![]() A key component to the redeveloped board involves power distribution to both the analog and conversion circuitry - power distribution being an area in which there have been new learnings and developments in recent years in such sensitive areas. Both the analog and converter circuitry are quite different than they were before, which is why it made sense to simply replace the entire board. The upgrade involves replacing the entire analog board that contains the DAC converter circuitry. ![]() As a final check, the upgraded XDS1 V3 was compared to my digital reference, the current top-of-the-line EMM DA2/TX2. The review was based on extensive listening to an EMM XDS1 (v.2) followed by the V3 upgrade of that unit by Ed with subsequent listening in the same system. He also improved the power supply regulation for the individual stages the Esoteric OEM transport and switching power supply remain. As Ed explained to me, he included a fully-balanced single stage analog reconstruction of the digital signal, thus simplifying the process. The upgrade addresses each of these and incorporates much of what has been learned in the development of the DA2 digital to analog converter. A number of themes have emerged from his most recent work: 1) criticality of the analog stage of digital products (in Ed’s mind, this has been one of the areas of greatest improvement), 2) increasing the simplicity of the circuitry and 3) decreasing settling time. I tend to think of Ed Meitner as primarily a digital visionary, forgetting that he is equally talented in the analog domain. Particularly, after the introduction of the groundbreaking EMM DA2, it became obvious that the performance of the XDS1 could be dramatically improved by a complete redesign of the unit. About two years ago, the company introduced a downloadable firmware update that again made the unit competitive with newer models from other manufacturers however, Ed Meitner has never been one to be satisfied with any of his products as he is continually learning and re-thinking. Unfortunately, technology never stands still and at some point, the XDS1 began to show its age. It created a stir when released and has received many favorable reviews, including one from me. The EMM Labs XDS1 SACD Player has now been in continuous production for ten years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |