Rmaf 2018 provided the perfect opportunity to see the new emm labs dv2 dsd dac. Audioshark forum is a leading forum site for high end audio discussion, stereo system discussion, home theater system discussion, best home stereo system discussion, home theater installation discussion etc. Emm labs dac2x stereo da converter pulling out all the. Id get the dac2x mainly because i know emm actually builds their dacs using discrete components which would cost a fair bit more. It can be used to play sacds from any emm labs sacd transport via the companys proprietary optilink digital optical interface. Prices for emm labs highend audio xds1 cd sacd player, dac2x dac, tsdx transport and pre2 preamp covid19 status phone orders and operations are active. Shipped with original box, remote, original power cord. Today it streams from sources as diverse as your pc, music server, satellite receiver, mixing board and portable player. I listened at some length to arguably the best cdsacd players currently available at rmaf 2008 and 2011.
Emm labs dac2x digitaltoanalog converter soundstage. As some of you know emm labs meitner has just released a major firmware upgrade for the dac2x and ma1. By utilizing the awardwinning technologies ed meitner developed for our emm labs line of products. The emm dac2x features the latest generation mdat upconverting dsp, mfast jitter removal system, mclk. Please include your name, email address, product name and serial number plus a brief description of the issue. Which is why emm labs has created one very simple, very convenient way to get stateoftheart sound from all of them. Late last week, shahinn al rashid, the director of sales at emm labs sent me an update to the firmware of the da2. I read that there is a new firmware coming from emm. The subject of this article is the latest emm labs gear to be offered up from one of the most highly regarded digital masterminds, ed meitner. Emm labs dac2x v2 upgraded dsd128 supported dac for sale. The emm labs xds1 sacd player has now been in continuous production for ten years.
Bricasti m1 dac vs ps audio direct stream dac i own a ps audio direct stream dac that i like a lot but heard my friends system with the bricasti m1 and i am strongly thinking of changing my dac and would love your feedback from other members that have heard either or both. I have received the hardware from emm labs and the instructions as to how to update the software too. Emm labs ships a custom power cord from kimber kable with every dac2x so thats what i listened with for some time. Meitneremm labs firmware upgrade sonic bliss audiogon. My dealer called emm labs and they sent me a new link to download the file. The dac2x supports up to 24bit192khz resolution on all of its pcm inputs, including usb. On another note, we found out that unfortunately the emm labs tx2 cd sacd transport is discontinued and completely sold out.
Since then, i own emm labs cdsa xds1 dac2x i bought them because of their musicality, but they lack sufficient dynamics and resolution the da2 is. Dcc2 user manual dcc2 digital control center the dcc2 is a stereo da converter with builtin preamplifier that evolved from emm labs s acclaimed converter and preamplifier systems that have been used worldwide in professional recording studios to master some of the finest recordings in both cd and sacd releases. With v2 upgrade it supports dsd128 input over usb, and further improves the sound quality. I wanted to post my thoughts after i upgraded my emm firmware. With the update of meitner audios very first product, the meitner ma1v2 stereo da converter continues to provide enthusiasts with accessible costnoobject performance. It comes with the original kimber pk14 power cable, an aluminum remote never used, and the original factory double boxes. A change of hardware and software in the older models to bring them up to date should do the trick, just like with the recent v2 update available for the dac2x and meitner ma1. Emm labs tsdx cdsacd transport with dac2x da converter. Firmware latest version of the mdat2 firmware was installed and here we elaborate with the attached mdat picture plus. Bricasti m1 dac vs ps audio direct stream dac audiogon. Emm labs da2 v2 upgrade whats best audio and video forum. After rmaf last year i listened extensively to the esoteric k05 k01 wasnt available at a dealer in golden, and the emm labs xds1 at dealer in boulder. Meitneremm labs firmware upgrade sonic bliss as some of you know emm labs meitner has just released a major firmware upgrade for the dac2x and ma1.
Emm labs dac2x v2 da converter audio concept online shop. Not offering an usb output on this product gives pause to contemplating and could be a potential deal breaker. Emm labs and meitner audio dac firmware upgrade new. Emm labs da2 v2 upgrade whats best audio and video. In those early days, eds emm labs worked handinglove with sony and phillips to refine what was possible from the format and to establish the unparalleled sonic purity for which sacd is now known. The ability of the updated dac2x to mentally transport me somewhere other than where my brain is physically located is uncanny. For sale an emm labs dac2x v2 upgraded in excellent condition. Gratis firmware upgrade voor meitner en emmlabs bezitters. The 2x doesnt borrow the best of each dac rather its a different animal that beats to its own drum. Emm labs dac2x stereo da converter pulling out all the stops. Introducing the da2 redesigned from the ground up, it features the worlds first 16xdsd dacs and eds latest generation analog stages. But first, run as fast as you can and get this firmware upgrade, period. Emm labs is capable of releasing new features hint, hint for the.
The dv2 builds on emm labs ground breaking da2 technology and integrates its newly developed high resolution volume control system, vcontrol into its architecture. For the money, the ps audio dsd unit is worth listening to and considering. Emm labs xds1v2 with mdat2 cdsacd reference player converter stateofthedigitalart has been updated. For those not in the 1% still craving the dac2x, if youre willing to forgo the ceramic pcbs, the handmatched components and the lowercost power supply, much of the same technology is currently available at less than half the dac2xs sticker price in the meitner audio ma1, ed meitners more commercial offshoot of emm labs. Firmware seems to have on some files a november 2017 date on it, with september update of usb drivers. The emm labs dac2x is a dac thats smack in the middle of these two groups. Emm labs meitner audio products pats hifi audio art. My xds1 sounds even better today as it has been updated to the latest specifications through firmware updates and circuit changes for example, to allow 24bit. Emm labs is capable of releasing new features hint, hint for the dac2x that are installable via this usb port. According to howard kneller, there can be no dispute that the dac2x is one of only a few onebox dacs that can reasonably claim to intrude on. Another interesting but normally unseen internal feature is the charge management plate, a pattern of isolated copper dots which stabilizes the electrostatic field across. I noticed improved soundstage, clarity, and detail without losing a note of musicality.
The other usb port is high speed class 2 audio compliant. Currently, almost every new sacd in production is being made with our dsd converters. In addition to being the perfect companion of their tsdx cdsacd transport, the updates provide a huge improvement in transparency, accuracy and overall sound quality. Firmware arrived just waiting for distributor to upload and will report back. Dcs pucciniuclock, esoteric k01, emm labs xds1, and playback designs mps5. Pre stereo preamplifier the reference pre, embodies eds drive for perfection in his most significant statement preamplifier to date. And now, emm labs is bringing the same peerless level of performance into audiophile homes throughout the world. Unfortunately, technology never stands still and at some point, the xds1 began to show its age. My dealer at that time also updated my ma1 to version 2. I have the ma1 and here is my impressions on the differences in the sonics after the upgrade. Meitner emm labs firmware upgrade 72014 sonic bliss as some of you know emm labs meitner has just released a major firmware upgrade for the dac2x and ma1. This is the latest addition to the emm labs family of gear for 2019. Emm labs and meitner audio update their dac2x and ma1.
I love the sound of this dac and the recent firmware update improved everything more than i thought it could. Reintroducing the multiaward winning dac2x v2 updated using the technology in our reference da2. Up for sale is the emm labs dac2x updated to v2 version which can play double dsd. Audirvana plus, macmini, uptone js2, emm labs dac2x v2, krell. Emm labs xds1v2 with mdat2 cdsacd reference player. For all other support issues please contact emm labs support directly by filling out our website support form located at the bottom of this page.
The emm labs dac2x is the most detailed, neutral, and transparent dac ive heard in my system. So perhaps its worth waiting a bit longer end june is the. When digging into the comparisons with the auralic vega, one thing was very apparentthe vegas overall presentation sounded much airier and much more relaxed. Enjoy the improvements and keep the feedback coming. I used a length of audioquest diamond usb cable to connect my macbook running roon to the dac. Emm labs meitner audio products pats hifi audio art vancouver. The dac2x was placed into my system consisting of the devore x speakers and ayre ax5 twenty integrated amplifier. While i had known that the upgrade had been in the works for almost a year, i was somewhat surprised when it showed up as an email attachment. The emm labs mtrx2 monos are the bestsounding amplifiers ive ever heard. After listening for about 3 hours, this is a very big upgrade. Emm labs and meitner audio dac firmware upgrade new more than a year in development and testing, emm labs and meitner audio is proud to announce the release of our mdat2 dsp update that will take all our current dac platforms dac2x, xds1 v2, ma1, ma2 to that next level in audio performance. My question to all you fellow users is about the st link, orange fiber cable that i use between the transport and the dac.
The dac2x supports pcm resolutions up to 24bit192khz on all inputs and 2. The updated emm labs dac2x is a digital to analog converter capable of satisfying the most demanding pcm and dsd music lovers. Usb service port for future system firmware upgrades. The combined performance of both allowing the da2 to achieve that whole new level of transparency and performance. Emm labs dac2x digitaltoanalog converter here da2cx found the dac2x to hold a slight edge in the coherence of the soundstage and the texture of individual instruments. The emm dac2x features the latest generation mdat upconverting dsp, mfast jitter removal system, mclk master clock and ed meitners hand built 5. Using technology developed in their flagship da2, emm labs and meitner audio has once again updated both their multiaward winning dacs the meitner audio ma1 dac and emm labs dac2x. It might provide dsd2x compatibility long awaited feature. The emm labs dac2x is more than twice the price of the meitner ma1, and is the most expensive dac weve ever named a recommended reference component. Emm labs the company when sony needed to transform sacd from an intriguing concept into a sonic reality, they turned to one of the worlds leading experts in digital converter design. Digital audio data isnt the sole domain of digital transports any longer.
Maybe cross fingers the dac2x will get a similar software upgrade to the da2 in the future. For general support and upgrades please contact your local emm labs dealerdistributor. The ma2s advanced new slotloading transport utilizes technology we developed for the stateoftheart emm labs xds1 player to isolate the transport electrically and mechanically from the converter. The updated emm labs dac2x is a digital to analog converter capable of. Emm labs wisely selected the xmos usb receiving chip that works without software driver installation. Clearly, emm labs has not properly thought this through when designing this ns1. In those early days, eds emm labs worked handinglove with sony and phillips to refine what was.