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Model: | Optimism EMM |
Category: | Cable |
Suggested Retail Price: | $3,000.00 |
Description: | Fiber-optic cable for EMM Labs gear |
Manufacturer URL: | Aural Symphonics |
Review by Quint (A) on December 01, 2005 at 15:11:45 IP Address: 152.163.100.200 | Add Your Review for the Optimism EMM |
One of the many lessons I've learned during my time in audio is that everything can be improved. Everything. This can be a daunting reality for some, since many of us spend a small fortune on this hobby, and technology never stands still. So it is with even the mighty EMM Labs gear.Aural Symphonics is a company new to me. I heard through the grapevine that they were working on a replacement fiber-optic cable specifically designed for EMM gear, specifically the company's CDSD transport and DCC2/DAC6 processors. Ever the curious audiophile, I contacted the Cable Company to see if I could audition one. I then phoned Aural's founder, Tommy, who graciously sent me the first set in the country. It wasn't long before I realized what a privelege it was, though the price of entry was steep--$3,000 worth of steep, to be exact. But audiophilia is not a cheap disease, so the price didn't exactly shock me, though I did take a deep gulp.
The cable arrived very quickly, as I was demoing my system for a few interested visitors the weekend after I ordered the set. The Optimism-EMM, as it's called, proved a snap to install. Everything was color-coded in the same manner as the stock cable. Even I, who possess the technical ability of a three-toed sloth, managed it is a scant five minutes--which means the average person will be able to do it in three or less. :)
Before installing the cable, I dabbed a bit of Tommy's Io-Gel on the tip of each of the six connectors. According to Tommy, Io-Gel is supposed to enhance signal flow, thereby providing a clear improvement to the sound. In fact, he considers it mandatory for use with any of his optical cables. Since I didn't A-B the cable with and without the Io-Gel, I can't speak to its effectiveness, but I'll take Tommy's word for it.
Now on to the sound. I used a variety of discs and songs to A-B the stock cable and Optimism-EMM. My references are "Water of Love," off of Dire Straits' eponymous first album, and "Telegraph Road," from the band's "Love over Gold." I also use all of Johnny Cash's masterful American Recordings CDs as sonic benchmarks.
Let's cut to the chase: The Optimism-EMM was a decided improvement over the stock EMM cable. Most obvious was the gain in low-level detail. Resolution, which was already scarily good, became absolutely supernatural. "Water of Love" has a very faint percussion part at the beginning of the track. With the stock cable, it was only barely audible. With the Optimism, it was clearly audible. Faint details in Johnny Cash's "Unchained" were similary brought forward. But the added resolution did not come at the expense of naturalness. Music attained a liquidity and warmth--particularly on vocals--that was not present with the stock cable.
Dynamics and bass were also greatly improved. At a point in Dire Straits' "Telegraph Road," the drummer hits a series of thundering kick-drum thwacks. With the Optimism, they were not only more clearly resolved, they also hit and decayed with startling power and quickness.
I fear I'm coming down with a case of verbal diarrhea, so I'll conclude my little treatise. In short, the Aural Symphonics Optimism-EMM is a clear upgrade over the stock cable. In fact, I heard no weakness. It is superior in pretty much all respects. Its only weakness is its cost. At $3,000, it is undoubtedly expensive. I will do whatever I can afford to to keep my system at the top of the curve, but even I took a deep breath at the expense. But if you're an EMM owner and can afford the price of admission (a pretty important qualification), it's a no-brainer. It's taken an already SOTA products into the stratosphere. I'm sure I'm missing something, so if you guys have any questions, I'll try to answer them as best I can.
Product Weakness: | Cost |
Product Strengths: | Just about everything: resolution, dynamics, naturalness, you name it |
Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
Amplifier: | DarTZeel NHB-108 (2) |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | EMM Labs DCC2 |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | EMM Labs CDSD |
Speakers: | Von Schweikert VR-9 |
Cables/Interconnects: | Jena Labs Dreamdancer |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Rock, classic country |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 24 x 20 x 7 |
Room Comments/Treatments: | ASC Sound Planks, Cube Towers |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | Purchased |
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | Jena Labs Fundamental 6.1 |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
Is not redbook converted to dsd?
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Norm:Yes, I am evaluating the RealityCheck with EMM gear (CDSD and DCC2). FYI, the CDSD "upsamples" redbook to 2x DSD. Have you done any further experiments with the RealityCheck (CD treatments, different CD-Rs, etc.)?
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Hi-Enviable equipment roster. For the moment, I have the EMM seps plus one DarT plus the ESP Concert Grands--sounds sublime. Or at least sublemon.
Question: have you tried resetting your transport to output 1X DSD rather than the default 2X DSD? Burn me for Joan of Arc, but I think 1X sounds more musical and less hi-fi.
Or, in the event, burn me for a Peugeot! (French joke.)
Ciao,
John Marks posted:
"Question: have you tried resetting your transport to output 1X DSD
rather than the default 2X DSD? Burn me for Joan of Arc, but I think
1X sounds more musical and less hi-fi."John,
An audiophile friend of mine knows one of the technical gurus of
EMMLabs. He tells me that EMMLabs agrees with you that 1X DSD
sounds better than 2X DSD - and they are trying to figure that out.
They sounded fantastic at the CES show last year. Only when the Manley tube monoblocks were being used with them. ESP will be at the show again this year. I think they will be using the Bohdrans.
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Yes, I have them here on loan.I will write them up for my column in Stereophile in due course.
Cordially,
I actually have tried resetting it to 1X DSD, but I had the opposite reaction. I preferred 2x: IMO, more detail and a greater sense of space. I could see how it could come across as more "hi-fi," though. BTW, I enjoy your column.
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I have yet to try d'art du son cleaner and have been experimenting with AudioTop and Cleardisc etc. in various combinations of cleanings. I much prefer 2 treatment of each using Cleardisc and Clearbit. Like the question above I am interested in whether you found a source for the "cloth from the Shine Ola." Did you find a source.
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Norm:I think that DSD, because of its much higher sampling rate, makes for a pretty big difference. I'm the furthest thing from a techie, so others may be able to explain it much better than I. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in an above thread, I haven't found a suitable cloth replacement for the Shine Ola cloth. I tried a Scotch Brite microfiber cloth, but it scratched the hell out of the discs I tried it on. Fortunately, they were CD-Rs, which were easily replaced. The closest thing to the SO cloth is Viva paper towels. They do an excellent job, provided you use them with a reasonably light touch. BTW, are you using a combination of both the AudioTop and ClearBit/ClearDisc--two applications of each to each side? That seems like a helluva lot of work. I'd be curious in your opinions of the L'Art du Son if or when you try it.
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No I am only using the RealityCleck cleaners as George Louis suggests. I will probably get some L'Art du Son at CES.
There are so many experiments I want to try, but unfortunately only so many hours in a day. Damn, it's hard work balancing audiophilia and a full-time job! :) BTW, are you using George's buffing cloth? I always found that it left behind tiny bits of cloth that were nigh impossible to get off without scratching the disc.
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This seems to take care of leaving behind lint. I do have a problem with the Viva towels leaving threads of paper behind. Some of what I snap off with the RC cloth is paper.I find sacds to be very realistic in terms of a wide and deep sound stage but somewhat recessed relative to the RC copies of their hybrid layer. Also the RC copies are considerably more dynamic with a sharper leading edge. They are more startling and brass has a nice ripe edge and clearly better bass. I am continually torn by the wish to run the sacds through the RC burning.
You are right about the number of tests that I am tempt by. Last evening I was comparing HDCDs through my Exemplar 5910 versus playing them through my Exemplar dac which does not decode them. They are different, but I am uncertain which I prefer.
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YIKES! A 3000.00 optical cable. Didn't know there was such a thing. Gee, sure wish I could afford one. Bet it would sound great in my system.
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That's what I get for rushing. :)
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