About the EMM Labs DAC

I would imagine that the principal reason is Meitner's proprietary DSD interface to be able to transmit a DSD digital signal for SACD to be used by the DAC. Add to this that there is a lot of space inside the Philips unit to allow the necessary hardware/boards to be installed for this application. Although Accuphase and dCS have their own proprietary interfaces, I don't think they'll work with the Meitner unit, and Sony has only recently come out with its own SACD transport which will output a digital DSD signal--who knows, that's probably yet another interface. As far as redbook goes, I'll leave it to owners to say whether other transports are as good or better with a normal CD pcm interface.

Rcprince is correct regarding the interface. That being said, any transport that outputs via an AES/EBU connection, would greatly benefit from the use of an EMM Labs DAC. Conversion from PCM to DSD still occurs, but, as Rcprince says, the benefits of the DAC master clocking would not be acheived.

If you want to be able to play SACD software, the Meitnerized Philips or the upcoming EMM Labs Transport are the way to go.

Jonathan Tinn
Distributor of EMM Labs

I don't own EMM, but there are some very wise folks (tireguy included) hereabouts that are going in that direction and this must mean something.