2. digital
  3. 1155850584

ESOTERIC, WADIA -- How do they really sound?

I have read and heard that upgrading your source to the highest level possible will make the greatest difference. This makes sense, in that once information is lost or poorly decoded, it cannot be regained.

BUT, I am dumbfounded at the opinion of expensive digital players out there. I did an exhaustive search on the forums on Esoteric and Wadia, and was shocked to find some very strong criticisms of deficiencies in products from both these companies, and Levinson and others.

Yet, you can find bang-up magazine reviews on all these products (no surprise, right?).

My concern is that some of the criticisms are rather severe, and surprising in items of this price caliber. For example. The soundstaging is pushed together, the tonal balance is off, the dynamics are compressed, the treble is bright, the sonics are thin, the bass is lacking, the digital volume control degrades the sonics, etc.

If you are buying used, and don't have dealers to take these pieces home, or feel unethical in doing so, how can you make any decisions based on this quagmire of information?

HELP!
saxo

Showing 1 response by musicslug

musicslug
430 posts
 
if you feel unethical about taking pieces home from a dealer when you plan to buy used, why not bring in a favorite CD to the dealer and listen to it there?
assuming it isn't too busy and you're not depriving the salesperson of a possible sale to someone who'e really there to buy, it's no big deal.

by the way, your first sentence (about upgrading the source making the greatest difference) should be taken with a grain of salt: getting a source which is way better than the rest of your system isn't necessarily a good strategy. it makes more sense to look at your whole system, including the room, interconnects, etc. before deciding on upgrades. people on this site can be very helpful if you tell them what components you're working with, your musical tastes, preferred volume level, etc.
More to discover