jcs
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 4 
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Post by jcs on Sept 19, 2014 14:09:36 GMT -5
I purchased the ERC-3 CD player last month. The review in Stereophile of the ERC-2 noted its superior error recovery, which (along with the 5 yr warranty) was enough to convince me to buy the ERC-3. My old Denon CDP is still going strong, but it is 15 yrs old, so it seemed like a good time to purchase another player before they disappear. (With CD sales dropping and young folks getting by with either downloads or streaming music, the day may be fast approaching where all we have available are either BD players or $12K audiophile CD players.)
Anyway, the ERC-3 seems to be built like a tank! The remote is different from the ones shown in reviews or in the manual—long & thin so it fits nicely in the hand. And you don’t need a screw driver to get to the batteries anymore: the back is a steel plate held on by little neo magnets. Very slick!
The music sounds wonderful! And no problems playing CDs which have given me trouble in some other machines.
But during quite passages (I listen to a lot of classical music), the noise from the CD transport is a bit annoying at my listening chair 10’ from the player. I did see comments from people about the transport being noisy, but I thought that was just folks being picky. You know the type: put a stethoscope on the case, then complain that they can hear something. Got out my RS SPL meter & measured just in front of the CD drawer: 52 dB ( ‘C’ weighted). This is quieter than the drive in my Mac computer (60 dB), but louder than my old Denon player (too low to measure). Just wondering if other folks have similar experience.
Maybe the ERC-3 needs to move into a cabinet…
Cheers, Jim
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Post by Gary Cook on Sept 19, 2014 15:40:51 GMT -5
I've never noticed any CD spinning noise from my ERC-3. I can hear the drawer open and close but that's the only mechanical noise I've heard. When I get home on Monday I'll grab the SPL metre and see what it says.
Cheers
Gary
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Post by trinhsman on Sept 19, 2014 15:50:47 GMT -5
Mine is quiet as can be. It is in a cabinet though. Even when I have been close I haven't heard any noise. Great player.
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Post by melm on Sept 19, 2014 16:25:06 GMT -5
Mine is quiet as a mouse.
Ear right up to it and barely hear any noise at all. I thought I heard a faint whirring but it turned out to be the fan of a component on another shelf.
Compared to the Oppo 103 both the Oppo and the ERC-3 were silent.
FWIW
Mel
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jcs
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 4
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Post by jcs on Sept 20, 2014 15:45:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies! Looks like I should consult with customer service next week.
Cheers. Jim
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Post by pedrocols on Sept 20, 2014 18:00:56 GMT -5
Get it music server. CD players are outdated...
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Post by Jim on Sept 20, 2014 18:16:30 GMT -5
Get it music server. CD players are outdated... Gee, that's helpful. |
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Post by pedrocols on Sept 20, 2014 18:31:30 GMT -5
Get it music server. CD players are outdated... Gee, that's helpful. You're welcome... |
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jcs
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 4
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Post by jcs on Sept 21, 2014 14:39:33 GMT -5
Get it music server. CD players are outdated... Gee, that's helpful. Well, music servers my be dated too. I hear that streaming audio is the order of the day! However, as my original post stated: I wanted to get a new CD player while they are still available. Cheers, Jim |
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Post by teaman on Sept 21, 2014 17:53:23 GMT -5
Jim, I have an ERC-3 and it is definitely noisy. I listen at fairly loud volume so I can pretty much drown it out but it is way noisier than either my ERC-1 or my ERC-2. It plays great and the sound quality makes it all worth it but I chimed in on another thread or two about the noise it makes. Definitely there so it is definitely not just you.
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Post by dvbeav on Sept 22, 2014 11:10:01 GMT -5
Bought my ERC-3 the first of the year and returned the original due to the noisy transport. The second unit sounded the same and several folks at Emotiva listened to my recording of the transport sound and thought it was not abnormal. I have been through four generations of CD players over 30 years and none of the others were noisy. That being said, none of my other units came close to sounding as good as the ERC-3. The resolution, soundstage, and low-end are outstanding and the unit is built like a tank so it should last for as long as I use CDs. Over the years I've tolerated LP pops and clicks and tape hiss so I can live with low level "noise" from the ERC-3. Like Jim, my listening chair is about 10 feet from the player and I only have a problem with quite passages, usually in classical music.
I tried adding some insulation inside the transport case (which may have voided my warranty) but it didn't help. I'm hoping that the company might make a better transport available in the future that could be swapped out for the noisy 3's. |
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Post by TheMachinist on Sept 22, 2014 22:51:00 GMT -5
I had the ERC-2, and heard the ERC-3 at another place, and it had better resolution and overall presentation. However I am used to players that loads CD in a second, like Sony 557ESD, Philips CD960, and even the CA 640 V2. Whats the loading time for CDs in seconds ?
Any experts would chime in if the ERC-3 would better the Sony 557ESD in terms of true to source presentation....
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Post by Gary Cook on Sept 22, 2014 23:17:54 GMT -5
I had the ERC-2, and heard the ERC-3 at another place, and it had better resolution and overall presentation. However I am used to players that loads CD in a second, like Sony 557ESD, Philips CD960, and even the CA 640 V2. Whats the loading time for CDs in seconds ? Any experts would chime in if the ERC-3 would better the Sony 557ESD in terms of true to source presentation.... The original ERC-3 review had all the loading variations timed and reported. From memory 5 seconds to 9 seconds depending, it is in this thread emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/31035/new-erc-3 Cheers Gary |
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stiehl11
Emo VIPs 
Give me available light!
Posts: 7,269
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Post by stiehl11 on Sept 23, 2014 0:04:45 GMT -5
Just to chime in; I've had mine since July and is as quiet (or quieter) than my ERC-1. I sit roughly 10~12 feet away and is stacked on an open shelf with other gear above and below.
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jcs
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 4
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Post by jcs on Sept 23, 2014 6:34:17 GMT -5
Well, it sounds like there is considerable variation in the noise level of the transport. And I note that there are no specs for mechanical noise for the ERC-3 (or any other CD player as far as I know). Looks like it's not worth my time to complain to customer service. The audio performance is excellent, so moving it into a cabinet appears to be the best option.
Thanks for all your responses!
Cheers, Jim
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Post by TheMachinist on Sept 23, 2014 10:58:00 GMT -5
Hmmm thats 0-60 in 9 whole sec!! Thanks for the info. Let me grieve for a few days on that and then i can take the plunge.. |
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Post by Bonzo on Sept 23, 2014 13:06:07 GMT -5
Hmmm thats 0-60 in 9 whole sec!! Thanks for the info. Let me grieve for a few days on that and then i can take the plunge.. My old Sony is as fast as they come and it takes 5 seconds. The ERC-3 takes about 9. Nothing loads and plays in 1 second, that's an exaggeration. An Oppo Universal takes like 15 seconds from what I remember. My Denon Universal takes like 17 to 19 seconds from what I recall. |
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Post by bub on Sept 23, 2014 20:00:39 GMT -5
hmmmm. I'm hesitant to say this. I have two CD-1's .. Kinda like a ERC-2 . Both were dead quiet until about a week ago when I heard a whirling (?) sound coming from one of them. I appraised the situation from all sides and decided it needed a gentle urging to start behaving again. I gave it a quick rap directly on top. Voila! I'm two for two. Last week my third microwave stopped working in the last 3 years. Having nothing to lose i gave it an overhand right to the digital display. No B.S. Both are working perfectly. And if a 9 seconds loading time is going to make a difference in your life, I would suggest getting up earlier.  . |
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Post by teaman on Sept 23, 2014 22:22:31 GMT -5
Hope your goods start behaving for you bub....hate to see you hurt yourself spanking all the electronics....
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Post by TheMachinist on Sept 23, 2014 23:00:20 GMT -5
My old Sony is as fast as they come and it takes 5 seconds. The ERC-3 takes about 9. Nothing loads and plays in 1 second, that's an exaggeration. An Oppo Universal takes like 15 seconds from what I remember. My Denon Universal takes like 17 to 19 seconds from what I recall. My Sony 557ESD goes 0-60 in 1 sec with the disc already in drive. With disc tray out it takes little over 1.5 sec.  I wish I could post a video here. |
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I wish I could post a video here.