EMIA is a collaboration between Experience Music (Jeffrey Jackson) and Intact Audio (Dave Slagle). Over the past 2 years I have communicated with Jeffrey extensively. He is a first rate individual who goes the extra mile for customer service. Highly recommended.
Per myemia.com, the Elmaformer is "the volume control of purists... a beautiful rotary switch by Elma of Switzerland controls this inductive volume control wound on a Permalloy (80% Nickel) core... inductive attenuation is based on conservation of energy instead of burning off extra signal as heat... why would anyone ever want to throw away the majority of the signal's power?"
Further from the manual, "The EMIA Elmaformer is a stereo volume control based on multiple tapped auto-transformers. The unit has 47 steps of 1.25dB each. The complete gain range is from -51.25 to +5dB. As the name implies, the switch is our favorite high quality unit from Elma of Switzerland. The cores of the auto-transformers are made of 80% Nickel, also known by its trade name of Permalloy. Each auto-transformer uses non-magnetic brass channels for that last bit of signal circuit preservation. Three inputs are switched from a front panel mounted three position toggle switch. Each unit has two outputs that are in parallel."
The build quality is interesting. Silver RCA connectors are first rate. The front panel is made from a dead-to-the-knuckle-rap material that speaks "industrial minimalist". The best part of the design is the jumbo volume control knob which gives the user a smooth, notched disk to adjust gain. Some people will enjoy the "no bling", all matte black approach, while others will want something with flash. This is a personal choice. Could the product be improved? Sonically, that would be hard to achieve, although the silver version would be interesting. The chassis is standard fare and if there was one area to improve, possibly a heavier duty chassis would be in order, of course this would drive up price ($3,000 copper, $4,800 .9999 silver).
In my setup, the copper Elmaformer is driven by either an EMIA phono stage or a Bluetooth DA converter with 2V line output. To these ears, the Elmaformer is a gain control champion that transparently allows the music signal to flow effortlessly. It does nothing more. Nothing less. With 3 different RCA inputs, the Elmaformer just allows the signal to pass thru effortlessly. Adding nothing to the signal, the Elmaformer will showcase all upstream components and cabling. No skimping with cheap cables or underperforming front end components. The Elmaformer lays bare the performance of everything in the audio chain. Equally important, the Elmaformer has a very liquid, natural, at-ease sound. Never analytical, etchy or sonically tinted. Rather, the inductive volume control keeps the signal pure. If you have not heard a Permalloy (80% Nickel) core product, then you are in for a treat. Nickel is so natural sounding. Meaty, smooth, aggressive, punchy, non-etchy, non-bright, non-fatiguing, not over hyped. Just lifelike. Oh, BTW, this thing is DEAD QUIET!!! More so than any other product I have heard.
Primarily playing classical music, I prioritize tonality and dynamics over other attributes. This is where the Elmaformer is king. Tonally pure, the Elmaformer gets out of the way and lets the musical signal pass thru unabated. Cello and violin (with the right recording and upstream equipment) recordings are full of harmonic richness with a beautify color palette. Kramer never sounded so good playing Schnittke's violin sonata. Prior experience with other passive pre-amps lead me to perception that passive's are thin, etchy and lack drive/dynamics. Nothing could be further from the truth with the Elmaformer. Dynamics are better than ever. Lively. Snappy. Precise. True to form. Just listen to the staccato notes on Sofia Gubaidulina's string quartets played by either Quatuor Molinari or the Stamic Quartet. Lifelike dynamics are neither underwhelming or exaggerated.
At $3,000 (or even $30,000), this is "the volume control" to own. If you are an audio purist / minimalist, this is "the product" for you. Thru the past 2 decades, I have owned 11 world class pre-amps including the EMT JPA-66, Lyra Connoisseur, Boulder, etc. Each of these products is great in it's own right. That said, no active or passive pre-amp that I have heard can compete sonically with the effortless liquidity and natural sounding permalloy EMIA Elmaformer. Other pre-amp will offer flexibility (the EMT JPA-66 is the champion) or build quality (Lyra Connoisseur and Boulder), but to these ears, this passive pre-amp volume control just lets you sit back and enjoy the music (assuming your front end is up to the challenge). Relax the shoulders, enjoy the drive.
My system:
Gates CB500 turntable (complete rebuild by Banpuku Audio)
Durand Telos tonearm
Murasakino Sumile cartridge
Murasakino Nobala step-up transformer
EMIA LR Phono Corrector
EMIA Elmaformer
Auris bluMe HD Bluetooth 5.0 Music Receiver
Enjoy Music GM70 power amp
Gryphon Colosseum power amp
Ilumnia Magister speakers
Tellurium Q cables
Per myemia.com, the Elmaformer is "the volume control of purists... a beautiful rotary switch by Elma of Switzerland controls this inductive volume control wound on a Permalloy (80% Nickel) core... inductive attenuation is based on conservation of energy instead of burning off extra signal as heat... why would anyone ever want to throw away the majority of the signal's power?"
Further from the manual, "The EMIA Elmaformer is a stereo volume control based on multiple tapped auto-transformers. The unit has 47 steps of 1.25dB each. The complete gain range is from -51.25 to +5dB. As the name implies, the switch is our favorite high quality unit from Elma of Switzerland. The cores of the auto-transformers are made of 80% Nickel, also known by its trade name of Permalloy. Each auto-transformer uses non-magnetic brass channels for that last bit of signal circuit preservation. Three inputs are switched from a front panel mounted three position toggle switch. Each unit has two outputs that are in parallel."
The build quality is interesting. Silver RCA connectors are first rate. The front panel is made from a dead-to-the-knuckle-rap material that speaks "industrial minimalist". The best part of the design is the jumbo volume control knob which gives the user a smooth, notched disk to adjust gain. Some people will enjoy the "no bling", all matte black approach, while others will want something with flash. This is a personal choice. Could the product be improved? Sonically, that would be hard to achieve, although the silver version would be interesting. The chassis is standard fare and if there was one area to improve, possibly a heavier duty chassis would be in order, of course this would drive up price ($3,000 copper, $4,800 .9999 silver).
In my setup, the copper Elmaformer is driven by either an EMIA phono stage or a Bluetooth DA converter with 2V line output. To these ears, the Elmaformer is a gain control champion that transparently allows the music signal to flow effortlessly. It does nothing more. Nothing less. With 3 different RCA inputs, the Elmaformer just allows the signal to pass thru effortlessly. Adding nothing to the signal, the Elmaformer will showcase all upstream components and cabling. No skimping with cheap cables or underperforming front end components. The Elmaformer lays bare the performance of everything in the audio chain. Equally important, the Elmaformer has a very liquid, natural, at-ease sound. Never analytical, etchy or sonically tinted. Rather, the inductive volume control keeps the signal pure. If you have not heard a Permalloy (80% Nickel) core product, then you are in for a treat. Nickel is so natural sounding. Meaty, smooth, aggressive, punchy, non-etchy, non-bright, non-fatiguing, not over hyped. Just lifelike. Oh, BTW, this thing is DEAD QUIET!!! More so than any other product I have heard.
Primarily playing classical music, I prioritize tonality and dynamics over other attributes. This is where the Elmaformer is king. Tonally pure, the Elmaformer gets out of the way and lets the musical signal pass thru unabated. Cello and violin (with the right recording and upstream equipment) recordings are full of harmonic richness with a beautify color palette. Kramer never sounded so good playing Schnittke's violin sonata. Prior experience with other passive pre-amps lead me to perception that passive's are thin, etchy and lack drive/dynamics. Nothing could be further from the truth with the Elmaformer. Dynamics are better than ever. Lively. Snappy. Precise. True to form. Just listen to the staccato notes on Sofia Gubaidulina's string quartets played by either Quatuor Molinari or the Stamic Quartet. Lifelike dynamics are neither underwhelming or exaggerated.
At $3,000 (or even $30,000), this is "the volume control" to own. If you are an audio purist / minimalist, this is "the product" for you. Thru the past 2 decades, I have owned 11 world class pre-amps including the EMT JPA-66, Lyra Connoisseur, Boulder, etc. Each of these products is great in it's own right. That said, no active or passive pre-amp that I have heard can compete sonically with the effortless liquidity and natural sounding permalloy EMIA Elmaformer. Other pre-amp will offer flexibility (the EMT JPA-66 is the champion) or build quality (Lyra Connoisseur and Boulder), but to these ears, this passive pre-amp volume control just lets you sit back and enjoy the music (assuming your front end is up to the challenge). Relax the shoulders, enjoy the drive.
My system:
Gates CB500 turntable (complete rebuild by Banpuku Audio)
Durand Telos tonearm
Murasakino Sumile cartridge
Murasakino Nobala step-up transformer
EMIA LR Phono Corrector
EMIA Elmaformer
Auris bluMe HD Bluetooth 5.0 Music Receiver
Enjoy Music GM70 power amp
Gryphon Colosseum power amp
Ilumnia Magister speakers
Tellurium Q cables