[elrod-tom]

I dropped off my Wadia 830 recently for "I" and "P" upgrades - I work 10 minutes from their HQ - and had a chance to give a quick listen to their newest CD deck, the Wadia 381.

Shortly after arriving, John Schaffer asked if I had a few minutes to give something a listen. Oh, OK...twist my arm why don't you.

The Wadia 381 is Wadia's newest offering. I'm told that it shares its internal components with the Wadia 581, with the exception of SACD playback. It will of course be available with optional digital inputs, which allows us to make use of a variety of other digital signal sources....including an optional USB input for those of us who are doing serious listening with a computer audio rig.

Now, I should add a cavaet - I've not yet heard it with headphones. In fact, the environment I heard it in (Wadia's listening room) and the system I heard it in (Pass Labs mono amps, Dynaudio Sapphire speakers) surely eclipse anything I'm likely to have in my home in my lifetime. I'm hopeful that we'll have a chance to get back to Wadia for a meet one of these days soon, so that I can experience it in a system I'm more familiar with.

Having said all that, I must say that it sounds terriffic.

The first thing John played for me was a track with kettle drums. I have to tell you, the fine detail and the thump of those kettles was astonishing. The next track was a 24/96 FLAC file of Diana Krall's rendition of "Temptation" that he played off of a CD - it sounded rich, expansive beyond words...it was gorgeous.

Nice product, I thought.

Fast forward a few days, and I find myself at AKFest, a local audio show put on annually by the good folks from Audio Karma in Livonia, MI. I should have more to say about the show in a separate impressions thread at some point. However, I had another chance to give a listen to the 381 in a room with Dynaudio Focus 360's and an Octave tube amp (didn't get the model #...I know, I suck). It sounded fantastic, of course...particularly when I had an opportunity to listen to my new favorite reference track, "Baby Please Don't Go" on the MOFI version of the Cowboy Junkies' Whites Off The Earth Now CD. One thing I noticed right away at Wadia, and also noticed here, is the level of detail that's present...but without a loss in musicality. It's a nice deck, there's no doubt.

I also had a chance to listen to a few tracks using the USB input, and they also sounded great...though it was hard to make any conclusive judgments as I was unfamiliar with most of the tracks we played.

I have one funny story to share:

One thing about going to meets with "serious" audio folks, is that you end up listening to a lot of classical, a lot of jazz, lots of Patricia Barber and Diana Krall. Nothing wrong with that...we need well recorded music to do serious critical listening. That said, I love music for music's sake...and that includes music that, shall we say, doesn't necessarily lend itself to true critical listening.

So at some point, I pull out my newest MOFI CD - Foghat's Fool for the City. I grew up listening to this LP - I can practically see the turntable turning round and round and the Bearsville label in my mind's eye when I listen to the title track. So we put this in, turn it up, and just rock and roll for a while. It was great!! Like me, these guys grew up listening to this stuff...one can only listen to so much Diana Krall.

So we're sitting in this room, cranking out Foghat on these Focus 360's, and just having a great time listening. All of a sudden the door opens up, and closes just as quickly. Then it happens again...and again.

"What's this? This doesn't sound like Patricia Barber!"

One guy actually looked startled...you could practically hear him say "oh dear!" as he quickly closed the door.

Good time!

At any rate, I really liked what I heard so far from the Wadia 381. I'm hopeful that I'll get an opportunity sometime soon to check it out with headphones on, but even still I think I can safely say that it's a very musical, very detailed, and very enjoyable listen. Anyone thinking about a higher end source would do well IMHO to give it strong consideration.

 

[Morph201]

Thanks! Interesting read.... btw, what was going on in that room???

Since the detroit mini-meet, I have been giving Wadia devices a serious look!!

 

[auee]

Good call on the music. When I evaluate a component, I always make sure to mostly play the rock music I primarily listen to including Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Rush, Yes and other such music. If the component does not increase my enjoyment of that music, then there is no reason for me to purchase it. I do not care how it renders the sound of some female vocalist I will never listen to on some audiophile approved recording. That is ultimately irrelevant to my enjoyment of music.

 

[Kclone]

I agree, auee. I listen to mostly pop, rock, indie, post punk and some of the audiophile speakers out there do not do these genres justice. They do well with Jazz and Classical, but they just do not excell at rock.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom /img/forum/go_quote.gif one can only listen to so much Diana Krall.

Amen to that.

Quick search shows 381 restails for $6950

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morph201 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks! Interesting read.... btw, what was going on in that room???

Nothing too crazy. Just 3 guys listening to some great rock on a really great system.

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif Quick search shows 381 restails for $6950

Yes...the Wadia gear isn't inexpensive. I really feel like, for what you get, it's a pretty good value. It's not going to fit everyone's budget though, that much is certain.

Well, there is the pending Wadia 151 DAC, which is supposed to come in at around $1,000 or so. John Schaffer tells me that he's expecting it to be ready sometime this fall. Sounds like it's going to be a very nice value at a price point that a lot more of us can work with.

 

[feckn_eejit]

The only time Patricia Barber or Diana Krall (her husband Mr. Costello is another story...) have been played on my system is when someone else brings it over...........................

I've never heard a Wadia piece but have been interested for years... hope I get to run into one some day!

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom /img/forum/go_quote.gif The next track was a 24/96 FLAC file of Diana Krall's rendition of "Temptation" that he played off of a CD

It supports FLAC directly from a CD? Quote:

It will of course be available with optional digital inputs, which allows us to make use of a variety of other digital signal sources....including an optional USB input

What other digital inputs can it take? Coax? Optical?

Thanks for the info. I'd love to hear a Wadia player some time.

 

[sure1970]

I recently popped into my local dealer and they had the 381 set up with the DartZeel integrated amp and a pair of Rockport speakers. They also had a SimAudio Moon Supernova RS which i compared the 381 to. I had my music with me (some rock, some classical) and i thought i would share my thoughts - though these players were both new, not burnt in, and in a system that i'm not familiar with. I listened to the Wadia first, then the Supernova, then back to the Wadia - same music each time.

The Wadia - first impression was the DETAIL ! Huge soundstage, VERY precise imaging, very crisp (not harsh/brash) sounding player. It made you lean forward to hear the details it was picking it. Typical Wadia IMO.

The Supernova RS - first impression was its musicality....it made you sit back and listen. Bass was fuller than the Wadia, nice soundstage but the imaging wasnt anywhere close to the Wadia. The supernova had a nice midrange - vocals came thru very nicely. I thought i had my pick....but went back to the Wadia.....

Back to the Wadia : on comparism, it isnt that the wadia was less musical, just that the detailing made you listen to the player more than the music. But its easy to sit back and just listen to as well. I was very impressed. I thought the bass was a touch excessive on the Supernova RS (but im not a bass head).

I'm not really in the market, but if i had to choose, i'd have gone with the Wadia - i like the wadia sound, its very detailed but not fatiguing. Both players we very good. I would say the RS had a touch more easy to listen to, whilst the Wadia had the edge on its imaging. Its cheaper than the RS version, and it looks way better too, and the Wadia had multiple digital input options, including USB...(if those things matter).

I am interested to see how either/both sound in my system at home (Wadia 830, Krell KAV400i, B&W 805) - as i did go back home, listen there and think that things werent so shoddy at home either...

 

[wavoman]

IMHO, Wadia is genius with CD/SCAD playback, and DACs. Some folks say there is a treble roll-off, but I think the house sound is magnificent, and so has everyone who has come over and heard my 781i (rock and femal vocals mostly).

I carefully A/B'd it against a Nagra before buying, and vastly preferred the Wadia. It also acts as a stand-alone DAC, and on top of everything can rip SACDs to down-tranlsated LPCM at 88.2 and put that out on S/PDIF for storing on your hard drive.

I A/B'd the Wadia DAC against my own Benchmark DAC-1 and again preferred the Wadia -- did this both with KGSS/007 set-up, and Balanced Beta 22/Balance HD600 set-up.

Something about Saline, Michigan breeds fab engineering, I guess.

 

[nick_charles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavoman /img/forum/go_quote.gif IMHO, Wadia is genius with CD/SCAD playback, and DACs. Some folks say there is a treble roll-off,

Um , it has been measured on several occasions by Stereophile on several different CD/DACs the graphs are in the public domain it is hardly folklore , there is no maybe about it, unless Stereophile are incompetent at measurements ?.

Of course it is at the high end where our hearing is notably far less sensitive so it (in itself) may not (paradoxically) be audible , certainly for anyone in their 40s it may be moot...Personally and this is just personal bias from a personal perspective I would (personally) regard a 3db roll-off at 20K as a technical flaw even if I cannot detect it with my 51 year old ears...but that is just me.

 

[wavoman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick_charles /img/forum/go_quote.gif Um , it has been measured on several occasions ...there is no maybe about it ...technical flaw even if I cannot detect it with my 51 year old ears...but that is just me.

Could you speak louder Nick, I am having trouble hearing you with these 60-year old ears.

Yea I knew about the Wadia measurements (even before I bought it) -- I was being a little coy.

But the proof is in the listening for me. I spent a lot of money on Grado GS1000s and I can't enjoy them because the highs are too strong (for me). Obviously I like the roll-off. Sure I could add my own EQ, and I have tried (I have a pro balanced dbx unit), but the Wadia sounds better than the Benchmark alone, or the Benhmark with the highs EQ'd down.

What can I say? It's my ears. Of course one should audition before buying anything (I did); I would wager there are others out there who would fall in love with the Wadia sound.