Is the EMM DAC6e or DCC2 /CDSD the best out there?

I remembered seeing some things out there about the Audio Aero Prestige when I was reading show reports, so I went baack and found it. The Prestige is apparently still very new, with only a few owned as yet. It appears to be a "Contender". They are already comparing the Prestige favourably with the EMM, and the Prestige is not even broken-in yet. (less expensive also)

From a dealer that handles both EMM & Audio Aero:

http://www.audiofederation.com/blog/ (Prestige amps too)

http://www.audiofederation.com/hifiing/2005/RMAF2005/official-report/index.htm

Iujona, the short answer is no, there is no the "BEST" but many fine reference pieces in high end audio. If your interested a thread that I started entitled, Reference DACS:An overall perspective, will give information on the DACS you are curious about. Much of this wonderful hobby ends up in "EGO" battles over who's toys are the "BEST" in the world. It real boils down to personnal taste and system synergy, so different flavors appeal to different folks. On a final note, no offense to Jtinn, I don't know about your "STATUS", so it most not be very obvious, what ever that's suppose to mean anyways, but to be "ADAMANT" about anything means rigid/dogmatic not a very compilmentary position to to oneself in. If you mean that you believe strongly that for your ear's that the EMM DACS are the best for you, does not make that digital front end the "BEST" in the world for everybody else. I love the sound of my digital front end, auditioned the Meitner gear and did not think it sounded as good as what I finally purchased, but that doesnot prove its the "BEST" in the world. There are many great flavors to choose from, that's what makes this hobby so much fun, if you don't get your ego involved.

I have had a chance to compare head-to-head, in the same system EMM DCC2 + CDSD vs dCS Verdi LaScala / Elgar Plus for over two weeks (both on loan for home audition), and to my ears, the latest dCS stuff clearly outperformed EMM on Redbook CD.

Note #1. I didn't have a chance to compare their SACD performance - I have no software, and do not really care about SACD.

Note #2. I have heard that older dCS stuff is nowhere near as goog as DSD upsampling Verdi La Scala, so my expirience and an expirience of other AudiogoNers that tried older dCS stuff may differ.

Note #3. dCS stack was 50% more expensive.

Note #4. dCS worked perfectly, wheres EMM didn't (it has some static noise probnlems, also reported by other users)

Note #5. You can further improove dCS performance with an external Verona master clock.

Just my 0.02c worth.

I have owned too many to count but in all my years in this hobby, the Meitner stack bests anything in the market today even the Dcs stack. The Meitner is so good that it is the reason I have not gotten back into vinyl. It is as close as the real thing.

Kennyt, if I had to choose between the EMM and the dCS, I would agree, but fortunately there are others available, and to my ear and others' the Reimyo is superior to both, being much more analog sounding and involving. Disclaimer - I sell the latter, so take that with a grain of salt, but do go hear it for yourself when you get the chance.