|
|
Post by Bonzo on Nov 13, 2013 18:00:58 GMT -5
No doubt, while on sale @ $449, the ERC-3 appears as Emotiva's very best CD player manufactured to date-- with SACD capability to boot. It has been reported that the ERC-3 incorporates the analog stage adopted from the Emotiva Pro DC-1 DAC, currently on sale for about 50 bucks more @ $499. I have absolutely no doubt the ERC-3 sounds wonderful. How? I owned the Emotiva Pro DC-1 DAC and I am very pleased with it. Since I own the DC-1, I unfortunately have no current need for another new CD player-- especially since my DC-1 DAC has the same analog stage. In the future, if Emotiva ever manufactures a no holds barred C/D transport (without any analog stage) @ $449, that would most likely be my last CD player for purchase. Your notes lead me to the only thing I see possibly missing from this player. In today's day and age, DAC usage is all the rage. So much so that Oppo basically invented the digital input to a stand alone disc player. Emotiva is so proud of their DC-1 configuration, it's too bad they didn't add a digital input section to the back. I'm sure they left it off for cost saving reasons, and the fact that not everyone would need it (so it would seem stupid to a lot of people). But that would have essentially made this a CD player and a DC-1 all in one (minus the headphone amp). It would have just added that final level of "ultimate" to an already great CD player. Perhaps that will come with the ERC-4? About the tray shifted to one side, funny how young everyone here seems to be. For about the first 10 years of CD players being around, that's mostly all there was. Almost every one had the tray shifted to the left, not in the center. So the shifting is fine by me. But I love how Emotiva went against the norm and put it on the right. Classic. |
|
|
|
Post by jhanken on Nov 13, 2013 18:15:28 GMT -5
Aside from the subjective qualities of the DAC, can anyone make an argument for why someone that has an OPPO BDP-105 would benefit from this as a complementary component? I am still waiting to plug the OPPO in and run some music discs through it, I am anticipating some very good sound quality. Plus, the OPPO handles SACD, Blu-Ray Pure Audio, etc.
Does look cool, I expect it is quite beautiful sonically also.
|
|
|
|
Post by Poodleluvr on Nov 13, 2013 18:19:25 GMT -5
No doubt, while on sale @ $449, the ERC-3 appears as Emotiva's very best CD player manufactured to date-- with SACD capability to boot. It has been reported that the ERC-3 incorporates the analog stage adopted from the Emotiva Pro DC-1 DAC, currently on sale for about 50 bucks more @ $499. I have absolutely no doubt the ERC-3 sounds wonderful. How? I owned the Emotiva Pro DC-1 DAC and I am very pleased with it. Since I own the DC-1, I unfortunately have no current need for another new CD player-- especially since my DC-1 DAC has the same analog stage. In the future, if Emotiva ever manufactures a no holds barred C/D transport (without any analog stage) @ $449, that would most likely be my last CD player for purchase. Your notes lead me to the only thing I see possibly missing from this player. In today's day and age, DAC usage is all the rage. So much so that Oppo basically invented the digital input to a stand alone disc player. Emotiva is so proud of their DC-1 configuration, it's too bad they didn't add a digital input section to the back. I'm sure they left it off for cost saving reasons, and the fact that not everyone would need it (so it would seem stupid to a lot of people). But that would have essentially made this a CD player and a DC-1 all in one (minus the headphone amp). It would have just added that final level of "ultimate" to an already great CD player. Perhaps that will come with the ERC-4? About the tray shifted to one side, funny how young everyone here seems to be. For about the first 10 years of CD players being around, that's mostly all there was. Almost every one had the tray shifted to the left, not in the center. So the shifting is fine by me. But I love how Emotiva went against the norm and put it on the right. Classic. Yep, I noticed that too.-- No other digital inputs to take advantage of the awesome analog section/capability. I'm thinking the same as you. Additional digital inputs not implemented in the design due to cost saving reason. Regardless, if an audiophile is in need of a new "player", the ERC-3, IMO, would be a very wise choice. |
|
|
|
Post by novisnick on Nov 13, 2013 18:32:17 GMT -5
Aside from the subjective qualities of the DAC, can anyone make an argument for why someone that has an OPPO BDP-105 would benefit from this as a complementary component? I am still waiting to plug the OPPO in and run some music discs through it, I am anticipating some very good sound quality. Plus, the OPPO handles SACD, Blu-Ray Pure Audio, etc. Does look cool, I expect it is quite beautiful sonically also. " I am still waiting to plug the OPPO in and run some music discs through it"  ?? What are you waiting for? ?? Peace, Nick |
|
|
|
Post by Bonzo on Nov 13, 2013 18:33:34 GMT -5
Aside from the subjective qualities of the DAC, can anyone make an argument for why someone that has an OPPO BDP-105 would benefit from this as a complementary component? I am still waiting to plug the OPPO in and run some music discs through it, I am anticipating some very good sound quality. Plus, the OPPO handles SACD, Blu-Ray Pure Audio, etc. Does look cool, I expect it is quite beautiful sonically also. One thing "could" be load time, but since I've never seen either in operation I don't know for sure. So far every universal player I've owned takes a bit to actually load the disc. This is because the first thing the player has to do is determine what kind of disc it actually has in there before it can play. I've heard Oppo is fast with Blu-rays etc, but I'd bet it's not as fast as a stand alone player that only plays CD's. It should be able to skip the entire "thinking" process and just start playing. My old Sony CD player smokes my Denon in this regard. After that it will only be a matter of time before someone does a direct sound comparison, and even then it will be subjective. You could always buy the Emotiva and return it if you don't hear an upgrade. |
|
|
|
Post by jhanken on Nov 13, 2013 19:12:28 GMT -5
Well, believe it or not, almost every piece of equipment I list in my profile is either at my friend's custom home audio store or squirreled away in a closet. I am in the process of building out our garage as a workshop/home theater/stereo listening room. Have some custom cabinets coming and a new insulated garage door, going to polish and stain the concrete floors, put stainless steel shelving in on both sides. Just completed all the wiring, and I made sure that I will have two dedicated 20 amp circuits and another 15 amp utility circuit available to the audio system, and the walls are wired for SPDIF to my computer on the other side of the room, Cat 5e and 7.1 surround and rears. We are beginning the insulation and dry-wall phase right now, should be another 2 weeks before I get it all plugged in. That is going to be a FUN night! I won't know what to listen to, probably end up staying up most of the night. Probably have the new XBOX One by then as well. I am putting in a new Metro Rack solid-steel shelf system to hold all my components with casters on it, so that I can easily pull it out and get to the wiring. That way I can buy and sell components with easy access until I get things sounding the way I like. |
|
|
|
Post by novisnick on Nov 13, 2013 19:20:55 GMT -5
Jhang in,
How do you sleep at night? What a great joy and blessing it must be to have all of that going on. I'm so happy for you and know your room will bring years of Joy.
Pease be with you,
nick
|
|
|
|
Post by Kent on Nov 13, 2013 20:17:15 GMT -5
Hello Everyone, The ERC-3 looks very well executed and if I were looking to purchase a new CD player I certainly wouldn't hesitate. Some folks have talked about if the ERC-3 would be a worthwhile upgrade over a Oppo BDP 105? I don't know but I would bet the ERC-3 will prove superior. The only way to tell is in a head to head comparison. Generally speaking from my experience a stand alone CD player usually outperforms a Blu Ray or multi format disc player. Why? Perhaps its because everything to do with the design is to optimize the sound quality from CD's and not to compromise in order to play several formats? My lovely wife purchased a Oppo BDP 105 for me but I've got to wait until Christmas. If I touch it before Santa's big day she'll kill me  I own an amazing sounding CD player (YBA CD1 alpha Blue Laser) and I'm very excited about hearing how the Oppo compares against it. I will be post my comparison down the road and will be honest about my experience. Comparing the ERC-3 to the YBA would be fun to do but I'm not going to buy one to do this. I look forward to hearing people's experience when comparing the ERC-3 and Oppo BDP 105. Happy listening! |
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs 
Official Emofest Scribe
Posts: 15,094
|
Post by klinemj on Nov 13, 2013 21:05:06 GMT -5
Jhanken...I have a 105 and a DC-1 and had an ERC-2. For two channel I prefer the DC-1 over the Oppo and the ERC-2 and the ERC-2 over the 105. Given the changes to the ERC-3 vs. The ERC-2, it's a fair bet the 3 will sound better than the 105.
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by Gary Cook on Nov 13, 2013 21:14:48 GMT -5
Aside from the subjective qualities of the DAC, can anyone make an argument for why someone that has an OPPO BDP-105 would benefit from this as a complementary component? I am still waiting to plug the OPPO in and run some music discs through it, I am anticipating some very good sound quality. Plus, the OPPO handles SACD, Blu-Ray Pure Audio, etc. Does look cool, I expect it is quite beautiful sonically also. As I mentioned in a previous post I have just finished an Oppo 103 versus 105 comparison spread over a couple of months. In summary the 103 didn't sound any better than my current Panasonic BD player, the 105 was better sounding, not night and day better, but it was noticeable, particularly for stereo music via the USP-1. In my case I'm looking for an ERC-3 to sound at least as good as the 105 but for way less than half the price. With the above in mind and to answer your question, if I had a 105 I'm not sure that I would even consider an ERC-3. If I did I wouldn't be looking to achieve a huge improvement in sound quality. But if I can find a solution to the ERC-3 trim problem, I'll sure as hell borrow the 105 back and do a comparison. Cheers Gary |
|
|
|
Post by roadrunner on Nov 13, 2013 23:10:34 GMT -5
Jhanken...I have a 105 and a DC-1 and had an ERC-2. For two channel I prefer the DC-1 over the Oppo and the ERC-2 and the ERC-2 over the 105. Given the changes to the ERC-3 vs. The ERC-2, it's a fair bet the 3 will sound better than the 105. Mark That is about what I expected. Thanks for confirming my expectation. I have compared the ERC-2 with the OPPO 103 and found the ERC-2 had better sound quality, but I have not compared to a OPPO 105. I have not had any access to the OPPO 105. I would be more interested in hearing the ERC-3 vs the ERC-2 to see what the differences in sound quality will be. I would also like to see a comparison of the ERC-3 vs the ERC-2/DC-1 combo. This would prove useful for those in the Lounge who own the ERC-2 and have been thinking of buying the DC-1, but are now tempted to buy the ERC-3. Decisions, decisions... eeny, meeny, minee, moe what's a Lounge mouse to do???  |
|
|
|
Post by pedrocols on Nov 14, 2013 1:16:00 GMT -5
Personally, I think the ERC-3 should not be compare against a universal player because the universal player is just that, an universal player, and the ERC-3 still cannot play BD or DVDs or stream music or etc., etc....
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Official Emofest Scribe
Posts: 15,094
|
Post by klinemj on Nov 14, 2013 7:07:50 GMT -5
True unless one's focus is 2 channel. That's why I started my comments "for two channel". Clearly for playing BluRay's, the Oppo wins!  Mark |
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,493
|
Post by DYohn on Nov 14, 2013 10:01:25 GMT -5
Returning to my comment about the B&W in the opening video for a second, if I may. Back in my day of producing corporate videos it would be unthinkable to so prominently feature another company's product in the shot, especially for so long. The composition of the frame says: "Hi, I'm Lonnie Vaughn, one of the big cheeses at Emotiva. Take me seriously. And see what gear I love so much that I use it? You should too." Someone who knows what they are will instantly recognize the Emotiva electronics and the B&W speaker. Someone who doesn't might think, "Wow, those Emotiva speakers look pretty cool, I think I'll find out more about them" which of course they will not find on the Emotiva web site, sending them on a search elsewhere. To me it's a mistake, no matter how nicely it is shot, and it is as important a message as anything that comes out of Lonnie's mouth. That is all. |
|
|
|
Post by tweed on Nov 14, 2013 10:04:21 GMT -5
jhanken- What a great project and opportunity to get everything just the way you want it!
Good luck to you!
|
|
kse
Emo VIPs
Hello me, meet the real me.
Posts: 1,947
|
Post by kse on Nov 14, 2013 10:04:41 GMT -5
^^^^^I agree. They were not just in the video, there were almost a focal point.
*Edit* Was responding to DYohn's post.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jim on Nov 14, 2013 10:19:20 GMT -5
Personally, I'm concerned about his shirt and his glasses. They're kind of the focal point too. What if I want to buy his shirt? and his glasses? I won't find them on the Emotiva site. What witchcraft is this?!? DYohn - I totally get what you're saying. Part of it is that B&Ws really stick out with the yellow cones. They don't blend in with the background very well. That being said, to some degree I feel like the Emo gear being shown with B&W gear shows that it can hang with the big boys... |
|
|
|
Post by novisnick on Nov 14, 2013 10:23:00 GMT -5
^^^^^I agree. They were not just in the video, there were almost a focal point. *Edit* Was responding to DYohn's post. B&Ws not Focals,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, He,,,,,,he,,,,,,,,, Nick |
|
|
|
Post by Andrew Robinson on Nov 14, 2013 10:26:30 GMT -5
I feel like the Emo gear being shown with B&W gear shows that it can hang with the big boys... THANK YOU JIM! Since we're between speaker lines at the moment we went with what we use in house which is Bowers & Wilkins. We talked about using Stealths, but ultimately sided with the Bowers & Wilkins speakers because, a) they're a passive, high-end speaker that shows Emotiva can "hang" and b) the Stealths, while killer for home use, are unique enough to draw different attention, plus, they're not likely what a guy with a dedicated 2 channel rig rockin' a CD player is going to be using (though maybe they should). Beyond that we really didn't over think it as we were more excited about offering video content for the first time EVER rather than sweating the small stuff. |
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,493
|
Post by DYohn on Nov 14, 2013 10:32:15 GMT -5
A Stealth 8 in the shot would have been perfect. And since I have my professor hat on for a moment, I will repeat my earlier criticism of Andrew's video editing choices. Too much unrelieved talking. This is video: show me, don't tell me. -edit- Andrew, it's not small stuff. The content of the frame has perhaps more impact than the content of the audio track. The viewer receives messages from the composition: to me, the biggest message is "B&W speakers are our choice." Well that and that Lonnie is looking older these days. Like me. |
|
?? What are you waiting for?
