Wadia CD players direct to power amps opinions

I am really enjoying the Wadia direct to my Audio Valve Tube amps and the if you wanted to add additional digital devices to take advantage of the high quality DAC’s you can. The benefit of the iSE version is built in pre amp with a truely highend CD/SACD player and 4 additional digital inputs which can accept signal's up to 96kHz, the disadvantage is you are limited

1. ST Glass Fiber Optic (possible the best for digital)
2. S/PDIF (BNC)
3. TOSLINK (MAYBE THE WORST)
4. AES/EBU (XLR)

You only have (1) of each. But hey it works, you put your money into a 1st class CD/SACD player with built in pre amp and it is very good high-end system. I know the are others whom may disagree but hey that is why there are so many other manufacturers to choose from you just buy into there pholiscy and what your ears perceive to be “THE LIVE EVENT” that we are all attempting to get as close to as possible.

wadia is the hyper detail style of cdp and nothing wrong with that if it's your taste...mine tends toward an analogue presentation....I have owned wadia...fine gear.
Larry

I don't know how the Wadia pre works, but there are only two ways which it can work:

- as a digital pre. This is definitely inferior to an analog pre, because it throws bits away, compresses dynamic range, and brings the signal closer to the noise floor. I have heard the effect of digital pre's and let me tell you it is not pretty.

- as an analog pre. The DAC outputs its full signal into a conventional analog preamp. The question then arises - if you are going to run the digital signal through an analog preamp, then why bother using the Wadia as an analog pre? You lose the advantages and flexibility of having a seperate pre. Why not just take the signal from the DAC and use a seperate pre?

People who might argue that the one box solution is "simpler" may as well argue that integrated amps are better than pre-power amps. A DAC with volume control integrates the analog pre to the DAC, in the same way that an integrated amplifier integrates the pre to the power amp.

I am currently running direct and have found that the level matching (out of the Wadia with dither switches) is most ctirical for proper sound.I have tried a Bent audio passive but found a loss of transparency, images were smaller and less defined. Dynamics lost the leading edge and didn't carry the same foundation of the music that I was familar with.My friends all run (GNSC Wadia 16ise & 27/2000s)&(VD resonance control ) source direct and have found similar results running into Sim W-5LE's.I do think that a good tube amp would round things out but may also limit the natural transparentness of the system.Every system is different and the listners preferences also come into play, giving us a multiplicity ( that was almost painful!!) of systems. Take care Dennis

My system wadia 302 and quad II forty with direct connection; very clean and natural. I have tried through pre, but it is getting worse; I might need much more expensive pre to beat the direct option.