Is Wadia 860 much better than the 850?

No, not sonically in most situations. The exception is when you are using it directly into your poweramp without a preamp, and you need to be able use a balance control. The 860 has a balance control. I find that few CDs need balance tweeking, but some old CDs or those of historical performance might. If this is the case, and you need the balance control, get the 860. Otherwise don't bother, IMHO.

IMHO i disagree with the above post. In my system the 860 is much more resolving w/ or w/o a preamp. Much better player all around. Worth the price diff plus it's upgradable to the 861. 850 is discontinued. 850, however, is a great deal at it's price point.

When you are choosing between two very expensive AND very excellent high-end components like the WADIAS, you should probably take the time to audition each one in your system. Otherwise you will never know for sure which you prefer. In your circumstance, I would probably not make a decision based on the advice from postings. Eithe way, a difficult choice- Good Luck!

Last year I replaced my 850 w/ an 860x and I agree w/ Jfrench. I found the 860x to be more resolving and more refined than the 850(both were directly conected to my Audio Research VT-50) Also, the 860 has a much better transport. Although the 850 is an excelent player (probably one of the best in its class) I would recommend the 860x or even 861 if your budget permits. Hopefully you will be able to listen to both the 850 and 860 and come to your own decision...either way you will be getting a very high quality product. Good luck...

Yes the 860X and 861 are more resolving than the 850. Vtin asked about the 860 so I tried to answer the specific question. I shared my experience with the 850/860; at the time I made my purchase decision I could not countenance the delta in price based on the audition. The advice to listen makes consummate sense - for example, I found that a truly balanced setup with the 850 made a compelling difference over (either player) s/e. This is a factor Vtin may want to take into account. Listen with your own ears - it's a great hobby!