Great post, thanks.
Please, learn from my mistakes
posted substantial same, but wanted to throw in my Millenium II EVS, Perpetual experience too, started as followup to why I sold my EMC!. Lately I have been auditioning the Perpetual (slightly hard at key sax & trumpet climaxes) the Millenium II MSB, OK but mine is recessed and send instruments back too far in perspective, need more layering and kick butt, what Brits call "PACE", Birdland Odeon was a nonstarter. Period. The EVS is going back to the factory...enuf said on that. Since I spent a ton of money, made a little of it back thanks to Audiogon, but not all by any stretch of the imagination in my odyssey from 20 years ago with CAL Aria ($2500 back then!) through 30 or so digital components...everything except Wadia. Full disclosure: My friend is one of NYs largest dealers and I get about,generally speaking 40% or so off, depending. He will get me brands (Odeon) he doesn't sell by hitting on his retail friends around the country. He gets payback from me by having me write or discuss on phone what I hear and can help him make decision whether or not to carry a new line. End of full disclosure.
On to the EMC!, Big mistake, I waited and waited for the digititis to disappear. I posted at different sites and found others who had same problem. We eventually all sold them and regretted the loss of money. BTW, the fit and finish is not good, the blue light on front (no switch like Meridian) cannot be turned off. Tacky VERY BRIGHT and experienced companies know it interferes with sonics. Lost a lot of money. No one with a good system would like this, if you have a soft, rolled off and undynamic system, maybe it's passable. Otherwise, believe me, if you have revealing high end equipment you will be sorry. BTW, the original Stereophile advert had two separate power cords, the release model one. One of the worst aspects is the fit and finish, pebble grain spatter paint job on steel...the latter adds the weight to the machine. Compare to the Meridian and BAT in the same price range for quality control and fit and finish. To tell the truth, sorry Muse/Resolution--two other 24/96 chip sets from DVD technology (hey, I talked to the guys on the phone and they told me!) are just as bad. This is not upsampling though the adverts are deceptive on this matter. It's just the same old DVD chip set on my Toshiba DVD...and sounds like it. I had a friend who had that chip put into his Cal Alpha "upgrade"--many threads of disappoint can be found on the web on this botched update. Everyone seemed to want their old Alpha back,reverse engineering, the bloom was gone from the rose. I would generally stay away from the whole 24/96 fiasco. It came too soon,players (BAT< Meridian, and ARC CD2) were reaching their heights of sonic excellence and we took a step backward. The Sony ES9000 the latest bummer, Audioasylum can be searched for reports. Burn in more the advocates say, but how long....forever? They just don't sound right. After 3 months continuous playing I sold the Sony (my third after a late model ES7 series (not as good as earlier ES series, and the 777, also "needing more burnin) and the EMC 1. 2nd tier of good used redbook include anything by Linn and Naim. 3rd tier would be the Arcams and the Regas. Seems the price point retail for a great little redbook was about 4-5 thousand--anything Brit and throw in BAT & ARC at this price and you've got a winner. Surprisingly, the most dynamic of all (read HiFi New, What HIFi or Stereophile) is the little Meridian. Surprisingly detailed (5 stars in Brit mags with special mention for its detailing) yet oddly in US (Stereophile, Planet, etc) it is seen as warm and detailed. Just a winner. A keeper for used $2500 with large remote. Absolutely no digital artifacts. Period. Even beats the wonderful BAT on that. BAT is my second favorite. Best is the expensive Linn. I should thow in that a couple times I was tempted to the Sim, but the customer relations guy in Canada (good, honest guy) told me to wait for this later iteration. Just came out. They were trying to cure some digital nasties, with guess what,24/96 chip sets on earlier models. BTW, thier fascia (faceplate changes) toned down the garish look. I think these guys will make a great player in time.
If you have a great system, try some of the 90s redbooks, maybe the apex of regular CD playback. There is a great article, and I'll try to find it (should have saved it and have mentioned it in earlier posts) by a pro (Steve Hoffman? Best CD remastering guru...who has gone back to old audio tube equipment by and large) and the point of his observations on redbook is that he took out an over 10 year old Wadia (the 17?) from his closet and plugged it in and blew away his new megabuck digital playback. Go figure. I heard a CAL Delta with their cheapest DAC (about 450) from years ago with a brand new all Quad tube system with their taller speakers...sublime! Again, go figure. The good news for us, old can be better. There was, oxymoron?, a golden age for digital playback and it isn't now. Buy used, buy old, try first, but don't be surprised or embarassed at it's vintage, it's the sound that counts.
On to the EMC!, Big mistake, I waited and waited for the digititis to disappear. I posted at different sites and found others who had same problem. We eventually all sold them and regretted the loss of money. BTW, the fit and finish is not good, the blue light on front (no switch like Meridian) cannot be turned off. Tacky VERY BRIGHT and experienced companies know it interferes with sonics. Lost a lot of money. No one with a good system would like this, if you have a soft, rolled off and undynamic system, maybe it's passable. Otherwise, believe me, if you have revealing high end equipment you will be sorry. BTW, the original Stereophile advert had two separate power cords, the release model one. One of the worst aspects is the fit and finish, pebble grain spatter paint job on steel...the latter adds the weight to the machine. Compare to the Meridian and BAT in the same price range for quality control and fit and finish. To tell the truth, sorry Muse/Resolution--two other 24/96 chip sets from DVD technology (hey, I talked to the guys on the phone and they told me!) are just as bad. This is not upsampling though the adverts are deceptive on this matter. It's just the same old DVD chip set on my Toshiba DVD...and sounds like it. I had a friend who had that chip put into his Cal Alpha "upgrade"--many threads of disappoint can be found on the web on this botched update. Everyone seemed to want their old Alpha back,reverse engineering, the bloom was gone from the rose. I would generally stay away from the whole 24/96 fiasco. It came too soon,players (BAT< Meridian, and ARC CD2) were reaching their heights of sonic excellence and we took a step backward. The Sony ES9000 the latest bummer, Audioasylum can be searched for reports. Burn in more the advocates say, but how long....forever? They just don't sound right. After 3 months continuous playing I sold the Sony (my third after a late model ES7 series (not as good as earlier ES series, and the 777, also "needing more burnin) and the EMC 1. 2nd tier of good used redbook include anything by Linn and Naim. 3rd tier would be the Arcams and the Regas. Seems the price point retail for a great little redbook was about 4-5 thousand--anything Brit and throw in BAT & ARC at this price and you've got a winner. Surprisingly, the most dynamic of all (read HiFi New, What HIFi or Stereophile) is the little Meridian. Surprisingly detailed (5 stars in Brit mags with special mention for its detailing) yet oddly in US (Stereophile, Planet, etc) it is seen as warm and detailed. Just a winner. A keeper for used $2500 with large remote. Absolutely no digital artifacts. Period. Even beats the wonderful BAT on that. BAT is my second favorite. Best is the expensive Linn. I should thow in that a couple times I was tempted to the Sim, but the customer relations guy in Canada (good, honest guy) told me to wait for this later iteration. Just came out. They were trying to cure some digital nasties, with guess what,24/96 chip sets on earlier models. BTW, thier fascia (faceplate changes) toned down the garish look. I think these guys will make a great player in time.
If you have a great system, try some of the 90s redbooks, maybe the apex of regular CD playback. There is a great article, and I'll try to find it (should have saved it and have mentioned it in earlier posts) by a pro (Steve Hoffman? Best CD remastering guru...who has gone back to old audio tube equipment by and large) and the point of his observations on redbook is that he took out an over 10 year old Wadia (the 17?) from his closet and plugged it in and blew away his new megabuck digital playback. Go figure. I heard a CAL Delta with their cheapest DAC (about 450) from years ago with a brand new all Quad tube system with their taller speakers...sublime! Again, go figure. The good news for us, old can be better. There was, oxymoron?, a golden age for digital playback and it isn't now. Buy used, buy old, try first, but don't be surprised or embarassed at it's vintage, it's the sound that counts.