Wadia iTransport iPod Dock Gets Bit-Perfect Digital from iPods! - Page 26 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

elrod-tom · #**376** (**permalink**) 07-14-2008, 08:54 PM

Wadia does digital IMHO better than anything else I've heard. If they were to take something along the lines of their old 830/301/302 without the expense of transport and casework, and sell it for a reasonable (for what you get) price, I'm thinking it would be quite a product.

penger · #**377** (**permalink**) 07-15-2008, 08:49 PM

I emailed Wadia, and the rep did confirm that something is in the works and that they are trying to keep it under $1000. He mentioned it might be released at the end of the year, but my guess is early next year.

He was not able to provide me with any other additional details.

SleepyOne · #**378** (**permalink**) 07-15-2008, 11:46 PM

Interesting, I wonder will wadia really going for Benchmark, Larvey territory or going for something cheaper to avoid the fight. I got a feeling the letter is more likely. However, if they do go the challenging option, it will be very exciting news indeed!

spraggih · #**379** (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 12:40 AM

yes coming after the Stellos and Lavrys of the world is scary.

Also at the $1,000+ price point they would be competing with network media/audio servers because anyone with over $1,000+ to spend on a transport and DAC might be willing to spend $500+ more on a network server that supposedly ends the transport dilemma by transferring the data via ethernet/Cat5 cable or wi-fi.

But as said, 'exciting news indeed!'
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Champ04 · #**380** (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penger

I emailed Wadia, and the rep did confirm that something is in the works and that they are trying to keep it under $1000. He mentioned it might be released at the end of the year, but my guess is early next year.

Despite how much I like them. Given history I'd put my money on sometime in 2010.

penger · #**381** (**permalink**) 07-16-2008, 07:46 PM

I'd say your guess is as good as any. Perfectionists they are.

mrarroyo · #**382** (**permalink**) 08-14-2008, 12:19 AM

Just in case this has not been posted.

Playback - August 2008

lisnalee · #**383** (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 11:28 AM

Has anyone managed to source one of these from the UK?

I've tried a few places but no one has them in stock and wont' be getting them in for at least 3/4 weeks.

SleepyOne · #**384** (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 12:17 PM

Yes, I got mine as soon as it was released - for once UK actually has stock same time as USA and before a lot of other countries! Try Guildford Audio, an authorised Wadia dealer:

Item Details

The only bad news is price, which is double comparing to USA, but you do get a warranty as a consolation.

lisnalee · #**385** (**permalink**) 08-18-2008, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepyOne

Yes, I got mine as soon as it was released - for once UK actually has stock same time as USA and before a lot of other countries! Try Guildford Audio, an authorised Wadia dealer:

Item Details

The only bad news is price, which is double comparing to USA, but you do get a warranty as a consolation.

Thanks for the link, I spoke to Trevor this evening and ordered one.

The price is very steep compared to across the water, but as you say the warranty is a big plus as well as not having to fill the customs & excise pockets.

SleepyOne · #**386** (**permalink**) 08-19-2008, 09:41 AM

Well enjoy!

By the way, the burn in time for itransport is around 2 weeks (depending on usage) just to let you know.

lisnalee · #**387** (**permalink**) 08-20-2008, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepyOne

Well enjoy!

By the way, the burn in time for itransport is around 2 weeks (depending on usage) just to let you know.

Thanks for the heads-up. Now i just need to get a 160gb ipod and i'll be sorted

lisnalee · #**388** (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 10:30 AM

The wadia arrived on sat and i have to say i'm very impressed with it so far.

I am definitely getting a lot more low end detail now, than i was when using optical from the mac.

At the minute i'm using an old $30 ixos 75 ohm cable i had from years back. I was wondering if anyone has found an improvemnent in using a high end digital cable. I know there a lot of opinions of digital is digital and so there no difference but i'd hate for the cheap cable to be a bottle neck in the system.

SleepyOne · #**389** (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 02:06 PM

You could consider Stereovox XV2 (£99 free delivery). Takes 2-3 weeks to run in.

Stereovox XV2 digital interconnectl cable - High end cable

HeadphoneAddict · #**390** (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisnalee

The wadia arrived on sat and i have to say i'm very impressed with it so far.

I am definitely getting a lot more low end detail now, than i was when using optical from the mac.

I took half an hour composing this reply so it wouldn't look terribly insulting or as a challenge to you, but I can't seem to make it sound as diplomatic as I feel. Another career that I need to avoid... Sorry. I hope you understand, I really want to know why you would observe what you have. perhaps you meant to say "low-level" detail and not "low-end" detail?

I'm not trying to "bust your chops here" with my post, but I really find this confusing. If you are using digital out from Mac vs digital out from Wadia, with the same source files and the same external DAC, I don't understand how that is possible to get more low-end detail. Not unless your optical cable out of Mac is dropping data bits vs the $30 coax which is not, which can happen because my understanding is that digital-audio is one-way and does not use checksums to guarantee bit perfect like with hard drive data and such.

But, I always thought your digital cable would have to be exceptionally bad for dropped data bits to happen. I would expect dropped data-bits to similarly decrease the resolution in the high-end more than the low-end. I would guess that since low freq are longer sound waves, that there are more data points captured at 44.1Khz and losing one or two data points to a cable should have less effect in the low-end vs high-end. I am not an expert, so I welcome anyone's feedback about this phenomenon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisnalee

At the minute i'm using an old $30 ixos 75 ohm cable i had from years back. I was wondering if anyone has found an improvemnent in using a high end digital cable. I know there a lot of opinions of digital is digital and so there no difference but i'd hate for the cheap cable to be a bottle neck in the system.

I'd be interested in knowing what others have found too. I have just started trying to do some comparisons with optical input into my Apogee mini-DAC with a generic $6 cable vs a $35 sysconcept.ca made optical cable, then switching to a $60 silver plated digital coax cable vs my $250 Synergistic Research Coax with active powered shielding to see if they make a difference - but it could take me a while, so in the meantime I'm all ears (pun intended). I will also look at unplugging the power to my Synergistic Research cable and plugging it back in to see if I hear a difference, but my understanding is the change with "power or not" will be more audible if I have a lot of electrical interference in my environment.

The problem with doing this digital cable test on the Apogee is that I can't turn up-sampling off, so it will be very hard hard to hear the changes. The Apogee sounds about the same with a 16/44.1 USB input as it does feeding it a 24/96 optical signal. I might have to do it with my Headroom Micro DAC instead, but I don't have a coax adapter to fit the Micro DAC 3.5 mm input.