Wadia 170i transport experience?

Sorry Joe, I read three reviews of the AV-10 and no one really talked about it's reclocking ability. Being that it's Nakamichi, I'd expect better than average performance, so I think it's a relatively safe bet. Unfortunately the Wadia does seem to increase jitter, so the problem is likely with more than half the DACs out there.

It's inexpensive enough that I'd recommend buying it new from a supplier with return privileges. If you try it in your system and don't find it great in every way, then return it.

Dave

It sounds like the Wadia will work with your Nakamichi. But my impressions of the Wadia are similar to those of Jab. My DAC is a Northstar M192, which has two digital coax inputs. My intention was to use the Wadia for music and my $170 Oppo 980H universal player for audio while watching DVDs. I am using the same digital cables for each source, Analysis Plus Digital Oval cables, and each source is plugged into the coaxial inputs on the Northstar.

Although I initially liked the Wadia well enough, at this point I have found to my surprise that I prefer music played through the Oppo rather than the Wadia. The Wadia is more convenient, but the sound quality is warm and fuzzy, and lacks a fair amount of detail. Supposedly, the digital signal out of the Wadia has a fair amount of jitter, which may explain my impression. Of course, you can always try to fix this issue with mods or reclocking devices (using a Monarchy DIP for $200 or an Empirical Audio Pace Car for $1800), but then you are starting to talk real money that might be put to better use with a transport. It all depends on how much you value convenience.

Would the wadia just plug straight into the back of the nakamichi via the coaxial cable? I am waffling whether it is worth a $300+ experiment to find out how it sounds. I have spent more than this foolishly at times, but times are alot tighter. Still....? ;)

Joe in Mobile

IMO if you use one with a DAC that reclocks the signal, it'll perform extreemly well. My experience is opposite of that of JAB, my CDP went bye-bye after comparing it to the i170 and my DAC. I'd hate going back to a CDP type setup. To each their own, read the archives, there is myriads of differing opinions. It is 'my' opinion that the i170 gets a bad rap if the setup doesn't work. Hey, maybe my CDP wasn't as good as I think. :)