Does Wadia need supratek ?

I am probably the only one on this web site that didn't like the Supratek pre-amp. That being said, I was using an 860x direct for about a year. I bought and waited for over 6 months for a Chardonay (I thinks it is spelled that way). After receiving it I just didn't like it. As a friend said it was "too much of a good thing". But with all of the great reviews that this preamp has received from this forum alone maybe it was just a synergy thing going on with my system. Anyway back to your question, I did/do use a preamp with my 860x, I just perfer the sound of a preamp vs. without. A friend of mine also has a Wadia and he likes it direct using the volumn controle of the Wadia. This is a tough call for you because there just is know way to audition one of the Supratek preamps, but I will tell you this, I sold the Supratek for exactly what I had into it including the duties and shipping. Hope this helps.......

Wadia works best balanced, so would mate to a balanced preamp if you decide to use one. (Syrah isn't truly balanced)

The best thing to do with your Wadia is to set the voltage as low as you can so that the volume stays between 80-100 to get the full resolution. Some people crank the wadia volume, then connect a preamp of some type to get full resolution at any volume, but this just degrades SQ in my book with all the added circuitry in line that just isnt needed. If your trying to get full resolution at much lower listening levels then chances are your not going to be doing critical listening anyway. And if your not having a critical evaluation its going to be 100% impossible to tell a difference of resolution regardless whether its a full 21bits at wide max volume of 16bits at the lower volumes, the ear isnt going to tell. If the Wadia is your only source, dont waste money on a preamp. Use that money to improve other aspects of the system.

I have used the Herron linestage and Thor TA-1000 linestage with great success with the Wadia 861, and I prefer both linestages to the Wadia running direct.

thanks for all answers

Bmotorcykle,
"too much of a good thing".
a like that, now I have too little of everything

Keithr
Wadia works best balanced,
yes, but I have Clayton monoblock they are not balanced too :(

Is there somebody who actually tried and liked Wadia with Supratek more them without ?

I f you are going to use a preamp with a wadia it must be
reference level ie classe omega,levinson 32,krell reference.

Does Supratek need Wadia? No insult meant toward Wadia owners. I am just trying to provoke a little "out-of-the-box" thought. Going direct from DAC to power amp means listening to one less component and one less set of internconnects. That doesn't necessarily mean you are hearing accurate, or transparent, or even realistic sound reproduction. You are still listening to the components in your signal path.

Consider this. It is very difficult for a solid-state output stage to reproduce the musical nuance, prescence, and tone that tubes do so well. FWIW, I have a Supratek Sauvignon preamp and before that I went direct from DAC to power amp. With the Supratek the noise floor of the recordings isn't so obvious but it is still quiet as a SS preamp, no tube rush, and I still have all the detail that I had with no preamp.

It doesn't even have to be a Supratek. First Sound and others make fine tube preamps also. I think your Clayton amps will mate well with a good tube preamp.

I ran my Wadia 860x direct into a VAC 70/70 mk 3 and compared that to the sound with a Supratek Syrah inserted, and the addition of the Syrah was a big improvement. The Wadia just seemed too dry by itself.

People say that this means there must be something wrong with the amp. I don't know... I guess that means the VAC 70/70 is just incapable, or that the Wadia isn't a great preamp...

right...

I think it really just comes down to synergy of components, and you won't really know until you try it out.

Interestingly, after I got a nice turntable, I sold the Wadia, and have been listening to vinyl only. And the Syrah has a great phono stage...

> I think it really just comes down to synergy of components, and you won't really know until you try it out.

Exactly, problem is, one cannot just borrow Supratek and Wadia to check if they need|like each other, so only asking question to knowledgeable people seems reasonable solution.