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Wadia 170i and Benchmark Dac1 - anyone try it?

I noticed that some Agon members have replaced their CD player with the new Wadia 170i and a dac. I've been look for a transport for my Dac1 to replace the DVD player I'm currently using. I've demoed some CD players acting as transports to the Dac1 and have definitely noticed an improvement in sound especially in the bass over my five year old DVD player. Interestingly my new Sony 350 Blu ray player sounded much worse as a transport (coax) than the cheap Dvd player which cost one fifth as much.

Any feedback on the new Wadia 170i (as compared to other transports) would be welcomed.
adasilva
adasilva OP
57 posts
 
Interesting review on 6moons for the Wadia 170 connected to the DAC1. The reviewer suggests he heard a difference between the Apple Lossless format and full WAV files.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/wadia2/dock.html
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
I don't hear any difference between the source CD played directly from my Playback Designs MPS-5 CD/SACD player and same files in Lossless played through the iPod/Wadia/Playback Designs trio. Perhaps that's due to the upsampling routine of the Playback Designs' DAC, which upsamples both CD and the coax digital input to DSD prior to the analog output.

Dave
teddy_bear
112 posts
 
Dave, maybe you are getting old :)
brianmgrarcom
1,317 posts
 
When I knew I was going the route of using an iPod, I researched the "best" way to store files and I quickly learned that there are many opinions on this. This led me to do a couple comparisons myself comparing AppleLossless, WAV and AIFF. In the end, I could hear no difference between them.

Having done this, I am comfortable in my choice of using Apple Lossless and saving space. If others feel there is a difference, it does not sway me.

FWIW, here are a few quotes...

"As expected, the iTransort sounded like the DAC to which it is connected. I store my music on my iPod using Apple Lossless, which provides perfect bit-for-bit accuracy to the original with about a 40% reduction in storage requirements compared wit uncompressed WAV files. In listening comparisons between the iTransport and the CDs from which the music was ripped, I thought the iTransport had a slight advantage" -- Robert Harley, TAS Issue 186

"...You're actually given 3 options in iTunes---Apple Lossless, WAV and AIFF---which preserve digital files losslessly. Any of these deliver CD-quality music." -- Steven Stone, TAS Issue 183
chrissain
425 posts
 
hi, sorry to pour gas on a fire but I have tried the wadia
and the the cd transport was much better. I was very suprised because all the good buzz about the wadia, however
in the system that I heard it in , it wasnt even close !
this was ripped in apple lossless, and wav might be better
but have not tried wav yet. the system I heard in on consists of revel studio2 ,rogue apollo mono amps, top simmoon pre amp, belcanto dac3 belcanto cd2 as transport.
I guess you will have to try one in your own system to know how the wadia really sounds, good luck, ChrisSain
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