wadia 121 dac

rklpoon

http://www.wadia.com/products/decoding/121/

http://www.audiostream.com/conte ... 21decoding-computer


Seems not many ching playing the above dac, some ching in r33 said street price around $8.3k. At such price level I think of asus xonar essence one muse opamp version and calyx, but not sure of quality and sound characteristics among such three. Welcome any comment, thanks in advance.  

feellikecyber

DSD???????

rklpoon

feellikecyber 發表於 2013-3-25 22:59
DSD???????

Not sure about that as I do not have such files.  No user manual available at wadia web site? Local AV weekly magazine has review (quite favourable) of this dac last issue (mine left at office), have to look it up tomorrow.

feellikecyber

rklpoon 發表於 2013-3-25 23:08
Not sure about that as I do not have such files.  No user manual available at wadia web site? Loca ...

Hi CHing, take your time

CAS2012

I am a user, if you use the stock switching power supply, forget it. Out of the box, it sounds thin, edgy, digital sound.
However, if change the +/- 12v & +5v power supply to a GOOD LPS, it is a charm to play music. The 3D image stands up, Wadia's upsampling is best in playing drum beat.and rock music.
Input is XMOS support Linux 24/192, no need to install driver. Digital volume control of 4v rms output can direct drive power amp, it is a steal.

huangkang

CAS2012 發表於 2013-3-25 12:04
I am a user, if you use the stock switching power supply, forget it. Out of the box, it sounds thin, ...

Where you can buy a good power supply for it?

rklpoon

CAS2012 發表於 2013-3-26 01:04
I am a user, if you use the stock switching power supply, forget it. Out of the box, it sounds thin, ...

oic,thx j

Which lps are you using?

rklpoon

feellikecyber 發表於 2013-3-25 23:11
Hi CHing, take your time

The review only said playing sacd, not sure if that is identical to dsd compatible.

feellikecyber

rklpoon 發表於 2013-3-26 09:15
The review only said playing sacd, not sure if that is identical to dsd compatible.

Thanks CHing.

CAS2012

Wadia 121 does not support DSD files.
My power supply is DIY, 7 pin DIN plug LPS not exist in the market.
Change the LPS for Wadia 121 is a totally different story, it is musical and dynamic, the headphone amp quality is super, for sub 10K DAC, I cannot think of any other option.

CKL

DSD is necessary for a new DAC today.

CAS2012

My opinion is yes and no. Definitely CAS towards high bit and high resolution, but this is not a guarantee to be a good DAC with musical sound. The software player, the DSD player and the sources of DSD files are important. I listen 90% CD format, that is why I choose Wadia 121 at this moment, DSD format is changing so frequent, may be there are DSD64, DSD128, DSD256... For mere $8300, the DAC part, and digital volume using Wadia's own upsampling technique by Wadia is already a steal.

huangkang

Will anyone consider this http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac/dac2-hgc
Benchmark DAC2 HGC???

feellikecyber

Resell value also an other concern

rklpoon

feellikecyber 發表於 2013-3-26 22:53
Resell value also an other concern

Do you mean Wadia 121 dac's resell value is low?

jimmypkh

Poon Sir, I remember you are using SBT as the player. If you are finding a DAC for SBT, you can forgot about the DSD feature because SBT doesn't support DSD anyways. Unless you wanna try the DSD world, you have to change your player as well.

rklpoon

jimmypkh 發表於 2013-3-27 10:48
Poon Sir, I remember you are using SBT as the player. If you are finding a DAC for SBT, you can forg ...

Thank you very much for the information. I think I will not play DSD files for the mid term and I enjoyed using SBT. It is cheap, but it is really convenient as I can use the Android phone to select song while sitting in the couch.

Btw, I connect my Anthem av receiver to the legacy Proceed amp driving my Revel F12  speakers in stereo mode and having the center channel idle.  On switching off the Proceed amp3, current escape/release sound in right speaker has more diminishing hissing sound than the left channel.  This annoyed me and I am afraid that will bring harm to the power amp.  So upgrading to an integrated amp may solve such while upgradjng to an dac which can be use as a pre amp (proceed power amp has both rca and xlr inputs) might improve sound quality(both a fd of mine reminded me such arrangement migbt not sound good due to impedence difference and using a seperate pre amp is recommended) but the hissing sound issue remains. One last thing, my Anthem does not have the "by pass" stereo mode and every non digital input(e.g. rca from dac)will be re-digitalised first and convert into analogue by its internal dac....

jimmypkh

rklpoon 發表於 2013-3-27 13:12
Thank you very much for the information. I think I will not play DSD files for the mid term and I  ...

Poor Sir, so how are you connecting the SBT to Anthem? By RCA, Coaxial, TOSLINK? Have you tried different combination like RCA to Anthem, Coaxial to Anthem, TOSLINK to Anthem; to find out which case has the diminishing hissing sound?

jimmypkh

rklpoon 發表於 2013-3-27 13:12
Thank you very much for the information. I think I will not play DSD files for the mid term and I  ...

BTW, I agree that SBT is very convenient and good.

I've had used it for more than a year as a transport. Though, I've upgraded recently   (Still not DSD) But SBT is good afterall

rklpoon

jimmypkh 發表於 2013-3-27 22:03
Poor Sir, so how are you connecting the SBT to Anthem? By RCA, Coaxial, TOSLINK? Have you tried di ...

Thx. 在公司懶寫中文.

实情係proceed amp3為三声道後級,推前置及中置,睇对冇問題,但聽歌(SBT或CDP)因只用二声道,中置声道閒置,熄power amp 放电(後熄anthem as pre amp)時右声道有明顯"斯呢沙啦声",估係中置声道电容剩餘电流?經右前喇叭放电所致....