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Sony SCD-1 audiocom mod vs. Wadia 861 anybody?

Is there anybody out there who has had the opportunity to compare a fully modified SCD-1 (or 777es) by Kern to the Wadia 861? Auditioning these two together is virtually impossible.

I just sold my 777es for a Meridian 508.24 because i needed XLR jacks. I haven't been able to listen to the Meridian yet but now that I'm selling my turntable i have the cash to mod an SCD-1. Any comments on the Meridian would be appreciated too. My entire system changed so I'll never know how it sounded versus my 777es (which i loved.) if i'm not going to have a turntable i want the best digital playback i can get.

Thanks in advance
kublakhan
mejames
986 posts
 
had $2400 modification by Richard Kern everything but the latest transport and latest clock updates
sonically the problem was basically vocal images were card board cut outs there was virtually no front to back depth of image as their should be which makes it sound like the singer doesn't have a head basically. Just didn't sound like a real person was there singing. Vocal images were flat may be a better description. And lacked some presence and not enough 3 dimensional information even using SACD's.
calloway
874 posts
 
i have not heard the wadia 861 so my comments are solely related to mr. kern's fully modded scd-1. this includes transport mods,transformer mods,superclock 2,audio board vishay resistors,audio board black gates,audio board regulators,audio board op amps,power supply board black gates,power supply board regulatorts,and buffer ic's. this for ~ $4k. i can tell you,without stuttering,that vocals are superb,front to back imaging is superb and instrument imaging is also superb and destroys a stock scd-1.
amigdalac0d1
1 posts
 
Go for the Wadia 861 but get the SE version ! That IS a modified player in the sense that Wadia puts modifier level parts in it right at the factory.
jwin's avatar
jwin
101 posts
 
My audio club did a blind, level matched comparison and a modded SCD-1 beat out a non-modded Wadia 861 and the vote wasn't close.
Jeff
kublakhan OP
717 posts
 
Wow. I guess the answer is that you really can't go wrong with either one. thanks all and thanks Jwin for the great info.

of course, now we need to find someone who has done a blind test with the 861se but frankly, the ability to listen to sacd makes me lean towards the scd-1 or 777es (which i foolishly just sold!)
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