For all EMM Labs / Meitner gear
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Anyone here with experience with the MA-1 and DAC2x V2? Curious how they stack up against stuff in the 5-10k (used) range now that Ive opened myself up to full size dacs. I see a ton of love for EMM stuff but it tends to be from people who havent exactly tried a ton in their own systems so im not sure how to take their input
Pretty well, the MA-1 v2 at this point is a great value for what it is used, the DAC2x v2 in comparison has overall really similar characteristics but better technical ability, but not massive jump over the MA-1 tbh but still potentially worthwhile depending on what you can find them for used, but it’s been awhile since I’ve heard either tbh
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Ive seen a couple of DAC2x V2s in the 6k range which is really what sparked my curiosity. Would you say they are similar technically to M1SE/weiss? I am assuming the rockna WD sig (SE) and berk ref 2 would be a step up above all 3?
I would honestly put it above the weiss and probably higher tier than m1se but it’s been awhile
Hmmm, I think the dac2x v2 wouldn’t be that far behind granted good digital source but I would personally prefer those 2 dacs over the dac2x v2 but could see someone going either way, it’s been too long since I’ve heard a 2x v2 to really say there, I’d say roughly similar tier in the end. Either way though use the meitner and emm stuff becomes a really compelling option used as it drops most of it’s value
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Fair enough. Good info to have. TYVM
So I might be getting in a DV2 for loan since I realized I know someone who could do that for me pretty easily, will report when it goes through, very curious how it will be in my main system
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I’ve had a MA3 for a few weeks now and it’s been playing music 24/7 since it’s arrival so it has about 500 hours now. I had it briefly while the Wavedream was still around and found them to be similar but the MA3 was a bit smoother and lacked a bit of slam however both dacs seemed to have really good imaging and sense of depth. That comparison was when the MA3 had 0-50 hours or so, so I’m not sure how well that would hold up now that the MA3 is broken in. Main issue that I had with the WD was some fatigue when using the X9K but I don’t get any of that with the MA3. It was fatigue where there was a really sharp sound in the music and it made me wince.
As for the functionality of the dac, it’s a nice improvement over my Bricasti MC1 that I’ve had for a couple years. The MA3 has the screen which says what is playing when using the network input, a volume control with 100 steps, and a remote to help with changing inputs and changing some settings of the dac. For example there’s a volume bypass mode that you can enable to have the dac always output the max voltage it can.
I’ve used it with the network, AES, and USB inputs and they all sound comparable but am interested in trying a better source at some point. AES was from a Schiit Urd and USB from a raspberry pi. For the most part I just run in network mode.
I’ve been having a hard time comparing to the Bricasti MC1 because they sound so similar. I’ve volume matched with pink noise and have dropped the MA3 volume by 2. They are both going into a Holo Serene KTE and that is feeding Schiit Tyrs to Woo Wee and X9K. On some tracks with the MA3 I pick up more depth, like the singer moves a few inches away, and sometimes I’m hearing some more separation overall. I think the bass presentation might be a bit different as well where the MC1 is thicker and messy almost but the MA3 sounds cleaner with the same quantity but a bit more texture.
I wonder if some part of my setup is a bottleneck making the dac differences harder to discern. I’ve also noticed that some of my headphones just can’t resolve the differences. I’ve had most luck so far with Diana v2, X9K, Utopia, and sometimes Verite Closed. It will be interesting once the T2 shows up and if they still sound very close with that amp then I would either keep the MA3 or sell both and go for a M21.
Despite the subtle differences at the moment I’m still really enjoying the dac. I need to try it some more without an external preamp and I may sub in the Schiit Kara in passive mode to see if differences are more clear with that preamp.
Here’s the dac setup:
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I’ve been doing more of a comparison between the MC1 and MA3 while the HM1 is here since that makes it very easy to compare sources by toggling the input buttons on the front. I connected both dacs to the HM1 with some basic xlr cables from Blue Jeans Cable and volume matched at the amp side since there are separate volume controls for each input.
This time around there are more noticeable differences. The dacs still aren’t night and day but the differences that are there are obvious. I find the MA3 to be a really nice middle ground between the Rockna or at least my memory of it and the Bricasti. The MA3 has a much better sense of depth and layering next to the MC1 and it can stage a bit wider if the track calls for it. I was listening to some vocal tracks and on the MC1 the vocal was more just out in front but on the MA3 I could more clearly hear where the singer was. It wasn’t just out in front of me, they were clearly defined in space. It’s hard to describe but sounded more believable on the MA3. In more basic terms I’d just say the imaging is more precise and holographic on the MA3.
Another difference I noticed was the amount of treble air and micro detail in the top end. This was more present on the MA3 and the information was there on the MC1 but didn’t sound as clear. The MC1 just sounded a bit soft or rolled off in comparison. The most obvious way I was hearing this was with cymbals. They just had more air, sizzle, and definition on the MA3. One thing I disliked about the Rockna was how much focus there was on the micro details. In some tracks it was quite distracting and perhaps it is more detailed but it just didn’t sound natural to me. I like how with the MA3 the micro detail is very present but doesn’t feel emphasized.
My favorite part about the MC1 as I demoed a few dacs this year is the bass. Before the MA3 nothing had matched the bass quantity and impact of the MC1. With the MA3 though it feels about the same. If anything there’s a slight bit more texture and cleanliness to the bass. Sometimes the MC1 bass sounded a bit loose and boomy and I don’t hear any of that here.
So I’m really happy with the MA3 and am glad to have had some time with the HM1 since the ability to easily compare two sources is awesome and much easier then cycling through the inputs on the serene. I don’t have any desire to try more dacs at the moment so will be sticking with the Meitner and exploring other amps and maybe venturing into tubes again. I think this dac will stick around for awhile.
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I’ve been experimenting with the volume control built into the MA3 and it actually sounds better then the Serene KTE in some cases. Initially I had just tested the MA3 volume with the Schiit Tyrs which are some what neutral / lean sounding and I didn’t find that pairing to do much for me. It just sounded soft and lacking weight vs the presentation of the Serene. However I’ve been running MA3 → Firstwatt SIT-3 into ZMF and Sennheiser headphones and am really enjoying that synergy.
It also is very responsive to cable swaps so I’ve been playing around with that. Right now I am using Audio Envy rca interconnects and prion4 speaker taps to headphone cable. However with some headphones using a prion4 cable in addition to the speaker amp adapter is a bit too lean so I end up using a copper cable which I have a mix of but mostly from Viking Weave cables. Need to test out power cables next.
The sound of this setup is very lush and laid back but with, I think, really good detail and tonal density. It just sounds really enjoyable and engaging. It’s not the best when it comes to imaging and sounding super holographic but it’s not bad either. In this configuration I’ve been using Attius, Auteur Classic, Jar 600. It also works well with tungsten but can run out of volume at times. I still need to test Utopia as that could be a solid pairing too.
Adding the serene back in as preamp and you get a bit more thump in the low end but lose a lot of air and detail in the treble. It sounds rolled off and almost veiled which was a bit of a shock when I first experienced that.
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After ten days of use, here are my thoughts on the meitner ma3. I’m coming from a spring 3 kte with pre amp.
I used it in my 2 channel system directly powering a pair of mola mola monoblocks. Speakers are gr research NX studio, multi sub array and a fully treated room.
The meitner is much more detailed than the spring3. Details that are subtle on the spring shine brightly on the meitner.
The meitner’s sound stage is deeper and wider.
Elements in the soundstage are more solid, accurate and are more dimensional. The spring sounds flat in comparison.
Bass is more powerful and detailed on the meitner than the spring.
Mids sound harsher on the spring than on the meitner. The meitner sounds smooth in this regard.
Some things I don’t like about the ma3.
It produces a bit of hiss on my tweeters as compared to the dead silence of the spring.
The remote is schiit tier.
Will be selling the sping now.
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