Comparison Cary 306, Wadia 581, EMM Labs CDSA

Thanks everyone for their input. Still thinking but getting closer to purchase.
Thanks again
Peter

Bauerp, Before this thread got so far off track, I was going to offer something I find myself saying more and more often. If you have not heard Krell lately, you have not heard Krell. I can't think of a brand that has evolved more. Your willingness to accept that "perhaps their sound has changed over the years" puts you at the head of the class. Good luck in your search. Z.

I want a comapny that get's it right the first time.Cary fits that bill.

Dear T, Might wanna read the threads on the first gen 306 SACD player. I too really like this company. Dennis Had is the real deal. I think they bit the bullet pretty good on these first units that all failed. The price then went up 1500 to pay for it. Krell is using parts from their 10,000 SACD player to fix ($4000) SACD Standards. Also pretty cool. NO price increase... Z.

The false accusation/assumption that all CDSA SEs are defective and being recalled needs to be addressed. This is simply, completely untrue. There is no such recall (visit EMM Labs.com). The truth is much less hyperbolic. There have been some issues with noisy and temperamental transports, but it is not a problem with all the units--just some. (A second generation CDSA SE is being introduced later this year that includes a revised, custom-designed and built transport. This is a good example of Mr. Meitner's constant quest for perfection.) The company is very customer responsive and will fix the problem under the warranty's terms and conditions. To claim that EMM Labs' quality control is less than Cary's or Krell's is not only false, it is hurtful. Carelessly disparaging a company's reputation through a post here is bad behavior. Having an opinion is one thing, but throwing out untruths that can cripple sales and damage reputation is reprehensible.

While I agree that anytime you're spending obscene amounts of money for audiophile equipment, it should be absolutely bullet proof and last eleventy billion years with never a problem. Unfortunately, that's a fantasy. Virtually every high-end manufacturer, especially those on the leading edge, experiences design or operating flaws from time to time. What counts is how quickly and easily they respond to problems or issues. (I am a Mac addict, but have learned to suffer through the company's reflex denial of problems with their products, knowing they come around eventually.) I have found EMM Labs--like Pass, Aesthetix, Legacy, Martin Logan, and others--is fantastic when it comes to offering help.

BTW, I own a CDSA SE and have had no issues with the transport.