Any previous Wadia users?? Or did everyone move?

Maxx1973: What information are you using to draw that (flawed) conclusion? Besides, high-end audio isn't a popularity contest. Wadia makes some fine products and offers outstanding customer support. And Steve at Great Northern Sound offers excellent upgrades and additional support.

I have owned a lot of digital gear (Theta, Classe, Levinson, Electrocompaniet, etc.) over the years, but my quest ended several years ago when I bought a Wadia 861 and had it modified by GNSC. I'm sure there is better stuff out there, but not for the money, and not if you're looking for high resolution and musicality. IMO.

Keyword wadia, click search, scroll down bottom of page, click on discussion forums, and have a good read...

The reason why you don't see too many Wadias for sale in the Gon is that most people will never part with their Wadia gear. I am with them since the X-32 days and I am perfectly happy today with the 270/27ix. To me Wadia represents true high end and there's no need for further search once you have set them up in a likewise true high end system.

Like you, I have an 860x, which I had modified by Steve Huntley at GNSC a few months ago. Takes a while to break in (as he will tell you), but the results were superb. (I posted a mini-review of the modded 860 vs my Linn CD12, which shouldn't be hard to find.) The modded 860 is more musical/euphonic than the stock version. I thought the stock version was terrific with detail, but tended to over-emphasize problems with the program material, in a somewhat cold and lean presentation. The mod takes care of that beautifully.

I've A-B'ed the Linn CD12 (which is a great player of course) against the EMM and the Linn against the modded 860, but never did a direct comparison between the modded 860 and the EMM. However, given that my comparisons have common ground in the Linn, I will speculate that there is not much difference between the modded 860 and the EMM. Each extracted more information than the Linn, but presented the information in a manner that was not overly analytical.

Frankly, I would mod your Wadia, and forget about it for another 5 - 10 years. It ought to last...it's built like a tank.

Good listening.

I have owned the meitner seperates (non se) and the wadia 860x with GNSC statement mods and currently own the new meitner one box and the resolution opus 21 with GNSC reference mods with the upgraded ridge street umbilical and IMO you could not go too far wrong with any of these. I imagine different folks, with different tastes and different associated gear would choose between them differently and all would be correct in their choice.