Wadax Reference Dac and Server arrive

[Mike Lavigne]

Can't help wondering:

Change gear = change underwear

Detailed fine-tuning of set-up = shifting positions of the anatomy?

i think any time you change little or big things one has to be skeptical.......that change might only be (1) different.....not better necessarily.......or (2) a placebo.....in your mind. how do you know you have actually moved forward? or even actually moved somewhere from where you were?

sometimes that change is not something you can easily remove and try the alternative without. for instance if you only have one amplifier. or one set of speakers. one turntable or one digital player. it's why i sometimes go to great lengths and effort to bring in alternatives for head to head. or own multiple tt's, arms, cartridges, phono's, tape decks, etc, etc. it's a lot of effort to 'know' stuff.....for your own self. then there is 'proving' to others' which is a not a real world thing to do. you can try to prove things FOR others to give others info a degree, but never to prove it TO others. the others you NEED to prove it to, are mostly not interested in your proving.

other times you can throw a switch, unplug something, or try the alternative, and easily check your earlier perceptions. or even have familiar visitors give you feedback. so you have choices. specifically these Nordost QRT products are absolutely in this category. and i plan on this approach for these.

and not all systems are equally transparent or sensitive to a particular piece of gear, nor all listeners equal, nor all references equally as solid. or track record of identifying real progress equally credible.

and......with changes you need to sometimes step back and check your degree of enjoyment and satisfaction......was......it.....worth.....it? or did you just stir it around a little and bleed money? we can only do our own thing on that subject. is it more fun to listen? am i more excited and involved? did i get my ROI? that's personal.

i try to be 'self-aware' of the context of things i do. with my level of commitment it's big for me.

so i respect a degree of denial and skepticism. part of the hobby. normal stuff. many think it and some post about it. and as i'm always pushing new things it comes with the territory. and why i mostly point out no absolutes, YMMV, and "to my ears in my system".

 

[Mike Lavigne]

with my business traveling, this is my first day off in 3 weeks. as is my Sunday morning custom, i'm doing baroque music, while SWMBO is making brunch, which for me mostly is string quartets or quintets; and always it has been vinyl. today i am fully gobsmacked by streaming digital, Trio Arnold doing a 96/24 Beethoven TrIo (Op.9) on Quboz.

musically this really touches me and is alive, harmonically and timbrally rich, and so sonorous. it's light on it's feet, and yet powerful and propulsive, and just the right tension. it radiates energy. intimate and immersive. good to be home.

 

[jeromelang]

i think any time you change little or big things one has to be skeptical.......that change might only be (1) different.....not better necessarily.......or (2) a placebo.....in your mind. how do you know you have actually moved forward? or even actually moved somewhere from where you were?

sometimes that change is not something you can easily remove and try the alternative without. for instance if you only have one amplifier. or one set of speakers. one turntable or one digital player. it's why i sometimes go to great lengths and effort to bring in alternatives for head to head. or own multiple tt's, arms, cartridges, phono's, tape decks, etc, etc. it's a lot of effort to 'know' stuff.....for your own self. then there is 'proving' to others' which is a not a real world thing to do. you can try to prove things FOR others to give others info a degree, but never to prove it TO others. the others you NEED to prove it to, are mostly not interested in your proving.

other times you can throw a switch, unplug something, or try the alternative, and easily check your earlier perceptions. or even have familiar visitors give you feedback. so you have choices. specifically these Nordost QRT products are absolutely in this category. and i plan on this approach for these.

and not all systems are equally transparent or sensitive to a particular piece of gear, nor all listeners equal, nor all references equally as solid. or track record of identifying real progress equally credible.

and......with changes you need to sometimes step back and check your degree of enjoyment and satisfaction......was......it.....worth.....it? or did you just stir it around a little and bleed money? we can only do our own thing on that subject. is it more fun to listen? am i more excited and involved? did i get my ROI? that's personal.

i try to be 'self-aware' of the context of things i do. with my level of commitment it's big for me.

so i respect a degree of denial and skepticism. part of the hobby. normal stuff. many think it and some post about it. and as i'm always pushing new things it comes with the territory. and why i mostly point out no absolutes, YMMV, and "to my ears in my system".

It's all very well going the extra mile in the effort to determine the efficacy of any sonic tweakings. One just need to keep in mind that in nearly all forms of music media playback, be it digital optical disc, digital files and analog discs, there will always be sonic differences when the same track is playback again immediately afterwards, without some form of "refreshing" in between.

 

[Elliot G.]

 

[Elliot G.]

 

[Elliot G.]

Norm Varney made these custom EVP platforms to sit under my Wadax system. I also have a set of RevOpods for the Wadax but decided to try these first since they are significantly easier to install and I don't have much help available today. I do want to try both products and see what happens so I am going to live with this for a week or two and then switch to the other product.

 

[Lee]

Norm Varney made these custom EVP platforms to sit under my Wadax system. I also have a set of RevOpods for the Wadax but decided to try these first since they are significantly easier to install and I don't have much help available today. I do want to try both products and see what happens so I am going to live with this for a week or two and then switch to the other product.

What are your initial impressions about any sound quality changes?

 

[QuadDiffuser]

The MSB Select II DAC stack has been anointed as the BEST, by Jay.
Curious to see whether he’ll have the chance to audition and compare the Wadax stack?

 

[howiebrou]

The MSB Select II DAC stack has been anointed as the BEST, by Jay.
Curious to see whether he’ll have the chance to audition and compare the Wadax stack?

He'll have a new best ever component next week...

 

[PeterA]

I wonder if this used to belong to Mike L. I think his unit ended up with Elliot for sale. Elliot and Jay are both in Florida. If that is the case, Jay would certainly have been able to compare the MSB to the Wadax at Elliot‘s place. Of course this is all speculation.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I wonder if this used to belong to Mike L. I think his unit ended up with Elliot for sale. Elliot and Jay are both in Florida. If that is the case, Jay would certainly have been able to compare the MSB to the Wadax at Elliot‘s place. Of course this is all speculation.

i happen to know that my MSB is not that mystery product; not because i know or care what that ??? is , but because i know where mine went.

it still might be an MSB Select II, as it fits the $$$ target represented, and the space under the cover. and the used value makes access to the retail value number relatively painless. the Select II is an outstanding performer and he could choose much worse.

got to give Jay a little credit for the gamesmanship.

it's ALL about clicks and likes.

edit---i did see that Jay DID unveil his choice, it IS an MSB Select II, but not black like mine was. i think it's a very nice choice and should be a good source for his system building efforts, and can go direct to many of the amps he might try, as well as be used as a preamp for other sources.

 

[Gregadd]

The most important link in the chain is the weakest one. That's where the chain will break

 

[rbbert]

View attachment 90949

"Now listening to QoBuz". "MQA 48".

 

[Elliot G.]

PeterA said:
I wonder if this used to belong to Mike L. I think his unit ended up with Elliot for sale. Elliot and Jay are both in Florida. If that is the case, Jay would certainly have been able to compare the MSB to the Wadax at Elliot‘s place. Of course this is all speculation.

That did not happen BTW. I do know him but that's all I wish to say about that.

 

[PeterA]

PeterA said:
I wonder if this used to belong to Mike L. I think his unit ended up with Elliot for sale. Elliot and Jay are both in Florida. If that is the case, Jay would certainly have been able to compare the MSB to the Wadax at Elliot‘s place. Of course this is all speculation.

That did not happen BTW. I do know him but that's all I wish to say about that.

thanks Elliot. Just to guess on my part.

 

[bryans]

If you look at the YouTube Jay's MSB is silver. Wasn't Mike's Black? Also good for him in that he likes the MSB. Besides he isn't saying anything I haven't heard on WBF. Many people purchase a product and think it is the best thing they have heard or had in their system. I know I have done that before

 

[Kingrex]

I find it funny 4 months or so ago I said I talked to Jay on the phone and he helped me to decide on the Dartzeel. Did I ever get flack. And here people are posting he got the MSB.

 

[Gregadd]

I don't have a dog in this fight. Did he not say in the video(7:00"), he ordered his and they took thirty days to build it?

 

[Elliot G.]

For anyone that is interested there will be at least two Wadax Reference DACS at the Axpona show this year. We will be showing the entire reference system server/optical/dac in the Bending Wave USA room along with Göbel Divin Marquis and Ch Precision 10 series electronics.
We will be digital only this year.

 

[Alrainbow]

For anyone that is interested there will be at least two Wadax Reference DACS at the Axpona show this year. We will be showing the entire reference system server/optical/dac in the Bending Wave USA room along with Göbel Divin Marquis and Ch Precision 10 series electronics.
We will be digital only this year.

Im glad digital at this level does not need to compared to analog