i was using a marantz 6001 universal player which was just ok so i tried the erc-1. the difference right out of the box was wow. the unit developed a problem ejecting cds and i sent it back and immediatley could note the difference. the erc-1 is more musical and defined with much better bass definition and more open. when i got it back i did some long listening to the erc-1 using the internal dac and the music fidelity v-mac.. equal sound quality and i could live with either. but they were different. this made me think the erc-1 is a great value because the music fidelity unit cost almost as much as the erc-1. emotiva repaired the unit immediatley and i suspected circuitry problems but they told me it was the loading mechanism and in 2 months has worked flawlessly. 5 year warranty is very good as is emotiva customer service as is mike murrows. by the way emotiva has specials and i got my cd player for 329.00. some reviewers think the erc-1 sounds bright but emotiva offers a return policy i think. thanks for responding

hotmailjbc October 27, 2010 01:03

Hotmailjbc: I had a few home theater system, tried playing music through it but never got too interested other than for background music. I was fortunate enough to be introduced by a couple of local dealers who carried different types of product and of course through people here at audiogon. I tend to prefer warmer and smooth sound that don't tend to fatigue my ears. Iam not exactly sure why I like vinyl but it just seem to sound right. Maybe it has some nostalgic effect when I hear those cracks and pops. few cd player and dac but could not find one I like in my pricepoint. Closest one I can live with has been my newly acquired Nad 542 cd player. Never got a chance to audition the emotive but have heard great things. How would you describe the sound?

al23 October 26, 2010 04:07

wow. what a first system. do you have friends that made recommendations or a good store in your town. my system is a bit dirrent than yours. i use emotiva gear with magnepans and it works well. i,ve been in this for 4 decades and wanted low price and higher performance gear. you are right about mass marketed gear. just doesn,t do the job and it seems you like a unique mix of high end gear . i love my morrow cables like yours and replaced much more expensive cables by kimbre and wire world for mike's cables. i also swear by bright star audio isonodes. they work. two things i found make a huge difference. a great cd player and a dac. i read about the emotiva erc-1 and it is a real performer like the reviews i read said. and a music fidelity v=dac for my mac. i have about 10000 cds and hard drives as backups. i love lps too but just had to make a decision which way to go. what things have you done that really excited your listening?? i go for depth and detail and just magic moments. ha. good recordings are really important. in review i failed to mention 2 velodyne deq 10 subs. really like remote control subs that are not boomy. thanks for your time john

hotmailjbc October 23, 2010 04:53

Just got the Rega P3-24 with stock Rega Elys cartridge without the TT-PSU to try out as a demo. My NAD 533 sounded so much better except that the p3 motor run so smooth. I guess iam gonna have to try the P5 next. It is great to try different things and how they improve the overall effects of the music.

al23 October 16, 2010 04:59

Will be adding a musical fidelity Vdac to my CD changer. Also got a NAD CD 542 for comparison.

al23 October 16, 2010 04:53

Thanks. I have always love listening to music but have been frustrated with mass market components and at the same time intimidated with high end stuff. After i did a demo with a tube amp i knew that was the direction i was headed into. Yes this Jolida is an older model integrated. I also tried different tubes to try to improve the sound. Would appreciate any more suggestions for future upgrades.

al23 September 26, 2010 02:57

you are off to an excellent start. How do you like the little Jolida? I am assuming it is integrated.

gadmanrdh September 20, 2010 11:39