EMM Labs DAC6


Is anyone aware of any digital equipment that can compete with EMM Labs? What about Redbook?
haydn_josef
Joejr, your skepticism is understandable. yes, when emmlabs/Meitner questions are posed......those that own these units answer. as far as patting ourselves on the back......i think it is more a case of sharing our discovery with the curious. if a person doesn't want to read posts about the emmlabs/Meitner.....just don't click on the post.

i, for one, was skeptical myself......until i heard the emmlabs at David Robinson's home in February......even then i had to get it into my room to compare with my references before i could unconditionally say that it was a new digital standard FOR ME, TO MY EARS.

as far as the transport issue.....your comment is right-on. there is a less-than-ideal situation using the Philips SACD 1000 instead of a purpose built transport. unfortunately, it will be another 3+ months AT LEAST before the new emmlabs transport is ready. the challenge of designing and bringing to market a ground-up digital transport is difficult for a small company like Meitner.

on the other hand, my transport has been flawless and the performance is a revelation. when the music starts i could give a rip that it is a modified Philips. i have no plans to get the new transport when it is ready.....so resale is not an issue for me. even if you add the $2k original investment for the modified Philips to the $5k list price of the new emmlabs transport; $7k is still much less than other top digital transports that can't touch the performance of the emmlabs/Meitner.

so any way you slice it......the performance of the emmlabs/Meitner justifies the investment compared to other SOTA choices (none of which can equal it's performance).
Mikelavigne,I'll have a chance some day to listen,to this new digital standard,and yes i will say that from time to time a new product,is designed and so well engineered that it raises the bar and we all get more enjoyment out of our passion for this hobby!But,MAINLY all of the time is the flavor of the month Brand! Enjoy your system!
Mike can you give me some idea of how long it take to break in the Dac6e... I have had mine for two weeks.

Gary
Mikelavigne, I have the Audio Note DAC 1.2, which is not an upper level AN DAC, however it has all Black Gate caps, tantalum resistors, solid silver wiring, a custom (internal) HMS Gran Finale IC, AN copper caps on the analogue board, NOS tubes and AN DAC 4 silver wire interface transformers. It has been taken to about as high a level as I am capable of taking it. I don't know how it would compare to the other AN DACs or the Meitner DAC, but since I recently added the AN DAC 4 interface transformers, it now seems phenomenally good.

Have you had any experience with the Audio Note DACs as compared to the Meitner?