Emm labs DA2 v2 upgrade

[Yuen A.]

KALEVI AHO: Symphony for Organ "Alles Vergängliche", 3 Interludes Jan Lehtola, organ BIS SACD 1946 (96 kHz, 24 bit)

Wow, the organ sounded powerful, terrifying in weight (track 3), awe-inspiring, stunning, expressive, rich, reverberant, and also tranquil and magical! It really sounded like the real thing and "you are there" via the EMM Labs DV2, Constellation Centaur, Magico M2 and Magico Q-Sub 15. (Listening Volume: -20 dB of the maximum volume)

 

[Yuen A.]

Gustav MAHLER Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor (1902) Budapest Festival Orchestra/Iván Fischer
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA 34213

The performance is top-class, especially the first movement. I love the vigour! The opening trumpet sounded so right. In fact, the timbre of the strings, the brass, the woodwinds, and the drums was spot-on. The soundstage was huge. The sounds were dynamic, transparent, clear, reverberant, and airy.

 

[Yuen A.]

Hi Guys

Just to share. Someone who has recently acquired an EMM Labs DV2 posted the following on a forum (Head-Fi, July 16, 2022):

"Hey gang, I just acquired a DV2 and NS1. Before taking that plunge, I auditioned the combo in my system, against my dCS Rossini (which is Ethernet connectable). As can be gleaned from my purchase, the DV2/NS1 combo beat my Rossini & its outboard clock. It should be noted that I used both the Rossini and now the DV2 to directly drive my tube amps and speakers.

As I'm sure most of you know, Mr. Meitner was in the studio digital business before PC audio was a thing. Because of this and me being an early adopter of PC Audio, Ed and his products have always been on my radar and short list. Because I wanted Ethernet connectivity and a DAC with a pre-amp capable of superbly driving my amps, until the DV2, EMM wasn't in competition when I bought the Rossini. Now, I'm so glad I've had a chance to sample and own Ed's and EMM Labs' great work.

By comparison to the Rossini, the DV2 had a better and more immersive soundstage, it was more musical with greater detail retrieval. The latter two are oftentimes in competition -- i.e., you get one, but not so much the other. That wasn't so with the DV2. With DAC's at the dCS and EMM level, a great frequency response is a given. However, what for me separates a good DAC from a really great one, is how good the illusion is of being at the studio or hall -- i.e. the performance! Although it's obviously not possible, I liken the illusion to being in the music, verses simply being a voyeur. The closer I feel like I'm in the hall, or the studio -- in the music, the better. After owning a Lampizator Big7 and then a Lampi Golden Gate and of course the Rossini for 3+ years, the DV2/NS1 are providing the best digital I have ever heard in my room!"

 

[Yuen A.]

Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings, Op. 48; Shostakovich: String Quartet, Op. 68, No. 2 (arr. Morton)
Scottish Ensemble, Jonathan Morton. Linn Records SACD CKD 472

This is really vigorous music-making and exhilarating! The closest you can get to hearing the real thing. You should hear the complex texture of the strings, the dynamic envelopes of the instruments, the sonorous resonance of bowed double basses and cellos. Play loud. (Listening Volume: -20 dB of maximum volume)

 

[Yuen A.]

English Music for Strings Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10 (1937) [23:37]
Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Lament, H117 (1915) [3:47] Lennox BERKELEY (1903-1989) Serenade for Strings, Op. 12 (1939) [13:01]
Sir Arthur BLISS (1891-1975) Music for Strings, F123 (1935) [23:56] Sinfonia of London/John Wilson CHANDOS SACD CHSA5264

I have commented on this recording before. I have noted that the dynamics of the bowed string instruments here matches the real thing. Today, I was even more impressed by it (albeit at a higher volume level: -21dB of maximum level). The dynamics (both macro and micro), the details/subtleties, the textures and colors of the orchestra were amazing! The orchestra have this presence of sound you hear at live concert.

 

[Yuen A.]

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Ning Feng, violin; Yang Yang, conductor; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Channel Classics CCS SA 34913

Gramophone, April 2014, says: "Ning Feng’s account of the Tchaikovsky is notably elegant. The fast, high passages sound wonderfully clear and pure, and the first movement, in particular, abounds in balletic grace – surely a part of the music’s essential character. In the cadenza, performed just as Tchaikovsky wrote it, without any of the little ‘improvements’ we often hear, he reveals a finely honed sense of timing, which also comes into play in the introductory solo to the finale; and as the finale gets under way, Feng’s liveliness and precision ensure an impression of real vivacity …"

Ning Feng's version of the Violin Concerto is light, beautiful, soaring, and lyrical. The sound is realistic, with prominent bass, a detailed midrange and extended highs. The instruments sounded immediate and dimensional. (Listening volume: -20 dB of maximum volume)

 

[Yuen A.]

David Lang, The Little Match Girl Passion Theatre Of Voices, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier harmonia mundi HMU 807496

Wow, this is a fascinating recording! The score (The Little Match Girl Passion) opens on a sonic journey of great beauty, purity and clarity. The voices, bells and bass drum sounded real. The reverberant acoustic of the recording venue was fully reproduced.

 

[Yuen A.]

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74; Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Daniele Gatti. Harmonia Mundi SACD (HMU 807394)

This is a masterly interpretation of the Tchaikovsky No. 6 Symphony by Daniele Gatti! There is passion, precision, tension, clarity, incisiveness, freshness and impact in the interpretation. The sound is full, warm, lush, natural, dynamic, detailed, polish, transparent, spacious, airy, and with plenty of impact at the climaxes. All the instruments sounded alive, real, tactile, and presence.

 

[Yuen A.]

Retrospect Trio, Henry Purcell - Twelve Sonatas in Three Parts Linn Records SACD​

CKD374

Wow, such soothing, beautiful, exquisite, delightful, melancholic, joyous, entrancing and fascinating music. I especially love Jonathan Manson's gorgeous bass viol. The sound is detailed, resonant, crisp, clear, pure and the instruments are distinctly separated and presence.

 

[LL21]

View attachment 98802

Retrospect Trio, Henry Purcell - Twelve Sonatas in Three Parts Linn Records SACD​

CKD374

Wow, such soothing, beautiful, exquisite, delightful, melancholic, joyous, entrancing and fascinating music. I especially love Jonathan Manson's gorgeous bass viol. The sound is detailed, resonant, crisp, clear, pure and the instruments are distinctly separated and presence.

Thanks for that! Ordered!

 

[Yuen A.]

Gunnar IDENSTAM (b.1961) Jukkaslåtar (Songs for Jukkasjärvi)
Poem I [5:43] Cradle Song (Sami version) [2:00] Eight Seasons [5:27] Dance of the First Snow [4:12] Bieggaolmai [4:59] Finn's Dance [3:54] Song of the Water Spirit [4:16]
Cradle Song (Swedish version) [1:27] Midwinter [2:23] Saari Polska [3:11] Halling [3:34]
Reindeer on the Frozen River [4:47] Dance to Spring [2:40] Summer Wind [4:10] Cradle Song (Meänkieli version) [4:29] Cradle Song II [3:01] Poem II - Epilogue [4:29]

Simon Marainen (yoik, vocals) Brita-Stina Sjaggo (vocals) Sandra Marteleur (violin) Thorbjörn Jakobsson (saxophone) Jonas Sjöblom (percussion) Gunnar Idenstam (organ, tapes) Recorded at the Kiruna Church, March 2010. DDD BIS-SACD-1868

Hi Guys,

You might be interested in these cross-over New Age music. I like some of them (Poem I and II, Cradle Song, Cradle Song II, Saari Polska, Finn's Dance). The sound quality is superb and of demonstration quality. Use it to show off your sound system, especially if you own a pair of speakers with superb bass extension and extended high. Via my Magico M2, Magico Q-Sub15 and EMM DV2, the soundstage was huge, immersive, with great depth. Instruments and vocals were lifelike, resonant, rich, and full. If you own the EMM DA2/DV2, the percussion will sound like the real thing, due to its excellent transient performance. The low bass is scary.

 

[Yuen A.]

Mahler Symphony No. 5. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons. RCO Live SACD. RCO 08007

Wow, this recording really sounded like I was at the Concertgebouw listening to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing! (Listening Volume: -20 dB of the maximum volume) The performance, directed by Jansons, is also top-notch, virtuosic. Soundstage was huge (wall to wall and floor to ceiling soundspace). The excellent reverberant acoustic of the Concertgebouw was accurately reproduced. The sound was totally transparent, clean and pure. Resolution was excellent, revealing fine details of timbre and dynamics with vivid realism. Every instrument sounded alive, resonant and real. Even the densest fff passages were rendered effortless, without any distortion, congestion or break-up.

 

[Yuen A.]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, Romeo and Juliet Overture. Mikhail Pletnev, Russian National Orchestra. PentaTone SACD PTC 5186 384.​

Another top-notch recording/performance of the fourth symphony. There is much passion, engagement, refinement and excitement in the performance. The sound is excellent - great soundstage, huge dynamic range, excellent transient impact, pristine woodwinds, shimmering strings, and the brass providing thrilling immediacy. Play loud. (Listening Volume: -20 dB of maximum volume)

 

[Yuen A.]

Sergey RACHMANINOV All-Night Vigil (Vespers), Op. 37 Latvian Radio Choir/Sigvards Klava, St John’s Church, Riga. ONDINE SACD ODE 1206-5

Wow, such distinguished, highly polished, dynamic, heartbreaking, and beautifully modulated choral singing! The sound was pure, crystal clear, beautiful, and naturally reverberant in a sublime acoustic, just like the real thing!

 

[Yuen A.]

Giuseppe VERDI Messa da Requiem Erika Grimaldi (soprano), Daniela Barcellona (mezzo), Francesco Meli (tenor), Michele Pertusi (bass) London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra/Gianandrea Noseda. Barbican, London. LSO LIVE LSO 0800 SACD

"... the LSO Chorus are superb throughout, as are the LSO themselves...." — Gramophone Magazine, June 2017

Conductor Noseda draws magnificent sound from the LSO players and chorus. The LSO and chorus are unflappable, even when Noseda tears into the first Dies irae. I especially love the stormy and terrifying Dies irae and the bass drum (effortless and distortionless). Noseda was able to brings out more orchestral colour and detail than most, every nuance well caught by the microphones. The strings (and especially the double basses) and the brass playing is splendid, and the choral attack is breathtaking. However, you are in the front row. The SACD cost only $7 Singapore dollars! (prestomusic special offer)

 

[Yuen A.]

Escales French Orchestral Works
Emmanuel CHABRIER España (1883) Maurice DURUFLÉ Trois Danses, Op.6 Camille SAINT-SAËNS Le Rouet d’Omphale in A, Op.31
Achille-Claude DEBUSSYPrélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Jacques IBERT Escales Jules MASSENET Méditation from ‘Thaïs’
Maurice RAVEL Rapsodie Espagnole Adam Walker (flute), Juliana Koch (oboe) Sinfonia of London/John Wilson CHANDOS CHSA5252 SACD

Wow, wow, utterly transparent! Huge soundscape, realistic fortissimo slams, exquisite orchestral timbres, enchanting woodwinds, delicate and finely textured strings and the warm sounding reverberation from the double basses sounded just like what we hear at a good concert hall.

 

[Yuen A.]

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 Thierry Escaich (organ), Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, Jean-Jacques Kantorow (BIS 2470 SACD)​

Gramophone: "There are many striking things in this new account – listen, say, to the near frenzy Kantorow finds in the Scherzo, or to how sweetly the woodwinds of the Liège Royal Philharmonic sing their lyrical lines."

Orchestra texture here has great clarity. The brass, strings, and woodwinds sounded realistic, delicate, and sumptuous. Ebb and flow is masterful. The grand finale is truly exciting when Kantorow pulls out all the stops! Play loud. (listening volume: -19 dB of maximum volume)

 

[Yuen A.]

Hi Guys,

You may be interested in the following review of the Grimm Audio MU1 Music Player by Chris of Computer Audiophile (26th October 2022):

"I listened to the MU1 set to 4fs oversampling and Roon's DSP disabled, and compared that to Roon set to 4x upsampling with the MU1's oversampling disabled. This was a great test to show the extremely high quality of the Grimm filters and precision FPGA based DSP. I preferred the MU1 oversampling by a long shot over Roon's 4x upsampling.

Listening to Chris Isaak's cover of Only The Lonely, made this very apparent. Isaak's voice sounded silky smooth, and sucked me right in. The acoustic guitar was lush, with a wide soundstage, neither of which Roon's upsampling could match. Staying with acoustic music, I played Dave Matthews Live at Luther College. On Christmas Song, the 4fs oversampling gave the acoustic guitars a much fuller body and silky sonic texture when played through the EMM Labs DV2 DAC, and to a lesser degree through the T+A DAC 200 using the BEZ 2 pure Bezier interpolator. Based on my many hours of listening through and experimenting with the MU1, I believe it sounds best set to 4fs oversampling while playing acoustic music. This is its sweet spot.

Audio that sounded great through the MU1, but with oversampling turned off via its web interface, was what I'll call piano music. I listened to Larry Karush's album titled May 24, 1976 and Tsuyoshi Yamamoto's album Midnight Sugar extensively, using many different up/oversampling options. When only the DAC's oversampling was enabled, transients were bolder and definition in the bottom octaves of the piano was better.

On the title track to Midnight Sugar, there was also more definition in the top end and the transients were less sharp with the MU1's oversampling disabled. Specifically, the transient at 2:25 into the track. With 4fs oversampling enabled, the piano can rip the listener's ears off. It's overly sharp. Without MU1 oversampling enabled on this track, the T+A DAC 200 with bez2 filter sounded fantastic, as did the EMM Labs DV2. When listening to piano music, I preferred the T+A and EMM Labs filters and algorithms on their own."
"

 

[2Windows]

Any news about emm labs dv2 update?

 

[Yuen A.]

Any news about emm labs dv2 update?

No, but expecting it to be ready early next year.