Conclusion

As I said in the opening of this essay, the journey for improved digital audio playback via SACD has been a very long road for me. I haven't heard everything in fine audio that handles SACD, but I have heard a lot of what's out there. The EMM Labs CDSD SE/DCC2 SE has been the best of the best to my ears up for years until now, and has been my true reference standard for both SACD and CD sound. It had supplanted my highly modified Sony SCD-1, the Linn CD-12, and all earlier versions of EMM Labs gear, but I have to say that now it has been met—and bested—by the Playback Designs MPS-5.