Comparison Cary 306, Wadia 581, EMM Labs CDSA

Strange observations, Zieman. There have been as many Wadia 581 SEs for sale here as EMM Labs CDSA SE units, perhaps more. Quite a few Cary 306s, too. Frequency or quantity of a particular model appearing on A-Gon isn't necessarily an indicator of customer dissatisfaction. One the contrary, it often means more customers bought more of these models than others. Therefore, more will eventually appear on the used market. You'll find a lot of used Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys, and they are always top-rated.

For the record, both the EMM Labs CDSA SE and Wadia 581 SE are world-class CDPs. Which is better comes down to personal preference.

Krell smoking them all? Depends what you've been smoking , I guess.

The false accusation/assumption that all CDSA SEs are defective and being recalled needs to be addressed. This is simply, completely untrue. There is no such recall (visit EMM Labs.com). The truth is much less hyperbolic. There have been some issues with noisy and temperamental transports, but it is not a problem with all the units--just some. (A second generation CDSA SE is being introduced later this year that includes a revised, custom-designed and built transport. This is a good example of Mr. Meitner's constant quest for perfection.) The company is very customer responsive and will fix the problem under the warranty's terms and conditions. To claim that EMM Labs' quality control is less than Cary's or Krell's is not only false, it is hurtful. Carelessly disparaging a company's reputation through a post here is bad behavior. Having an opinion is one thing, but throwing out untruths that can cripple sales and damage reputation is reprehensible.

While I agree that anytime you're spending obscene amounts of money for audiophile equipment, it should be absolutely bullet proof and last eleventy billion years with never a problem. Unfortunately, that's a fantasy. Virtually every high-end manufacturer, especially those on the leading edge, experiences design or operating flaws from time to time. What counts is how quickly and easily they respond to problems or issues. (I am a Mac addict, but have learned to suffer through the company's reflex denial of problems with their products, knowing they come around eventually.) I have found EMM Labs--like Pass, Aesthetix, Legacy, Martin Logan, and others--is fantastic when it comes to offering help.

BTW, I own a CDSA SE and have had no issues with the transport.