Ferrum WANDLA - Impressions Thread

[Klabauters]

... Wandla and Wandla HP uses the same motherboard so the all digital to analog conversion is the same in both devices. We even added a feature that turns off the headphone amp section when there is no plug connected to ensure it will not influence to the D/A section when you don’t use headphones. So you will not loose sound quality if you would choose Wandla HP ...

... Part from the answer I received from Ferrum Audio ...

 

[skasundr]

1) Is the hardware-level output voltage adjustment feature still exclusive to only the GoldenSound Edition, or does the standard Wandla now have this feature with the 4.0 board revision (ie. not having to use the volume control to attenuate the output voltage)?

2) If I upgrade a standard Wandla or Wandla HP via the software update to a GoldenSound edition, will the resulting DAC also have the increased digital headroom and hardware level voltage adjustment?

3) If I connect the 2 volt RCA output of another DAC to the RCA analog in on the Wandla, will it output the signal at 10 volts via Wandla’s XLR? If so, does this mean that the Wandla can technically make any DAC into a high voltage DAC?

4) Are the answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 above for the standard Wandla also the same for the Wandla HP?

 

[calypsocat]

Has anyone had a chance to compare A26 (Gustard) with Wandla?
I'm curious especially what is the difference in the midrange - with vocals and instruments.

 

[Pilotter]

Playing TIDAL with Audirvana from my iMac to the Wandla. Should I maximise the bitrate to 24bit, or leave this box unchecked ?

 

[Mike Hanson]

Hi, can anyone confirm if any of the Denefrap DDCs work with the Wandla when using I2S - I have seen someone say the Iris works but not the Hermes which I don’t understand as they share the same I2S pinout. I’m looking to buy the Gaia to convert my USB to I2S for the Wandla but unsure if this will work.

Yes, the Iris works perfectly feeding I²S to the Wandla, and it is definitely a worthwhile improvement over USB (using a RPi4 as the streamer).

Consequently, I purchased a Gaia to support more digital sources in my system. Unexpectedly, it didn't work. Then I found this thread.

I've opened support tickets with both Vinshine and Ferrum. I'll let you know the results of my endeavors.

 

[skasundr]

1) Is the hardware-level output voltage adjustment feature still exclusive to only the GoldenSound Edition, or does the standard Wandla now have this feature with the 4.0 board revision (ie. not having to use the volume control to attenuate the output voltage)?

2) If I upgrade a standard Wandla or Wandla HP via the software update to a GoldenSound edition, will the resulting DAC also have the increased digital headroom and hardware level voltage adjustment?

3) If I connect the 2 volt RCA output of another DAC to the RCA analog in on the Wandla, will it output the signal at 10 volts via Wandla’s XLR? If so, does this mean that the Wandla can technically make any DAC into a high voltage DAC?

4) Are the answers to questions 1, 2, and 3 above for the standard Wandla also the same for the Wandla HP?

From Ferrum:

1. It is not exclusive, right now all Wandla versions manufactured this year have exactly the same hardware. So, all of them have hardware adjustment from RED Book output standard to Pro Audio output standard. The older solution did not provide worse sound quality - we just wanted to introduce a more elegant way to change between two modes.
2. Yes, the higher headroom level is related only to the software, and it is hardware independent. So both Wandla and Wandla HP will have higher digital headroom after installing GSE conversion plugin in them.
3. In case of providing 2Vrms to analogue input and setting analogue input gain to +12dB then you will have even higher signal than digital input can have. It will be around 16Vrms on XLR output (8Vrms on RCA output). If you would like to achieve 9-10Vrms on the XLR output, you have to set analogue input gain to 7-8dB.

 

[Mike Hanson]

Yes, the Iris works perfectly feeding I²S to the Wandla, and it is definitely a worthwhile improvement over USB (using a RPi4 as the streamer).

Consequently, I purchased a Gaia to support more digital sources in my system. Unexpectedly, it didn't work. Then I found this thread.

I've opened support tickets with both Vinshine and Ferrum. I'll let you know the results of my endeavors.

I've heard back from Ferrum. They were aware of the issues with Denafrips DDCs, and were surprised to hear the Iris worked. I've asked them whether they want to borrow one of my Gaias, so they could attempt a resolution with a firmware update. Awaiting a response...

 

[Mike Hanson]

Ferrum just told me they're going to start work on additional I²S compatibility, so hopefully there's a new firmware available in the new year.

I've dealt with them a number of times now (having two Wandla+Hypsos combos myself, and my friend has third). They've always been very responsive and supportive. I wish all companies were so proactive when working with their customers.

 

[Trance_Gott]

I

Ferrum just told me they're going to start work on additional I²S compatibility, so hopefully there's a new firmware available in the new year.

I've dealt with them a number of times now (having two Wandla+Hypsos combos myself, and my friend has third). They've always been very responsive and supportive. I wish all companies were so proactive when working with their customers.

I hope WANDLA GSE works with Rivo Plus over I2S I get one soon...

 

[drkenl]

Ferrum just told me they're going to start work on additional I²S compatibility, so hopefully there's a new firmware available in the new year.

I've dealt with them a number of times now (having two Wandla+Hypsos combos myself, and my friend has third). They've always been very responsive and supportive. I wish all companies were so proactive when working with their customers.

Yes, I have an Iris that works with the Wandla I2S just fine. The Hermes 12th, however, does not work with the Wandla I2S. I hope Ferrum can solve this issue.

 

[GoldenSound]

Yes, I have an Iris that works with the Wandla I2S just fine. The Hermes 12th, however, does not work with the Wandla I2S. I hope Ferrum can solve this issue.

The denafrips Ddcs have adjustable pinout. If you adjust them to the correct pinout it should hopefully work?

 

[Mike Hanson]

The denafrips Ddcs have adjustable pinout. If you adjust them to the correct pinout it should hopefully work?

Unfortunately, it does not. I've tried all the permutations, without success. Ferrum confirmed there were known issues. They've been wonderfully responsive and hopefully can resolve it.

I was originally impressed by the improvement of the Iris/I²S over RPi/USB straight into the Wandla. I'm not sure whether it was the reclocking or the I²S that made things work well, and I was looking forward to even better results using the Gaia.

While waiting for Ferrum to research I²S compatibility, I'm using AES between the Gaia and Wandla.

I'm going to compare Gaia/AES against RPi/USB, to see if it's the reclocking or I²S that makes the Iris better than USB. I'm also going to compare Gaia/AES against Iris/I²S.

FWIW, the Gaia does most things functionally well with AES, but DSD128 and DSD256 are beyond the limitations of S/PDIF. Therefore, even if AES sounds as good as I²S, I need I²S to get full support.

 

[De7mi]

The denafrips Ddcs have adjustable pinout. If you adjust them to the correct pinout it should hopefully work?

What is the pinout I should use when connecting the Wandla and holo red using i2s?

 

[Mike Hanson]

What is the pinout I should use when connecting the Wandla and holo red using i2s?

It's the default 000, which corresponds to the original PS Audio configuration.

Note that it doesn't work yet with the Gaia or Hermes, but Ferrum is going to work on increasing compatibility in the new year.

The Iris and Wandla work already. The Iris' configuration cannot be changed, and happens to be 000.

 

[De7mi]

It's the default 000, which corresponds to the original PS Audio configuration.

Note that it doesn't work yet with the Gaia or Hermes, but Ferrum is going to work on increasing compatibility in the new year.

The Iris and Wandla work already. The Iris' configuration cannot be changed, and happens to be 000..

Awesome thank you.
Love Ferrum and their customer support!