I didn't know where to post this and didn't want to hijack an existing thread, so I decided to start one.
Recently, a friend of mine was kind enough to pass along a small portion of his considerable knowledge and experience, and in doing so casually threw down a gauntlet: compare a 20+ year old DAC from the late 90’s with my beloved Soulution 560 as well as my recently acquired Mola Mola Tambaqui. I confidently accepted his challenge assuming there was no possible way a DAC that old could compete with modern design, components and performance. I was technically right in couple of areas. But so very, very wrong in so many others. The DAC is question was a Wadia 27ix v3.0.
I’m still fairly new to this hobby and I had never heard of Wadia. It turns out they were one of the very first companies, and almost certainly the best, to focus on digital audio reproduction back in the late 1980's. They remained among the best in the business until the mid-to-late 90's when Wadia began to suffer from poor direction and mismanagement. The meandering continued until they were finally sold in 2000, again in 2011, then for the last time in 2019, after which they were completely liquidated. The Wadia name is now dead and gone, but after the sale(s), some of the engineers responsible for driving many of the innovations at Wadia defected to what is now McIntosh (yep...this one:
https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/). A couple others started another company, Exogal, that recently shut it's doors just over a month ago. Quite sad really as many of these folks will go down as some of the best and most pioneering audio engineers ever.
Right. History lesson over. Back in the late 90's, the 27ix DAC + 270SE CD player combo retailed for around 25k (approx. 43k today) and I fully understand why. This DAC is a perfect example of the not-so-subtle differences between "Real-Fi" music
reproduction and “Hi-Fi” music
representation. I finally understand why so many older audio purists consider many of the old Burr Brown DAC chips like the 63, 1702 and 1704k to be the absolute pinnacle of "ladder" style chip performance. The 27ix has eight 1702 chips that make music sound so incredibly authentic, engaging, life-like, dynamic, musical and
supremely addicting. The 27ix just begs you to keep listening. For example, three hours just flew by like 10 minutes. Multiple playlists were devoured. Multiple genres drawn and loosed. And here I sit...typing this diatribe while desperately searching for another vein in which to push the Wadia needle. This is the only headphone system I've ever experienced that has gotten me out of my chair dancing with headphones on. The sound out of this setup is so highly textured, liquid and musical that you could pour it into a glass (as my friend likes to say). It is a legitimate tragedy that whatever voodoo Wadia put in this thing isn't regularly reproduced in modern gear at a reasonable price (none that I've ever heard anyway).
I ultimately chose the 27ix over the $43,000 Soulution 560, despite the 560 wrecking the 27ix in raw performance, resolution and clarity (while also being the better overall DAC in my opinion). The 27ix is just so much more musically engaging and addictive to my ears and makes the 560 sound slightly "dead" by comparison. The Mola Mola Tambaqui wasn't a particularly close rival either, save for the usual "Hi-Fi" tropes of ridiculous levels of detail combined with a digitally manufactured sense of "analog" sound. For the record, the MMT will absolutely give you one of the best digital renditions of "analog" sound you can get at it's price point, but it doesn't sound even remotely as natural, balanced, textured, liquid, engaging or addictive as the 27ix.
If you want to squeeze every last drop of detail and bit of resolution out of music, the 27ix probably isn't for you (though it is still highly resolving when paired with modern high-end gear). On the other hand, if you want your wife to divorce you because you installed a toilet in your listening room so you never have to leave, the 27ix (along with some of the other older Wadia DACs like the 9, 15, 25, 27, 27i, and 931) should be very high on your list. Many of these older Wadias aren't as handicapped as you might think. Quite the opposite actually. Many of them absolutely dunk on the majority of DACs produced today. The words "musically addictive" would be a gross understatement. These DACs are filled with some sort of ruthlessly addictive musical crack that will always leave you "Jonesing" for another hit. You'll think it about it at work. You'll think about it at dinner. You think about it in the shower. You'll make bizarre self-compromises and excuses so you can listen to, "just one more song...". It really is
that addicting (it was for me anyway). Try one and let your ears decide. Just be warned - some of these older DACs, especially the Wadia 27ix, could end up shattering your will, right along with your preconceived notions of what a truly great DAC sounds like. You have been warned.
Lastly, for any Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC owners out there, the 27ix did something very similar to the WA33: it gently breathed the soul of music in to TCs. Using the
HIFIMAN Susvaras on this setup did unspeakable things to my brain that may or may not have triggered an unscheduled cleaning of both the front and back of my pants.
-lj
The MSB Discrete was also quite good, but I would personally take the Soulution 560 over the MSB Discrete and the Wadia 27ix over both, despite the 560 and Discrete wiping the floor with the 27ix in almost every way save for musicality and engagement. As for the Chord Dave, it is an excellent "Hi-Fi" DAC, especially with upgraded power supplies. It is an incredibly well resolving detail monster, but sounds a bit fake, harsh and "digital" to my ears. It is a very "exciting" DAC, but I prefer a much less "enhanced" and more true-to-life musical and engaging sound. That doesn't mean the Dave is bad at all. It just doesn't match my preferences and please keep in mind that my preferences won't necessarily match yours.
