Turntable or go into SACD, Simon Yorke vs EMM Lab


I need some help here with a decision. I am deciding with futher upgrading my turntable or waiting longer & getting a SACD player (probably EMM unless anyone heard something better or close).
I currently have a Nottingham Hyperspace, wave mechanic,, and a SME V w. Koetsu Urushi. My other front end is the Audio Aero Cap. II. I am able to get a great deal on a Simon Yorke with all the extras. I can't figure out if I should upgrade or wait & eventually go SACD. I currently own only about 200 great records and about 800 OK ones. So whatever I buy will probably be available in one format or the other since I find CD OK but not great. Anythought or opinions is appreciated.
dgad

Showing 4 responses by cello

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Take a look at Teres Audio turntables (teresaudio.com)and specifically at the model 340.
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I have a new 340-2 (two armboards) and the sound is stunning. The build quality and the sonics are wonderful and probably the best value in TT's.
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The sound of a good TT set up will far surpass any CD or SACD set up.
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Feel free to email me.
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Hi Ceol,

Thanks for detailing the differences between the different formats (quite helpful). I think that some go forward advice would not include DVD-a at this time.
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Vinyl will be my home for a quite a while (at least while the dust clears on the different formats). The Catalogue of music available on LP far outstrips the DVD-a catalogue. Considering that I have gotten my red book set up sounding pretty decent (approaching or equal to SACD that I have heard in other systems, I can’t see the logic of jumping to one of the other formats at this point.
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I imagine that most serious music lovers/listeners have a fairly substantial investment in a Red Book CD collection and there is also a ton of stuff available on LP that is not available on any other format. Classical will probably be quite slow coming onto the DVD-a format due to the low sales volume potential. If one taste leans heavily into classical, I can’t see at this point how you could build a decent library in the formats other than Red Book and Vinyl.

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My recommendation would be to hang on to the Red Book collection that she has, buy SACD/Red Book versions of what you have to have and dive into Vinyl. The Vinyl will always be a great asset and then you can wait until some format comes forward with both great sonics and a wide range of availability and move in that direction when it makes sense.
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Ceol - Thanks again for another mature, patient and informative perspective.
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At this point, my Analogue side yields far better musicality, sound staging and sonics than my Red Book side (fully upgraded Electrocompaniet with a Spider Clamp) which I felt until I set up my TT rig was spectacular. Thanks also for sharing your experience and perspective with regard to the Meitner products. Please continue to share your insights in spite of any rebuffs that you might encounter. Your posts have really opened up some real positive possibilities for improving my system and my enjoyment of music.
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I feel like the EMC is a significant step or steps up from anything else I have tried (at more $$), but I keep hearing wonderful things about Ed Meitner’s products. Ironically, last weekend, after your first post, I was at a good friend’s house and was amazed at what his Meitner DAC and Transport did for some Red Book CD’s. I don’t think I would have been as attentive or open-minded were it not for reading your post prior to the visit. The detail, sound staging, warmth and ability to re-produce an experience in close proximity to live performances in a living room was quite overwhelming and surprising.
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I have quite an extensive Red Book library in addition to a more extensive LP collection and my new sense is that I should look long and hard at the EMM products. What would you think of pairing a Meitner DAC and the EMC as a transport ? Would the Meitner transport be a significant upgrade over the EMC ?
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Rbm321 - I would say that up until last weekend, I would not have thought that a CD could provide the closeness to the emotion of the music that I get from Vinyl plus the detail, sense of venue, warmth and sound staging. I feel that my TT rig really approaches as close to as good as it can get - (Teres 340-2 TT, Graham 2.2 & Basis Vector tonearms, Koetsu Rosewood Platinum & Shelter 901 cartridges and a Supratek Cortese Pre_ - Yes, my TT rig can always get better and there is plenty more to learn, but after listening to the Meitner set up last weekend, I am going to seriously explore the possibility of adding a Meitner DAC to my system. At this point I and anticipating that I might end up having two great options comprised of all the beauty of Analogue / Vinyl and an amazing improvement in my Red Book Collection.
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I did not think it possible prior to hearing the Meitner set up to get so much of what LP’s can offer. I would suggest that you, if you haven’t, get your ears around a Meitner set up somewhere and enjoy one of life’s pleasant surprises. I also suggest that you will miss quite a bit in life if you choose to continue to not to be a bit more objective and open minded to new ideas/experiences (not only in audio) as you bump into them. On the other hand, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to express your experience and opinions (Thanks). If it weren’t for the passion that people like you have expressed towards Analogue, I would not have built a TT rig and missed out on a lot of great music/recordings and been limited by what is available on CD.
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Ceol –
Thanks for taking the time in sharing your experiences. Please keep writing and sharing. Please feel free to contact me directly.
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