Emotiva ERC-1 CD Player Review - Highly Recommended

[RoadRunner6]

Perhaps any member here who was so bold to recommend this player (only $399 - such heresy!) and then get blasted might feel vindicated. :D

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cd-players/703-emotiva-erc-1-cd-player.html

[blackraven]

I find it strange that the balanced outputs would sound better than the RCA's because the unit is not a true balanced design! But finally a nice professional review to go along with Mr.P's.

[harley .guy07]

Good deal. This review makes me feel good about Emotiva because their preamp just got a rave review as well. Maybe this will finally shut up some of these "it must be expensive to be good" types that spend more money on their speaker cables than I did on my Amplifier. I am not saying this CD player is the best because its not but it holds its own with some of the best out there and for 400 bucks thats pretty cool in my book.

[frenchmon]

RR...I do owe you an apology. The ERC-1 did infact sound better than I imagined it would. At that price range I don't believe you can find a better sounding and better built player on the market. I did think it sounds just as good as my two $699 players Rotel and Marantz but I have not did a side by side as of yet. In the near future Mr. Peabody and I will be doing the shootout. I'm off work in about two weeks so maybe we can do it then with the Rotel and save the Marantz for next time. Once again I do apologize and give you your props...the ERC-1 is a good player.

frenchmon

[atomicAdam]

I might have to pick one up - it would fit well in my good but not expensive set up.

[RoadRunner6]

RR...I do owe you an apology

Frenchmon, thanks for the kind comments, but no need to apologize. We disagreed and now agree, no problem. I just thought some here were a little slow on picking up on what I thought was more obvious. I know there were many comments that the ERC-1 was superior to a $200 player and others who compared it to very expensive players without detailed comments that were perceived as fanboy talk. Even the reviews in Secrets of HT and Affordable Audio are little lacking in details. You guys wanted to hear more and Mr. Peabody has been very helpfull with his detialed comments on the ERC-1.

I picked up some hints right away (other than my previous experience with the XPA-5 amp from Emo) that this was something more than your usual $400 player. Some might laugh, but one of the first things I look at in specs is weight as in 17.5 lbs for the ERC-1. That many times is a tip off to at least build (if not sound) quality for me. That caught my interest soon in both the XPA-5 (75 lb A/B amp) and the small Emo ERM-1 bookshelf speaker (18 lbs).

I can tell you that Emotiva's other electronics and speaker products also provide an amazing price/performance value :D .

[harley .guy07]

I wish I lived in a bigger city or closer to one so that posibly I could run into someone out there with some of the Emo gear so I could get me a taste of what they can do at their price point. Down in southwestern missouri there are not too many audiophiles out there most of the guys around hear build 4x4 trucks and hot rods and wouldn't know the difference between krell and conrad johnson and most likely never heard of them before. Thats the only thing that sucks about where I live(like everthing else), I can't just drive into town to go listen to some higher end gear. There are no shops around here for this quality of stuff. I should know I used to manange one of the only high end shops that has ever been in my town. If there is anyone who lives in southwestern Missouri or close let me know I would not mind finding some like minded people out there so I can hear some the other newer brands of gear out there without having to drive 100 miles or order it first.

[frenchmon]

harley where abouts in southwest Mo are you? Who knows, maybe one day me you and Mr. Peabody could make plans and get together one Saturday....you just never know. You ever come up to the STL?

frenchmon

[harley .guy07]

Its been a few years. But I have been there several times. I think it would be an experience to see and hear these different pieces of equipment and to also take a look at that bad ass system the Mr. Peabody has and maybe it can also give me some direction for me to take my system as well. And I would love to hear some of the bigger Dynaudio speakers. The only ones I've heard are the stand mount monitors and I am not sure now which series or model they were but I seem to remember them to be around 1400 bucks a pair and they did sound quite nice.

To answer your question I live in Joplin Mo. Its on the southwest corner of missouri about 5 miles form the kansas state line.

[RoadRunner6]

You could make a /thread/post inquiry at the Emotiva forum for anyone near Joplin. I know there are some Emo members in that general area, Columbia, St. Loius, KC, etc. :D

[poppachubby]

Looks great RR!! Nice little review, and what a great looking design. Simple but eye catching. If there's anything I hate, it's when people judge things based on price. For some snobby types, it seems like every area of retail is ok for a deal, except audio. Well you've certainly unstuffed a few shirts with this great product.

Since hanging around AR, I'm starting to really check out Emotiva. Anyhow, should look good on your rack RR. What's another 20 lbs anyways?!? Hahahaha....great post.

[Mr Peabody]

Harley bring your butt on up here. I don't drive or I'd offer to get down your way. Maybe us and Frenchmon can invade Music For Pleasure and then fall back to the house for some playing. If there was something we really wanted to check out closer the guys would let me bring it home. If MFP still have the Dynaudio Sapphires you should hear those. Neither of us can afford them but the listening experience is quite nice. I'd also like for both of you to hear some T+A gear. Frenchmon has heard my CDP but get a feel for the whole set up.

I hate to let the cat out of the bag, this seems like a good time though, I have been talking with IBStorming who lives in KC. He has been trying to get over to my house as well. We were kicking the idea around of having an AR member get together in his area. He knows of a hall he can get reasonable. It also sounds like he may have more room. We would invite folks to bring gear and we would all just play and have a good time.

Harley, no high end in Springfield any more?

[harley .guy07]

There might be but I havent been to springfield in a while. I know there was a place called Harvey's. It was on Glendale I believe right across from the mall and they sold different brands of gear over the years. I think they had Monitor Audio, Paradigm for a time, Denon, Im not sure what higher end seperates they had. I liked that place because it wasn't a chain store and the owners were pretty cool. But I am not sure If they are still around. I tried to do web searches for them but can't find anything. There are a couple of other places in Springfield but none I can remember fondly.

And by the way I would love to come up there some time and listen to some of these comparisons myself so I can get a real element of what you guys are talking about when these pieces of gear are being tested. And setting up an AR meeting group would be really cool to do and finally meet some of these people I have been talking to for a while.

[TheHills44060]

Good review...it answered some of the questions i had about the slot loader.

[RoadRunner6]

Good review...it answered some of the questions i had about the slot loader.

It took me awhile to get used to the slot loader but now I prefer it. Looks like from your avatar that you might have some experience with slot loaders. :smilewinkgrin: