Wadia direct into amp, Sound a bit too lean??

I've noticed that although a preamp adds to another link in the chain. Running directly from source to amp (even though some sources have an attenuator) the sound is not as airy and the soundstage seems compressed.

Rob

i have also found that running my Wadia 861 thru my tube pre is much better than running directly into amp. I do not think that Wadia's digital volume is anything to write home about. It does the job of attenuating the sound but i personally do not think that it can provide the soundstage depth & width & height that a really good preamp can. Hence, after comparing w/ tube preamp & direct to amp for several weeks, i setup the system thru the tube preamp & I bypassed the DSP-based volume control (set it to 100). never regretted it one bit!

Another solution to consider is the Musical Fidelity X-10v3 tube buffer stage between CDP and amp. Only works single ended on RCAs though. Adds a little tube warmth. At $399 a lot cheaper than a lot of cables and maybe worth a try.

in trying to tweak your sonic signature you don't mention doing any experimentation with AC cords. Changing cords on the CDP & the amp (not necessarily / probably not using identical AC cords on each unit) you can accomplish a lot more change than you might believe possible. Also you can experiment with many different types of tuning products: shelving, footers, cones, bearings, etc. placed mainly under the source component; although whatever is supporting the amp can certainly also have a significant effect.

Hi Jerry, yes, I too have experienced the same result: thin, bright sound. The soundstage also became slightly compressed with direct mode opeartion. I'm using the Wadia 301 & M/F XP-200 mono blocks. Auditioned a VTL 5.5
tube preamp and the "problem" disappeared! So I bought it! Even though it's another link in the chain, the musical result was very satisfying. All the best, Mark.