I own a Wadia 21 and the sound is fantastic. It repalced a meridian 508.24 and I picked up $800. As for comparison there is no question it is a better sounding player than the 830 as the 830 just didn't have it compared to the 21. Lacked the weight and dynamics especially directly driving an amp. I also had for a short time an 850 on loan simply for comparison to the 21 as Wadia offers a rather pricey upgrade. In my system the 850 was slightly more extended at the extremes, but also a tad forward in comparison.I found the 21 to be more balanced overall which pleased me greatly. I have since talked with several people who agree about this general difference between the 850-860 and the 21-16. My suggestion would be to get your hands on a 21 or a 16 if you want a little more flexibility, sell you preamp even if its gold plated and and has been deemed the world's best, and directly drive any amplifier with a nice set of balanced IC's and you will have arrived.
Older WADIAS CD players vs Newer WADIAS
Do the older model Wadias (ie. 6, 21 or 16) sound better than the new 830? And how does say the 830 compare to the 23?
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