How does an ELITE-DM set compare to another system ?
SAVONA, IT, MAY 1st, 2025 – It is no secret that the industry is full of good products. Some of of them are of very high quality, and surpass an ELITE-DM any day of the week. But what is the price for all that quality ? I am often asked this question. Honestly, I have personally heard dozens (if not hundreds) of high end systems over the years, and to put together something similar at an entry price level, I could recommend something to anyone.
First of all, let me just say that sky-high prices not necessarily equates to better quality. There are unfortunately also products that are not up to par with their price. Second of all, as you`ll see later, this article will basically show you why ELITE-DM was created. Let`s get into the list, if I ever need to recommend an high-end system to anyone who wants something to last for all his life, this would be it:
AMPLIFIER
> Denon PMA 3000NE (28,800 RMB *): it is a dual mono integrated amplifier, with a very similar (but lesser) specification on its amplification stage. It is using a ES9018K2M DAC, while ELITE-DM is using the flagship ESS9039Q2M, actually two of them, they are far superior than 9018. The analog section is quite remarkable however, and the pre-amplifier is able to output a properly good sound.
LOUDSPEAKERS
> Dynaudio Confidence 30 (205,800 RMB *): I have no doubts this sound the same as the one in ELITE-DM set. Probably they lack some mid-range sweetness and the spot is a bit narrower than ELITE-DM, but definitely a stunning pair of loudspeakers. Low frequency response below 40 Hz is on par with ELITE-DM, too. I believe any high end loudspeaker should be below 40 Hz without sub-woofers.
BLUETOOTH RECEIVER
> McIntosh MB25 (6,580 RMB *): this is a premium high-end BT receiver, that can also work with ELITE-DM as source, if necessary. It does support APTX-HD, but does not support LDAC like ELITE-DM. LDAC is still slightly better on the ears than APTX-HD, in my opinion. Also, if you need to complete your system with analog or digital high-end inputs, this is the device I personally recommend to pair with ELITE-DM at the moment. Mark&Simon is working on an own analog extender, but it will probably be ready in 2026.
TOTAL
> 241,180 RMB (need to still add about 1,000 RMB of good quality speakers cables)
(* prices are from jd.com website, a popular e-Commerce in China)
In all honesty, this system sounds very similar to the warmth, depth, precision and stage of ELITE-DM. There are however a few key problems with systems like this, that make it very difficult for most people with little or no skills in electronics to reach the full potential, namely:
WIRING
> Although is quite simple for anyone with low-medium electrical skill, it is impossible to understand how to wire the BLUETOOTH receiver and the AMPLIFIER correctly, requiring probably the help of other people.
SETUP
> The loudspeaker setup is the most critical part of any system. It is extensively discussed in our user manual. The more variables you introduce, the more you have to tweak the setup in order to achieve the best. But how do you really know if the electronics are set correctly, with so many settings ? In short, you don`t. You just hope it is, unless you`re an experienced listener such as myself.
WRONGLY WIRED SPEAKER CABLES
> One of the mostly overlooked piece of information, one cannot believe how many times I found over the years speakers wired with reverse polarity. It`s a common mistake, some people just assume +/- to be just an indication, it sounds anyway. But if you polarity reverse the left from the right channel, the 180 degrees phase shift often result in a very poor sound with zero bass response.
PRICE !
> Last but not least, the price. An ELITE-DM does not cost nearly as much money as that, but you achieve the same result and the only adjustment you ever have to make is the position of the loudspeakers !
Mark&Simon, with its ELITE-DM set, has tried to answer all of these questions: take it home, plug the specially provided cables (they can only be inserted in the correct polarity), press power-on and play. There are no regulations in the electronics, everything is preset to function at the optimum level set by Mark&Simon. Worst thing that can happen is reversing left and right channel, but this has no effect whatsoever on the sound quality.
