Wadia 861 or keep Electrocompaniet mk2

...within the limits explained in the manual.

If you keep the volume control in the range where it has full resolution (approx. 65-100), it is really the best solution. It adds _no_ distortion, unlike an analog pot. which add a bit at all volumes.

So if you can live with only a quite narrow window of volume-adjustment, Wadia's implementation of volume control is superior. If you need to be able to play both very loud and close to silence, then it wont work for you.

For me it works. Critical listening is done from 70 and up, and when played at lower volumes, it's just for background music where I dont care about the reduction in resolution.

Go with the Wadia. I like BAT products and owned a VK50se a couple years back with a ML CDP and Wadia 850, but it is nowhere near as transparant or dynamic as a stand alone Wadia product. This comparison was with an 850 too mind you which is a step down from the current 861 player your looking at. As for the digital resolution. If you like to listen to music at low levels your ears arent going to pick up any theoretical loss of "resolution" regardless. I dont know why some people even bring up that fact as its pretty useless.

This looks like a no brainer. Dump the Preamp and hear what you been missing !!!!!

Wadia....

It does seem like a waste to have a top notch preamp when you only need one source, especially when there are such great direct to amp CD players out there. I'm like you I only listen to CDs and have no need for switching sources. Plus there is the issue of another set of interconnect another power cord and vibration control for two components opposed to one. Wadia players are nice and reliable with great build quality, but I tend to agree with Tireguy, that something like the Audio Aero Capitole Mk 2 is the way to go if you want to go direct. I have owned the Wadia 860x and Capitole 2 (both at the same time for a few months) and did a lot of comparing. The bottom line is that the Capitole sounds best in my opinion. I have never heard a modded by Great Northern Sound Wadia. Wadia in comparison sounds slightly veiled, like there is an electronic edge to the sound, where I would sum up the sound of the Capitole by calling it natural. I would guess that you might be a little put off by the Wadia sound after your BAT/Electo combo, unless of course you are looking for something entirely different.