What SPECIFICALLY is better or different about the Wadax Design? How do these design choices manifest in better sound?

Mike Lavigne

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i think i would need to either A/B the new dCS Apex with another dac in a mature system, or have it in my own system, to actually go so far as to see it negatively. unlikely it would be my favorite, but i still respect it as higher level digital. degrees of good i guess is i'm saying. not bad.

PK has it in his system and it's been the 'control reference' for 4 or 5 dac alternatives, i've spoken to him, and he was positive about it.

i heard it in a few systems at Axpona and it sounded promising. but my perspective could be described as incomplete.

just don't care to read all the negative where i don't see it, or hear it. but i respect it's not a preference for some, particularly where vinyl or tubes are the main choices. people who own and like their dCS should be happy i think.
 
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bonzo75

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. but i respect it's not a preference for some, particularly where vinyl or tubes are the main choices. people who own and like their dCS should be happy i think.

Also not a preference for those who do not want to pay for costs of employees located in the UK. Rent, housing, transport costs, parking, and groceries all go in to the final bill. Plus these guys pay loads of tax. So the cost needs to be high even before they add a component into the dac. The bill gives an ownership pride though
 
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Audire

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different people hear things differently.
Mike thanks for your statement here. The statement and your examples helped me reconsider how I state things concerning high-end audio. At this level, I’m thinking it’s more individual preference as opposed to better, best and bad, etc. Thanks.
 
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andromedaaudio

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I heard the Apex in munich plus lots of other DCS set ups at dealers and private set ups over a 15- 20 years timespan.
Of course one can say a show means nothing , its all fine with me

I have never understood why people spoke so highly of all those multi stack high $$$ digital sources .
Mediocre differences if any at all.

My biggest financial mistakes/ disappointments in high end audio have been with digital .
Meaning buying according to reviewers/ mags opinions.

Wadax is a different beast though.
Clarity / solidity a tapelike natural flow .

Afaik you cant even compare the others .
Its like comparing a bentley to a volkswagen golf.
 

Audiophile Bill

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i think i would need to either A/B the new dCS Apex with another dac in a mature system, or have it in my own system, to actually go so far as to see it negatively. unlikely it would be my favorite, but i still respect it as higher level digital. degrees of good i guess is i'm saying. not bad.

PK has it in his system and it's been the 'control reference' for 4 or 5 dac alternatives, i've spoken to him, and he was positive about it.

i heard it in a few systems at Axpona and it sounded promising. but my perspective could be described as incomplete.

just don't care to read all the negative where i don't see it, or hear it. but i respect it's not a preference for some, particularly where vinyl or tubes are the main choices. people who own and like their dCS should be happy i think.

Hi Mike,

Maybe Apex has transformed it - not heard it yet. I have only heard countless Vivaldi stacks in a plethora of systems and never liked any. Also heard the lower lines on countless occasions and also never enjoyed it myself. Not to say others won’t like it. I mean some people go for a very hifi type sound.
 

Audiophile Bill

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I heard the Apex in munich plus lots of other DCS set ups at dealers and private set ups over a 15- 20 years timespan.
Of course one can say a show means nothing , its all fine with me

I have never understood why people spoke so highly of all those multi stack high $$$ digital sources .
Mediocre differences if any at all.

My biggest financial mistakes/ disappointments in high end audio have been with digital .
Meaning buying according to reviewers/ mags opinions.

Wadax is a different beast though.
Clarity / solidity a tapelike natural flow .

Afaik you cant even compare the others .
Its like comparing a bentley to a volkswagen golf.

Interesting data point. Would like to hear the Wadax.
 

Verastarr

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Its a noble act , but i think after 10 years discussion ( and apart from a special Golden ears group ) on WBF we have respectfully concluded everybody hears differently .
So you may win that particular " shoot out " , but in no means win the battle / declare victory
Thanks andromedaaudio. I dont consider it a fight for the win whatsoever. I consider it a listening and demonstration and experience gathering mission. Not only do people hear differently, rooms are different and so are associated rigs. For instance if DAC A is soft sounding, the rig will be tuned to bring detail for balance. If DAC B is transparent and put in the same rig, DAC B will sound forward when its not truly a forward sounding DAC. These are givens and everyone knows this (I hope) .... so its not a fight for the win.. Not sure why everyone wants to put things that way..
 

Verastarr

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I can in real-time compare a high quality master tape played back on a Studer A80 to a Playback Designs A to D that converts to DSDx4 which is then sent via AT&T Glass Fiber to the Playback Designs MPD-8 DAC which converts natively, and the difference is inaudible... between Master Tape and Digital..
I know its not fun to talk about $24K DACs, especially if they reveal the Emperor has no clothes. But the proof is in the pudding. Yeah, it sucks because it ends our conversation and nobody would know what to do with their days any longer..
 

Steve Vu

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Thanks andromedaaudio. I dont consider it a fight for the win whatsoever. I consider it a listening and demonstration and experience gathering mission. Not only do people hear differently, rooms are different and so are associated rigs. For instance if DAC A is soft sounding, the rig will be tuned to bring detail for balance. If DAC B is transparent and put in the same rig, DAC B will sound forward when its not truly a forward sounding DAC. These are givens and everyone knows this (I hope) .... so its not a fight for the win.. Not sure why everyone wants to put things that way..
I wish people can do that in the real world and my house can be tuned to become big like Elon Musk's house.
 

andromedaaudio

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PeterA

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Mike thanks for your statement here. The statement and your examples helped me reconsider how I state things concerning high-end audio. At this level, I’m thinking it’s more individual preference as opposed to better, best and bad, etc. Thanks.

Audire, this is What’s Best Forum. People are very comfortable declaring what they think is best. Often, but not always, there are reasons for the claims.

in time, after things settle, the market can often determine what survives and later becomes coveted.
 
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Audire

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Audire, this is What’s Best Forum. People are very comfortable declaring what they think is best. Often, but not always, there are reasons for the claims.

in time, after things settle, the market can often determine what survives and later becomes coveted.

True. I was merely commenting on how I should state things after this.
 

microstrip

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i think i would need to either A/B the new dCS Apex (...)

The fact that almost any thread on other brands of expensive DACs turns in a dCS Vivaldi thread is the real proof its significance and sound quality. Raveen Bawa, dCS sales director visited our distributor this week - it seems sales are booming after the Apex, although the global chip shortage is slowing deliveries and upgrades.
 

Audiocrack

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The fact that almost any thread on other brands of expensive DACs turns in a dCS Vivaldi thread is the real proof its significance and sound quality. Raveen Bawa, dCS sales director visited our distributor this week - it seems sales are booming after the Apex, although the global chip shortage is slowing deliveries and upgrades.
That is (only) one way to look at it. The other way is that DCS is a very well known (solid state digital) brand that has been producing dacs, (sacd)transports and clocks for many years, including very expensive ones such as their current top of the line Vivaldi stack. It is only quite logical that expensive (solid state digital) gear is compared to each other and as a consequence the Wadax reference components are compared to for example the DCS Vivaldi and the MSB select. In other words, it is saying very little to nothing about the quality as such of the various (digital solid state) components that are being compared to each other.

And just to be sure: I am not saying that the DCS digital gear in general and the Vivaldi stack in particular are ‘bad’ sounding or something like that. I can understand that certain (or even a large number of) audiophiles like (and hopefully love) their DCS products. However, DCS does- as I have stated before - represent imo a different approach to (digital) music reproduction in comparison to the Wadax brand in general and the Wadax reference components in particular, while to my ears the Wadax gear approaches unamplified live music much closer.
 

Audiophile Bill

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I like your new avatar. England is green! It would also be cool to see the wood of your speakers in color.

Is that small box in the middle a F-C power supply?

Yes indeed it is and thanks for the kind comment. On my speaker build thread, there are some photos. I am about 9 coats into the French polishing now so coming on. Away on hols so will resume next week.
 

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