the place you purchased it from and find out there?
At any rate, don't wait too long. The ship to Norway leaves in two days and won't be back until Spring, if you know what I mean...............