Wadax Reference Dac and Reference Server--arrived in my room.

OP, has this equaled or surpassed your analog setup? If no, how much has it closed the gap?

@kren0006

with the Wadax Reference dac and Reference server my experience is ’like’ vinyl. i get no sense that i’m not listening to good vinyl. i can listen all day to the Wadax without any listening fatigue, and melt into the musical experience.

it’s only when i A/B directly with good pressings where there is a gap between the 2. the vinyl is still more compelling and complete. it’s a higher level. and understand i am also pushing my vinyl playback at the same time. so my vinyl is not standing still.

hi Steve,

i will try to help as best i can. you are welcome to email me so we can take this off line as your Audiogon messages are not set up. 

mplav@comcast.net

thanks guys!

thank you for all the positive comments.

@dill

i have been seriously into hifi since 1994 when my kids were gone from home. back in the 60’s and 70’s i had systems in High school and college and when i was first married. built my current room in 2004. so i have been around awhile. my system here on Audiogon was started in 2004.

@femoore12

streaming is the window to the new/old/different musical world. it’s a big part of my listening. it removes the limits on what is possible to do. and the quality can be amazing. even at modest levels.

my current system description and pictures have not been updated to show the Wadax. once i make my server decision i will try to get that done as soon as i can.

Mike, do you still play cds over transport, and if so how does it compare to streams in your setup?

@sns 

i don't have a disc spinner in my room presently, i have used the Taiko Extreme server these last few years, and do quite a bit high rez files and Quboz. i have over 3000 CD's and 1000 SACD's in my room. but files and streaming only right now.

i might, at some point, try a Wadax transport to see how that compares.

in any case, redbook files with the Wadax Ref dac and server are amazing. the better ones sound like vinyl. not exactly, but you would not know they are not vinyl without a direct compare.

@pokey77 

thank you.

@nonoise

regarding the Taiko Extreme server; in the last couple of days Emile from Taiko has optimized the USB drivers in the Extreme for the Wadax Ref dac. in the next couple of days i will do a direct compare between the Extreme and the Wadax Reference server each with the Wadax Reference Dac.

i have the Wadax Ref server on approval for the next week or so. so soon one of those is going away, and one is staying.

@phantom_av

last weekend i did a series of A/B compares between my MSB Select II paired with the Extreme server, and the Wadax combo. the result was that i purchased the Wadax dac, and the MSB is on it’s way to a new home. as far as dCS, my personal view is that it’s not at the level of the MSB Select 2, let alone the Wadax. objectively the dCS is high performance, but just no longer sets the standard it did at one time.

in any case, in my experience the Wadax is the pinnacle of digital music reproduction.

@phantom_av 

thanks.

for 9 years my digital reference was the Playback Designs MPS-5. i had the first consumer unit ever. Andreas has stayed at my home. he is brilliant.

which MSB dacs did you compare to the PD Dream Series?

my Extreme is going to a new happy owner. i'm buying the Wadax Reference Server.

on Friday night my friend Victor, who owns is an MSB Select 2 and is an Extreme owner, came over to assist with the compare. Victor also brought a Gigaswitch and LPS to optimize the copper Ethernet that both the Wadax and Extreme would use. both the Extreme and Wadax server were sitting on Dazia's. we used TAS for the Extreme, and Roon obviously for the Wadax. Emile had optimized the USB driver for the Wadax Reference dac.

we did the compare, first three tracks with the Wadax Server, then those same three with the Extreme. i'm not going to speak on behalf of Victor. but it was a clear choice. we move on. synergy? Akasa Optical link? hard to know cause and effect exactly.

the Extreme/Wadax Ref dac is awesome in every way. the Wadax combo is better.

for those interested, here is where i decided between the Wadax Ref  Server and the Taiko Extreme Server.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/wadax-reference-dac-and-server-arrive.34173/page-16#post-773661

hi Will, thank you for the kind words. the Wadax experience has been fun so far.

it is hard to get serious threads here respected. i have to say so far this one has not been ransacked for whatever reason. thank you Audiogon!

knock on wood!!!

@chayro

it’s hard to give answers in purely price terms with analog, and performance is not that predictable relative to price. some vintage is not so expensive, and DIY efforts can make big differences. and the quality of the pressings of vinyl has more effect than the hardware. a modestly priced turntable set-up with the very best pressings easily surpasses any digital. but finding and buying the best pressings is a daunting task.

and on the digital side, price is a little more predictable, but maybe taste/preference is very significant. some listeners like tubed dacs, so this can influence preferences and price. a tube lover likely can find a cheaper dac that pleases. solid state IMHO has a higher ceiling of performance, but the best solid state dacs are expensive.

but if i had to come up with a number; i would say generally a $30k-$40k (new retail price) analog system (tt, arm, cart, phono) will surpass a $100k dac such as the MSB Select II with Taiko Extreme server, or dCS Vivaldi Apex stack....if the analog system is well set up and good analog sourced pressings (but maybe not the very best) are used. if the vinyl pressings are mostly modern digitally sourced pressings, then the result is unpredictable.

with vinyl the pressings are the limitation.

@wsrrsw 

 

G R E A T. 

Good on you. 

I wished you lived down the road so I could my wife over (checky to ask) and show her what I’d like to do with a built audio building. 

thank you for the kind words.

you would be very welcome to visit if you are ever in my neighborhood. i love to have like minded visitors. i live a few miles east of Seattle.

@lalitk

Would you please consider expanding on your comments…I am genuinely interested in learning what brand of TT, cart and phono at $40K would transcends a $100K in digital setup. Looking forward to your recommendations!

each of my 3 turntables, including arm and cartridges, are in the $75k++ range (not including my phono stage at all....just tt, arm and cart.....and my phono cables are very spendy). so i’m not living in the fully done under $40k price bracket. but i know the below gear for the most part and have either heard it myself, or know enough to recommend it and respect it for being capable of allowing a good vinyl pressing to show what it can do to surpass a $100k digital rig.

and i’m just throwing examples out there; there are dozens of other examples to consider in these ranges. but these products are legit.

and choosing complimentary pieces, then proper set-up is a significant portion of analog magic. it’s not plug and play. i did restrict myself to brand new gear at full list price. going used, or discounts, can lower the cost or raise the ROI.

---turntables; one at around $11k, two at around $20k, one including an arm.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/technics-sl-1000r-and-sp10r-direct-drive-turntables

heard great things about this turntable.

https://primarycontrol.nl/Kinea_turntable.html

---tone arms; one around $6k, one around $8k

https://www.artisanfidelity.com/tonearms/kuzma-4point-9-inch

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2020/09/27/glanz-mh-124s-premium-tonearm-review/

----cartridges; one around $5k, one around 6k.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/analog-corner-317-ortofon-verismo-phono-cartridge-orb-df-01ia-disc-flattener-rsx-beyond

https://www.stereophile.com/content/analog-corner-317-ortofon-verismo-phono-cartridge-orb-df-01ia-disc-flattener-rsx-beyond

---phono preamps; one at $2500, one at $12k

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ps-audio-stellar-phono-phono-preamplifier

https://www.stereophile.com/content/emt-128-phono-preamplifier