Network Audio Players/Servers

For anyone of the opinion that a standalone digital-to-analogue converter is not much more than a DAC chip, output circuitry and a power supply, the EMM Labs DA2i is going to come as something of a shock. It’s big and hefty – more amplifier-size at a full 440x160mm (wh) and weighing in at 16kg – and will set you back £34,995 in either silver or black finishes.

The technology within has equal ‘heft’, after all this is a product of legendary digital engineer Ed Meitner, the expert of first resort when Sony and Philips wanted to turn SACD into a commercial reality at the turn of the millennium. Okay, so the intention of picking up the baton as the licensing deals for CD began to run out, thus creating a continued revenue stream for the brands behind the original silver disc, didn’t quite pan out. SACD remains a niche format, and the multichannel audio it brought, realised via EMM Labs’ development of a complete playback chain from disc to preamp, is a niche within a niche. However, SACDs continue to be released, and the Canadian company’s digital hardware remains a premium choice for professionals working in DSD and SACD recording/production facilities.

Upgrades all round

The DA2i is part of a complete system, encompassing a preamp and a choice of stereo or monoblock power amplifiers [HFN Jul ’24], and as the ‘i’ suffix suggests, it’s a revised version of EMM Labs’ original DA2 model. Well, ‘revised’ perhaps undersells the upgrades in place here, given that both the digital and analogue sections have been largely reworked, the streaming platform upgraded, a new power supply installed and even the casework changed. So, while the DA2i’s DNA can be traced right back to EMM Labs’ pro-use converters, built for studio use, it’s best considered as an all-new product in its own right.

Above: Custom PFC-equipped switchmode PSU [left] feeds digital input board with network card and XMOS USB [black PCB], digital processing board with Xilinx FPGA [blue PCB], and clock/DAC/analogue board [ceramic PCB]

However, though the DA2i may be a no-holds-barred, purist digital solution, don’t let that make you think this is a hair shirt, minimalist design. For a start, it has an impressive array of digital inputs, encompassing optical, coaxial and AES/EBU connections, USB-B to push files over from a computer, USB-A for playback from thumb drives and the like, and EMM’s proprietary Optilink port to hook up to one of the company’s transports.

On top of that, it’s also a network player, with an Ethernet port provided and compatibility with the mConnect Control app [see boxout], allowing it to play files held on network storage as well as accessing online streaming services including Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal, along with vTuner Internet Radio. It’s also Roon Ready and supports decoding of MQA-encoded files, even though it could be argued that this particular format is now of diminishing importance.

As you might expect, the DA2i also offers extended file-handling capability. It will process PCM up to 192kHz, DXD 352.8kHz and 384kHz, and DSD64/128, depending on the input chosen, with analogue output via either unbalanced RCAs or balanced XLRs. That should be sufficient for most users, and while some DACs take those limits even further, there’s not a lot of 768kHz or DSD512/1024 content out there to play with – and anyway, the DA2i is on a par with other high-end network players in this respect.

Made to measure

Within that minimalist casework, with its ‘hewn from solid’ feel, the unit is centred around in-house designed conversion and clock circuitry, housed in Meitner-branded shields, with separate boards for streaming/digital input, signal processing, and DAC functions. The conversion is based around Meitner’s Digital Audio Translator technology, now in second-gen form in this product, and translating all input data to a one-bit DSD1024/45.5MHz Bit Stream using a custom FPGA before it hits the converters [see boxout].

Downstream of the DACs, the DA2i uses a newly developed analogue output stage with a novel compensation regime and with a focus on ‘control and precision in the bass’. The power supply here is another Meitner development – designated X-Power, it’s a switchmode design built for extremely high efficiency, and isolates the supplies for the streaming, digital and analogue stages in the quest for optimal signal purity. This section occupies one side of the internal space of the DA2i – although being a ‘no moving parts’ product, there’s still plenty of space for fresh air within the casework.

Above: The hefty, but still soft-looking, case comprises a series of interlocking machined alloy slabs. The chassis is supported by three feet – two at the front and one at the rear

Set up of the various options here is via touch buttons on the front panel, rather than the mConnect Control app, which is mainly concerned with the operation of the network functionality. A solid, alloy remote handset is also provided, allowing the selection of inputs and control over the display brightness. However, this limited remote operation reflects the relative simplicity of the DA2i’s options.

Sensational sounds
Firing up the DAC and the app, there was the inevitable wait as firmware was updated before the DA2i was ready to be used. And for the purposes of listening I pressed into service my tried and tested Naim/PMC system, along with my ‘audio-optimised’ Mac mini computer as the ‘transport’ for that USB-B input.

Spoiler alert – anyone deploying this slab of audio luxury in their system for the first time will rapidly discover that there’s nothing to choose between its various inputs. The executive summary is this: the DA2i is sensational, however it’s used.

With just a simple recording such as Igor Levit’s Life piano recital [Sony Classical 88985424452] the EMM Labs DAC delivers a sound so vivid as to be breathtaking, the weight of the lower octaves of his instrument as impressive as the ambience around it. Levit’s playing and the stunning recorded sound of this 2018 release combine to hold the listener rapt. Every note feels velvety, luxurious and perfectly formed, transcending mere ‘hi-fi accuracy’ and creating something very special.

Pipe dreams

Anna Lapwood’s Images album [Signum Classics SIGCD688] features a rather larger keyboard instrument, and while the DA2i lets rip in spectacular fashion with her transcriptions of Britten’s Sea Interludes, even more satisfying is the way it conveys the sheer presence of the great Harris & Harris organ in the acoustic of Ely Cathedral. The absolute control of the lower frequencies allows the pedals to shake the room, but just as stunning is the way the higher manuals produce notes appearing simply to hang in space, in a manner that’s as close to visual as any audio-only experience is ever likely to be.

When Lapwood lets the organ loose, that impression of the pipes energising the air is totally delicious. Notable too, switching to her 2023 Midnight Sessions At The Royal Albert Hall recording [Sony G010004942280W], is how different the venue’s massive Willis instrument (with its nigh-on 10,000 pipes) sounds, the effect being just as awe-inspiring... if the rest of your system can handle it!

Above: AES, coaxial and Toslink optical inputs (192kHz/24-bit and DSD64) are joined by USB-B, EMM Optilink, Ethernet and USB-A (192kHz/ 24-bit; DXD; DSD128). Analogue outputs are on RCAs and balanced XLRs (variable on DV2i)

With the black humour and intimate presentation of the original off-Broadway cast version of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins musical [Masterworks Broadway G01000-17011601], the DA2i digs deep into the vocal and instrumental timbres, plus the recording’s ability to bring out the drama of the piece. Going beyond the idea of a ‘cast album’, this set is a true piece of theatre, and the vivid way this DAC delivers it is totally enthralling.

Sax appeal

The punchy jazz of Thelonius Monk’s ‘Trinkle, Tinkle’, from saxophonist Xhosa Cole’s On A Modern Genius, Vol 1 [Stoney Lane Records SLR2004], offers that same combination of a wide-open view of the instruments plus an ability to deliver compelling soundstage pictures. Cole’s tenor sounds remarkable, as does the bass of Josh Vadiveloo and Nathan England-Jones’s drums, the whole creating a superbly live feel. It’s that ‘sound as vision’ thing – close your eyes and you’d swear you could see the musicians, so well does the DA2i convey this wonderfully detailed and energetic recording.

Live and kicking

Just as full of ambience and drive is Recorded Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios, London, the 2012 album by Be Bop Deluxe mainman Bill Nelson and his gang of ‘Gentlemen Rocketeers’ [Salvo SVX001]. Captured in front of a clearly enthusiastic audience, this recording combines its sense of ambience with a fine view of the character of Nelson’s voice and guitars, especially in the sequence of the band’s best-known numbers, including ‘Ships In The Night’ and ‘Panic In The World’. The versions here stand comparison with Nelson’s meticulous studio originals and have all the attack and character of long-remembered gigs, especially in the dexterous but forceful hands of EMM Labs’ DA2i DAC.

It’s that ability to get the listener closer to what’s being played that really stands out here, and that’s the case even when listening to live music relays on the Radio 3 48kHz/320kbps stream, which still manage to give the impression of the quality of the BBC’s engineering. That may seem counter-intuitive given the data reduction, but it’s something I’ve noted with other top-notch network players, including my reference Naim ND555 [HFN Apr ’19] and the cost-no-object dCS Varèse [HFN Feb ’25], which seem able to fill out the weight of an orchestral concert.

Above: The DA2i’s partnering remote offers control over input, (volume, inc. mute and preset levels for the DV2i model), audio polarity and display text brightness

The Beeb’s live music streams are no substitute for a full-fat CD or hi-res recording, but in the hands of the DA2i I found them able to hold the attention for an evening, and a very satisfying alternative to trawling one’s music collection. But then that’s all part of the appeal of this superb digital source component.

Hi-Fi News Verdict

The DA2i may lack the ‘fiddle factor’ of some rival designs, sticking instead to the digital settings its designers feel are best, but that’s no bad thing when the sound on offer is so sensationally involving. The bass is remarkable, underpinning a handling of the entire frequency range that’s just as impressive, and the result is a sound that demands, and rewards, the listener’s total attention.

Sound Quality: 90%