CD / SACD players and transports — Electrocompaniet EMC 1 MKV SE Reference

The EMC 1 MKV SE Reference is a special edition of the top-loading EMC 1 MKV CD player from Electrocompaniet of Tau, Norway, built for the Chinese market and limited to 200 units. Each unit is signed and approved by technical director Volker Hunger. The EMC 1 line of disc players dates back to 1998, and this generation brings updated electronics, new mechanics for a more rigid build and a new chassis. Production takes place in Norway.

Key specs that matter

Conversion runs at 24 bit and 192 kHz through a fully balanced D/A stage. The analogue outputs deliver 2.3 V RMS on RCA and 4.6 V RMS on XLR. Electrocompaniet quotes a noise floor below -130 dB, THD+N under 0.003 %, a dynamic range of 120 dB, channel separation above 110 dB and a deviation of 0.05 dB across 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Besides pressed discs, the transport plays burned CD-R and CD-RW copies. Digital outputs on coaxial and optical S/PDIF let the transport feed an outboard converter, and RS232 plus a trigger input handle system control. The chassis measures 470 mm wide, 422 mm deep and 118 mm high, and the player weighs 18 kg. It draws 25 W in use and 0.5 W in standby.

Engineering and use context

The mechanical design splits the circuitry into five separate housings, one each for the analogue section, the digital section, the transport, the transformer and the controller, so that noise from one block is shielded from the others. The analogue output stage is built from discrete parts rather than op-amp chips. Loading is from the top, and a disc is held by a clamp that centres it on the spindle to help the laser read it. The SE version adds three items to the standard package - a Golden Spider clamp made for this edition, a power cable from IsoTek with 7-core geometry, high-purity copper conductors and FEP insulation, and Soundcare SuperSpikes feet under the chassis. SACD playback is not listed among the supported disc types, so this is a CD-only machine despite its reference status.

Pairing

The balanced output suits a preamplifier with XLR inputs, such as the dual-mono EC 5 from the same maker, and the RCA output covers integrated amplifiers without balanced connections. Anyone using an outboard DAC can take the coaxial or optical feed, and the 12 V trigger means the player can be switched on remotely by other Electrocompaniet units.

Alternatives

The EMC 1 MKV Reference is the regular production version of the same top-loading Electrocompaniet CD player, sold without the limited SE accessory package.