I spied with my little eye the diminutive Wattson Emerson ANALOG streaming DAC on David Cope’s Old Forge Audio Instagram page and thought, “Mmm. Interesting.”
I reached out to Dave who sang the Emerson’s praises while also informing me that Canada’s Phonographe was the North American Importer of all things Wattson Audio, based in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. And here we are. it’s worth noting that the people behind Wattson are also the people behind Engineered SA, makers of OEM hardware and software solutions serving high end audio since 2005. Experience matters.
Ethernet in,
Analog out.
Emerson ANALOG, carved from a solid chunk of aluminum, measures less than 5″ from input to output (including the RCA connectors) and is Roon Ready, UPnP/DLNA capable, with AirPlay thrown in for good measure. The free Wattson App (for iOS and Android) will play from local storage and supports Tidal and Qobuz making for true plug ‘n play action. The Emerson ANALOG also incorporates the patented LEEDH Processing Lossless Digital Volume Control if you prefer a super simple system.
From Wattson:
The philosophy implemented in the Emerson is that of the straight wire: no sampling frequency conversion or data processing is applied, apart from volume control when used. The flow of data from the network interface is transmitted directly to the S/PDIF and AES/EBU modulators of the Emerson DIGITAL, or respectively to the digital-to-analog conversion chip in the case of the Emerson ANALOG. When properly implemented, this solution guarantees a transparent and coloration-free reproduction.
The network interface and embedded software are in-house brewed proprietary designs while two clock generators are used alternately, depending on whether the track being played back is sampled at a base frequency of 44.1kHz or 48kHz (as well as any multiples thereof). The DAC inside the Emerson ANALOG is from Cirrus Logic and the review unit shipped with the stock external power supply and the optional upgraded external PSU that comes standard with Wattson’s more upscale Madison Streaming DAC.
I look forward to seeing if good (sounding) things come in small packages.
Wattson Emerson ANALOG Streaming DAC
Price: $1750, + $55 Power Supply Upgrade
Company Website: Wattson Audio
North American Importer Website: Phonographe
Technical Specifications
Connectivity
Network input: Ethernet 100 Mbit/s
Outputs: RCA connectors
Restitution
Supported compression formats: WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, WMA
Supported encoding: PCM up to 24-bit 384kHz, DSD64
Control protocols: UPnP/DLNA, AirPlay compatibility, Roon Ready
Streaming services brought by the Wattson Music app: TIDAL, Qobuz, airable radios
Electronic Features
Proprietary streaming solution by engineered SA
Innovative and highly performing clock circuit and synchronization system
Ultra-low phase noise oscillators, < -135dBc/SQ(Hz) at 100Hz and < 50fs RMS jitter
Very low noise power supply (< 1µV RMS 10Hz-100kHz)
Characteristic values:
– Output level (0dB FS): 2,0V RMS
– Signal-to-noise, weighted (SNR-A): typ. 124dB
– Harmonic distortion (THD+N, 0dB FS): typ. 0,001%
Mechanical and Electrical Characteristics
Dimensions (L x P x H): 4,1 x 3,4 x 1,5in, (104 x 87 x 38mm)
Weight: 0,85lb (387g)
Power supply: 5V DC, external, medical grade
Power consumption: 1,5W (idle), 2,5W (playing)