[TreAdidas]

This is a new DAC from Wadia. According to the Stereophile blog (click on image) there is a headphone amp by Ray Samuels.

Looks like there are choices a plenty in the $1K DAC arena.

 

[dmashta]

$500 more for the built-in amp. I wonder how much better, or not, the amp section is compared to Ray's other portable offerings.

 

[paaj]

looks interesting, isn't the iPod transport silvery grey? or will there be more colors?
would be cool if they also offer a headphone amp in the same size/design instead of a built-in RSA.

 

[dmashta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif looks interesting, isn't the iPod transport silvery grey? or will there be more colors? would be cool if they also offer a headphone amp in the same size/design instead of a built-in RSA.

heard they will be offering the itransport in black as well.

 

[progo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreAdidas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looks like there are choices a plenty in the $1K DAC arena.

What? Is it going to be in the $1K price class? Hot damn, I take two.
Edit: Oh yes, it is going to be. Read about it yesterday but I focused to the mistyped Ray Samuals.

 

[TreAdidas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmashta /img/forum/go_quote.gif $500 more for the built-in amp. I wonder how much better, or not, the amp section is compared to Ray's other portable offerings.

My thoughts exactly. If you're looking into a DAC/Amp combo, it would be worth considering getting a $1000 DAC and a $500 portable. Thinking SR-71A at $450.

To me, the Ray Samuels designed headphone amp was just icing. I'm more interested in seeing how all of these $1,000 - $1,500 DACs pan out.

So I'm thinking Ray will have one at Can Jam so I can hear it.

 

[mrarroyo]

I have been wanting to get an Wadia iTransport for the office. So now that I can get a DAC from them in the same form factor I better start saving for the $2,000 expenditure. At least I have 6 months to save up.

 

[panda]

that's too bad they sold out. the wadia lineage has been quite good and now they're tainting it by mixing. at least it's just an option.

 

[jinp6301]

I wonder why they didnt design a headphone amp themselves. I'm pretty sure wadia could design a pretty good headphone amp

 

[TreAdidas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by panda /img/forum/go_quote.gif that's too bad they sold out. the wadia lineage has been quite good and now they're tainting it by mixing. at least it's just an option.

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Do you mean by integrating the headphone amp they're tainting it? If so why do you think that?

 

[Rico67]

It sounds like wadia become an integrator...
B&O have more style.

Hope it's False !

 

[panda]

for starters i dont think rsa amps sound all that good, plus they have different signatures, why wouldnt they design their own circuit? i'm assuming they're trying to bait head-fiers who are rsa fanboys to go out and buy a wadia dac now with this marketing ploy.

 

[frozenice]

Wouldn't it make more sense if the amp section was derived on one of his home amps like the HR-2 - it looks like there should be enough room for that size of circuit board in there.

 

[wavoman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It sounds like wadia become an integrator... B&O have more style...

In a sense Wadia has always been an "integrator", they didn't build their own CD transport, just OEM'd it. But the results are fantastic, Wadia >> B&O any day (I have CDPs from each of them and have done a direct A/B of Line Out from each, to the same amp for a valid comparison).

Clearly you stack the iTransport on top of the DAC, the rubber spike feet of the iTransport fitting perfectly into the holes on the top of the DAC corner pieces (the iTransport has the same holes, strange, since obviously it has to be on the top).

If the HP amp were a third box the stack would be too much, so they put an amp inside as an option -- the Benchmark DAC-1 (competition) has one of course. To A/B the Benchmark's HP out vs a RSA amp, I used my Predator.

So, CDP S/PDIF --> Benchmark --> RCA out --> Converter Cable --> Predator vs directly listening to Benchmark. I used AT AD2K's and Doors "People are Strange". I heard no difference. To be sure I had not gone deaf, I then tried my Beta 22 and indeed heard sharper transients and better overall dynamics and range, pretty obvious. But the Predator is equal, or slightly better perhaps, than HP out of Benchmark. (I know there are modders who improve HP out on Benchmark but mine is stock).

So let's not count this embedded HP amp out yet. Wadia is known for digital audio engineering, straight up amplification may not be a design strength, who knows. I applaud what they did!

BTW -- I know no one will believe me, but listen someday if you can -- the beyerdynamic HeadZone with the surround-sound and headtracking stuff turned totally off becomes an amazing compact one-box slick looking DAC + HP AMP combo with fantastic SQ. I let others listen at the NJ meet and people agreed. I didn't try it in this A/B experiment, but when I am less lazy I will.

Having said all this, for my office desktop system I now use the iTransport into a moodlab DAC then into a Head-Direct EF-1. If I replace the moodlab DAC with the Wadia DAC (which I will, just to stack them, and because the Wadia DAC in my Waida CDP is so damn good), I will not get the RSA HP amp option, even though I like the Predator, because nothing will beat the EF-1 in this size category. Even more so after I do the HiFlight (fanastic Head-Fi'er!) mod to it, which I am about to do. The tube glow starts conversation at the office flowing, allowing me to win more converts to the high end.

 

[Headphony]

Looks interesting. RSA amps are known to impart their own sound to the source, perhaps moreso than some other amps. Really curious to see how that plays out in this implementation.