BAT VKD5 or Wadia 830

I picked a BAT VKD5 over the Wadia 850 (and 6 other contenders). Was able to spend a weekend with both of them in my system and kept going back to the BAT for it's naturalness and musicality. The 850 did have it's strengths however. As far as the Wadia 830 was concerned I dismissed it in less than 5 minutes in the showroom.

You have superb Pre & Amp, don't make a mistake by going with less of a front end. I think you really need to home demo the BAT VKD5 or 5SE and the Wadia 860x or 861. They will all be good contenders but one should prove to be a favorite.

I have a D5SE along with 30SE and vk60. I went from theta (DBII + BasicIIIa + MIT reference cable)to BAT. The BAT has a tube smoothness that's very different from ss. No real experience w/the new Wadia's.
BAT + Cardas can benefit from some solid state edge. I sometimes miss a bit of the Theta solid state balance, though there's a lot to be said for BAT synergy.
Careful auditioning is a must here so that you get the sound balance you desire.
Steve

When obtaining anyone's opinion on Wadia CDPs, make sure to find out if they were using the balanced or unbalanced output of the unit. The Wadias use a fully differential balanced design and are at their best with balanced gear and connections.