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Comparing Wadia vs. Meitner

I believe that this represents the pinnacle of CD playback. Jerry, a fellow audiogoner was gracious enough to allow me to audition his broken-in Meitner CDSD / DCC2. In my system, the boxes were switched with mine, so they each had the same cables, power conditioning, power cords, and stand. Both were run directly into the amp without a preamp. My CD playback system includes the Wadia 27ix / 270se with the latest software and full modifications from Great Northern Sound. Also included are Elrod Statement power cords, a Hydra conditioner, and a Mana rack.

In short, I think that these are both excellent units. They are also very different in what they do. In my system, it was easy to distinguish between the two within several minutes. It probably comes down to personal preference in deciding which is best here. I’ll just simply say that I’m keeping the Wadia because I think it is a perfect match for my musical preferences, my system, and what I appreciate in music.

What I love about the Wadia is its ability to convey an (absolutely) astonishing amount of detail without being harsh or fatiguing. Not only is the melody and rhythm imaged with speed and coherence, but you can actually appreciate the musicians technique, the weight and color of the instrument(s), and the ambience of the recording venue. It simply presents a convincing image of a live event. The emotional quality is all there. You can understand what separates a great and (justly) famous professional musician from a pretty good one. Everything is properly proportioned, the soundstage is appropriate and believable, everything is audible, and the background is silent. From complex orchestral pieces and opera, to vocals, to solo instruments, I do not believe there are any weak spots. Again, it simply convinces and fools the mind into believing that you are sitting in front of the performance. I have frequented the concert halls, and I’d hate to say it but sometimes the recording is better.

I think that just about anybody could probably be happy with either of these 2 systems. Of course, curiosity makes us wonder if the grass is greener. I am just very content with where I am right now. I'd invite Jerry to make some comments when he gets a chance.

Rob
rtn1
merge038346
73 posts
 
Celine, I tried to ask the same question about thermal stability days ago. Agree that the Wadia takes 48-72 hours to thermally stabilize and that such stabilization makes a significant audible difference.

Jtinn, I have found the Wadia to sound best at 100 through a very high quality pre-amp. I have never even bothered trying to listen to the Wadia with the output digitally attenuated below 80, as such "is not recommended".
gnsc
42 posts
 
Jtinn,

Beleive me, I'd love to chime in on this too, but lets be real. Your opinion is not without bias, lets face it.

Steve
jtinn
1,124 posts
 
Steve,

Bias or not, the Wadia is not what I would call realistic sounding musically. I have heard many and had two of the 861's with the Statement mods come in on trade. One was the SE and the other was the Standard. While you greatly improve the player, it is still lacking the naturalness, or "analog like" nature that I look for. It is still digital sounding. I have yet to hear of a person going from the EMM Labs to a GNSC Statement Wadia.

I do not want this to escalate to a battle between you and me. I acknowledge the improvement in resolution and clarity from your mods, but it still is not close to my reference... real music.

Again, there are many other digital peices that I do not sell, that I would recommend over the modified Wadia.
gnsc
42 posts
 
Jonathan,

Give me a break and give a little credit for intelligence to all of us here...take your advertising campaign someplace else. Let the end-users speak...you don't need to decide who your competition gets to be....they decide.

Real music...guess you have a lock on how to get there..I might as well give up.

I respect Ed Meitner tremendously, just not sure about his choice in associates for selling it....
rcr
21 posts
 
Very interesting thread, overall the initial contribution of FMPND. The initial post was "Comparing Wadia vs. Meitner" and fmpnd and others compared them and gave us an exhaustive and very helpful information. All that one expect when start a new thread. This is the kind of people that gives value to this place. Fmpnd please, don't stop participating, your opinnions are always very helpful.
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