Has anybody critically compared the X01 to the X01 limited? Is there an upgrade path?
EMM Labs vs. Esoteric X-01
Hi All,
I have had the EMM Labs CDSD and Dac6e for about a year. I've been really intrigued by all the press about the X-01, so I bought a used unit off Audiogon. I'm beginning the process of comparing the two units in SACD and Redbook playback. For now, it will all be 2 channel, until I get my multichannel back up and running.
As I realize that this is an issue of taste more than anything else, I will try to avoid hyberbole. My quick, initial impressions is that they are more alike than different, particularly in SACD mode. In Redbook, it's a somewhat different story. The Esoteric is a superlative Redbook player, with rock-solid imaging and a real sense of space. The Meitner, while it sounds very good, isn't nearly as detailed. One of my favorite tracks is on Emmylou Harris' Spyboy album, "The Maker". On the Esoteric, one can sense and even feel Emmylou in the middle, with the percussion section just behind her. There are 2 musicians on either side of her, playing guitar and Banjo (i believe). You can feel all the percussion that goes on. The Meitner doesn't have nearly the defined sense of space that the Teac presents, but Emmylou's voice sounds just great. It also doesn't present that deep percussion that one can feel in your chest.
FWIW, the rest of my system is an ARC Ref3 preamp, a Boulder 2060 stereo amp and Dynaudio Evidence Temptations, backed up by a REL Studio 3 subwoofer. All the cabling is Nordost Valhalla. The room is heavily treated.
More to come later.
David Shapiro
I have had the EMM Labs CDSD and Dac6e for about a year. I've been really intrigued by all the press about the X-01, so I bought a used unit off Audiogon. I'm beginning the process of comparing the two units in SACD and Redbook playback. For now, it will all be 2 channel, until I get my multichannel back up and running.
As I realize that this is an issue of taste more than anything else, I will try to avoid hyberbole. My quick, initial impressions is that they are more alike than different, particularly in SACD mode. In Redbook, it's a somewhat different story. The Esoteric is a superlative Redbook player, with rock-solid imaging and a real sense of space. The Meitner, while it sounds very good, isn't nearly as detailed. One of my favorite tracks is on Emmylou Harris' Spyboy album, "The Maker". On the Esoteric, one can sense and even feel Emmylou in the middle, with the percussion section just behind her. There are 2 musicians on either side of her, playing guitar and Banjo (i believe). You can feel all the percussion that goes on. The Meitner doesn't have nearly the defined sense of space that the Teac presents, but Emmylou's voice sounds just great. It also doesn't present that deep percussion that one can feel in your chest.
FWIW, the rest of my system is an ARC Ref3 preamp, a Boulder 2060 stereo amp and Dynaudio Evidence Temptations, backed up by a REL Studio 3 subwoofer. All the cabling is Nordost Valhalla. The room is heavily treated.
More to come later.
David Shapiro