Introduction
I recently sent my EMM Labs PRE back to the factory for an update, which involved a complete rebuild to match current specifications. Quite honestly, I really was at a loss to know what to expect. Amadeus, Ed Meitner’s son and production head, rightly recommended the upgrade. If you have seen my recent review of the DA2i, the changes to the PRE are similar in magnitude and nature to those made to the DA2i. The remainder of this review focuses first on the technical changes to the unit, then on a few set-up tips and finally on the sound of the unit.
Note that the identification on the face of the unit has not changed. It remains PRE. I have on my own added the (i) given the rather significant improvement to the sound of the unit.
Technical Details
Unlike the vast majority of solid-state preamps on today’s market, Ed Meitner has made a conscious decision to avoid the use of op amps or large-scale integrated chips. Instead, he has chosen to use discrete transistors which in total are far fewer in number than the transistors within a single op amp chip. For that reason, the signal path is instead purer and more simplified. The PRE is designed for balanced operation with two identical but distinct class A audio paths per channel, one for the positive polarity and a mirror image for the negative polarity. If you look at the circuit board, you may wonder why there are so many parts if the audio circuit is in fact simple. The easy answer is that the vast majority of the visible parts are part of the highly sophisticated power supply regulation regime. You will also note that the circuit boards are made of ceramic material which is self-damping and very low in capacitance, which is key when the circuit has the extreme bandwidth of the PRE. One change from earlier versions is the use of very heavy copper traces which are overlaid with rhodium then gold to obviate the need for a solder mask, which Meitner has found detrimentally impacts sound quality. Like the EMM MTRX amps, the circuit is class A and is characterized by extremely low distortion, wide bandwidth, and fast rise time.
Set-up
Electrical and mechanical isolation is absolutely key to getting the best performance out of the PRE. In particular with the wrong footers or the wrong power cord, the sound of the unit can suffer. This is not to say that the unit as provided by the manufacturer does not sound good, only that it can sound even better. With the wrong power cord, the unit can sound less tonally neutral and less detailed. Likewise, depth, focus and detail benefit from the use of the right isolation feet. Two footers with which I have had significant luck are the Arya Labs RevOpods and the Stillpoint Ultra 6’s. Likewise, the Stage III A.S.P. Kraken power cord is hard to beat in this application.
My initial intention had been to pair the PRE with my EMM Labs MTRX monoblocs; however, about the time that I received the updated PRE, I was given the opportunity to have my MTRX amps updated at the factory. Although my amps had the latest input boards, many other changes had been made to the amps during the eight years that I had owned them. Those changes could only be accomplished by a trip to the factory which entailed shipping each of the amps (250# each) to Calgary and having them completely disassembled. This ended up taking about four months, so I decided to begin the review using the PRE to drive my pair of single ended, direct heated triode parallel class A 300B Audio Note UK Balanced Kegon. Quite honestly, I was not expecting this to be a great match but as it turned out, I was badly mistaken as the combination turned out to be a match made in heaven. The high gain of the PRE had the effect of allowing the Kegon to play louder with better dynamics. In the past week, I received the MTRX amps and re-installed them in my system driven by the PRE. I thought that this might provide a contrast and hoped that using the PRE with the amp for which it was designed might be even better. The first section of the review reflects the sound with the balanced Kegon, the latter part of the review focuses on the sound with the EMM MTRX monoblocs.
Listening – Balanced Kegons
Talking Heads (vinyl) – From “Warning Sign” to the end of the first side of “More Songs About Buildings and Food”, one encounters what made David Byrne, Brian Eno and the Talking Heads such an amazing and different combination in the late 70’s. And I’ve never heard the record with the level of detail and color that was presented by the EMM PRE feeding the Balanced Kegon amps. Brian Eno’s subtle manipulation of the guitar sound and related delay effects, in particular, is remarkably displayed. The pleasure I derived from the combination was similar to what it was when I first heard the record – except that now I could hear subtle gradations that I had not heard. This was a total win.
Strauss, Boehm, various excerpts DG (vinyl) – This red Stereo DG from the late 50s or early 60’s sounded largely terrific with the PRE and Kegon combination. I might have wished for just a hair more warmth, which I could get from the right tube gear, but I fear I would miss the terrific detail, especially – for example – the interplay between the organ and the large orchestra in the “Festival Preludium” that opens the disc. And to be clear, though I might miss some tube warmth, the EMM is absolutely musical. The strings sound as smooth as I would expect in a good concert hall, and the brass are never overly edgy or aggressive. And I’ve heard this record, even on good equipment, sound splatty and underpowered in the bottom especially. The PRE can’t give me bottom that isn’t there as a result of the recording, but it presents what is there in a balanced and satisfying light.
The PRE also allowed me to hear immediately that “Til Eulenspiel”, for whatever reason, was recorded under more favorable conditions than the “Festival Preludium”. “Til” had a slightly more mid-hall effect with better balance between the brass and the winds/strings.
“Menotti P Concert”, EMI (vinyl) – This is an early Analogue Sounds pressing, and is outstanding from the get-go. I was not otherwise familiar with the recording or the piece. Both were terrific, and as such excellent material for the PRE. The orchestra and the piano were recorded in a very full-bodied way. Up-front, but not unrealistically forward. Full across the soundstage, and with fairly good depth (although the width is more impressive – wall-to-wall). Instrument placement is largely excellent. The sound is also warm, and the strings aren’t the least bit edgy.
As with virtually everything else I played, it is the accuracy of the detail that stands out. For example, toward the end of the first movement, there is no mistaking the moment that the strings attach their mutes for a quiet interlude.
“Debussy, “ Fantasie for Piano & Orchestra”, SACD SHM disc 4, EMI TOGE- 12086-89 – This disc comes from a Japanese EMI SHM box of 4 SACDs of Jean Martinon’s traversal of most of Debussy’s orchestral music. I’ve had the box for several years but have usually turned to the LPs when I wanted to hear the recordings. The SACD mastering seemed overly bright and somewhat congested, although it was not bad. Just not great.
I was very surprised at the results of trying this SACD again with both the updated EMM DA2i D/A and the EMM PRE. The sense of congestion was entirely gone. For all practical purposes, so was the brightness (or sense of brightness, as the case may be). What happened? I believe it is the clarity of the decoding/processing operation in the DA2i, combined with the exceptional clarity of the EMM preamp. The result is an excellent musical experience that is not the least fatiguing (as it tended to be in the past), but is instead delightful in its detail, sparkle and energy. The top end is open, the cymbals are airy and authentic. The strings are smooth and reasonably warm. An excellent listen.
Arnold Bax, “Symphony No.41, Tintagel” Chandos (digital), CHAN 8312 – This particular CD I chose as a torture test. I enjoy Bax’s music (in moderate doses). This CD comes from Bryden Thomson’s traversal of Bax’s complete Symphonies, the first such effort, by a single conductor. This was in the 80’s, the early years of digital, and these CDs have a tendency toward excessive brightness and irritability when played on today’s gear.
I chose to play the last track on this CD of Bax’s 4th Symphony, the filler, “Tintagel”, one of Bax’s most well-known tone poems. To my happy surprise, it was an excellent listen. The top end was tamed. Everything was there that needed to be, glittering cymbals, potent brass, a decent amount of air, and space. The depth was not as good as it can be in more recent recordings, but the side-to-side imaging was excellent. While it would be fair to say the sound tilted toward the top, the effect did not interfere with the musicality of the presentation. And the bass was definitely there when it needed to be.
Again, the clarity of both the DA2i and the EMM PRE were outstanding.
Listening – EMM MTRX Monoblocs
While I had initially intended to follow the format above, I quickly decided that would be a waste of your time as the PRE, if anything, performed even better with the newest version of the MTRX amps. For this reason, I would like to instead talk about the latest version of the MTRX amps and by this I also mean the MTRX2 amps which employ basically identical circuitry.
Keep in mind that I have lived with these amps for eight years and over that period have heard five distinct versions of the input boards, each an improvement over the last. I agreed to update my amps mainly to keep them current as numerous other changes had been made in the interim. In all honesty, I was not expecting a significant improvement (just as I had not expected the PRE to be so much better than previous versions). In that I was once again mistaken. Ed Meitner is approaching his eightieth birthday, a time when most men would have turned over the business to their children. Instead, he has entered what I would consider the most creative period of his design career. In a two-year period, he has overhauled his entire product line.
The following comments reflect my reaction to the latest MTRX updates when used to play vinyl in conjunction with the PRE:
There is an unbelievable sense of realism, you can almost visualize the instruments in the room. The images created are that three dimensional and that stable. The sense of realism came not only from the holographic imaging but also from the physicality which is highly unusual for reproduced music. In my room, soundstage extended (at least when that was on the recording) from wall-to-wall with excellent depth beginning slightly behind the speakers.
On great recordings (here think the best Decca SXL 2000 and EMI SAX vinyl), it was like having a window into the recording venue. The sound was remarkably palpable. You feel almost as if you can touch the instruments.
The top end was clear and clean with absolutely no harshness or brightness. The sound was highly resolved but never cold, just gorgeous extension at the top. The PRE/MTRX combination seems to recreate exactly what is recorded, but with natural warmth and musicality. Resolution was outstanding, the noise floor extremely low, if not non-existent.
The outstanding resolution is probably the key to the holographic imaging. Depth is improved over earlier versions. Bass was accurate.
Absolutely stunning and absolutely in service of the music.
Conclusions
The current version of the EMM Labs PRE has what I would consider exceptional sound quality. Resolution and the retrieval of low-level detail are enhanced by one of the lowest noise floors which I have encountered. It is tonally accurate, neither harsh in the upper midrange nor bright in the treble while at the same time not adding unnatural warmth. It delivers a very transparent sound with excellent dynamic range. Imaging, depending on the source material, is excellent with a very wide soundstage with good depth and very stable, tactile images, coupled with increased air around instruments and sharper focus. Bass is not exactly bigger, but it is cleaner, and in particular, more visceral. The warmth of stringed instruments, and the uniqueness of their tone, comes through in an aurally attractive way.
You also get a sense of being able to hear the space around all of the instruments. This allowed for better placement and depth and a better ability to separate individual instruments from the mix. Of course, all of this was dependent on the recording, remastering, etc.
In summing up, the PRE (i) was able to maintain accurate tonality and timbre while significantly improving resolution, body, solidity and dimensionality, without loss of either speed or detail. Bass projected exceptionally well and seemed well controlled and deep. Dynamics were also excellent.
While earlier versions of the PRE were quite good, the current unit is much improved which makes it competitive with preamps from other manufacturers selling for significantly more money.
The same comments are equally applicable to the latest version of the MTRX monoblocs.
Highly recommended.
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