Electrocompaniet EMC1 CDP owner's suggestions

jm88439 - are you using solid state or tube amplification? Is your preamp tubed? I lost much of the bloom experienced with my EMC1 when I swapped out my tube amp (Air Tight ATM2) with a Bryston 14B-SST. Don't get me wrong, the solid state amp and EMC1 are providing great sound - just a little more analytical and less emotional. I sure miss that midrange bloom, especially on vocals, but the accuracy and speed of the big SS amp brings out subtle details like never before. Thank goodness I kept the Air Tight - now I can enjoy the best of both worlds with a simple equipment swap. I just wish my bank account (or lack thereof) loved this hobby as much as I do!

My pre is tubed and my amp is a hybrid w/tube input and ss output. The slight loss of bloom has nothing to do with the pre and amp. The BAT D5 is simply a better performer where bloom and 3D voices are concerned. Especially with the NOS Amperex and Siemens tubes I was accustomed to using. In other respects, I prefer the EMC-1. Always the trade offs.

Today, I connected my EMC-1UP to my Bryston Preamp using a set of HT Truthlink XLR-RCA cables (from the EMC balanced outs to the Bryston RCA inputs), and another set of HT Truthlink RCA-RCA cables (from the EMC RCA outs to Bryston RCA inputs). I can report that an A/B comparison produces no difference in sound quality that I can detect between the EMC's XLR and RCA outs when both are run into the Bryston's single ended inputs. This would lead me to concur with other poster's conclusions that the perceived difference in sound quality between the XLR and RCA outs has more to do with the 6db level increase when using a truly balanced connection (and not cheated as I have done). This being said, given the choice, I'd run the EMC truly balanced because I like to occasionally listen at "live" volume levels, and I can take advantage of the added 6db's since the balanced conections allow me to reach loud volumes at 12:00 on the volume knob instead of 2:00 on the volume knob.

FYI, I'm using a Bryston 14B-SST to drive Aerial 7B louspeakers.

Same results here. Results differ when comparing straight single ended hookup to straight balanced though. The straight balanced is indeed more dynamic with slightly enhanced detail. Not enough to convince me to "upgrade" my pre however. In fact, in some ways I actually preferred the sound running the EMC-1 into my pre compared to my buddy's truly balanced pre. I'm comparing apples to oranges of course as the two preamps are quite different.

Jm88439, I agree with your observations 100% regarding straight single ended vs. straight balanced.