EMM Labs DV2 DAC reviewed by Stereophile

[miero]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/emm-labs-dv2-da-processor-measurements
https://www.stereophile.com/content/meitner-emm-dv2-dsd-mqa-digital-audio (interview with Ed Meitner)

EMM Labs seem to be capable to create a perfect DAC, but they decided to use slow reconstruction filter that degrades a measured performance.

Why?

 

[JohnPM]

I believe their filter is adaptive, changing with signal content, hence the high suppression of the image of the 19k tone despite the low suppression of the noise signal. I imagine the filter choice reflects their views of what contributes to good subjective performance.

 

[tpaxadpom]

adaptive filters are tricky. What is likely to happen:
a) you measure amplitude while playing sine tone at 20kHz
b) you perform frequency sweep
what you are likely to see is a difference between amplitude at 20kHz measured in a) and b). One could experiment with the duration of sweep tone.

 

[Miska]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/emm-labs-dv2-da-processor-measurements
https://www.stereophile.com/content/meitner-emm-dv2-dsd-mqa-digital-audio (interview with Ed Meitner)

EMM Labs seem to be capable to create a perfect DAC, but they decided to use slow reconstruction filter that degrades a measured performance.

Why?

I guess you can run it always with high rate PCM input for example and you get rid of the filter switching and can use filter of your choice instead. If you like...