Wadia 170i transport experience?

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. :)

I have never used a dac. How would I use it in the setup with my nakamichi? What type of dac?

Joe in Mobile

IMO if you use one with a DAC that reclocks the signal, it'll perform extreemly well.

Jab, this seems to be the key for the i170 unit unfortunately. Perhaps a $400 unit could have done better by using a better receiver rather the one they actually used - quite likely. But as an outsider it's hard to know what the real costs to manuf are for the unit & what sort of royalties are going to Apple.

As for the foolish mods available (and yes I did read the tweekers link, which was time lost)

Jab, This link was provided to you so that you could read all that info & distill from it what the pros & cons of the i170 were, what the inner workings of the unit were & why unit sounded like it did. However, it seems that was a wasted effort because, you, like the other forum member, couldn't get past the thread heading. It looks like that info went above your head - because if you had actually assimilated it you would not have bought the i170 to use in your particular system. It was clear (to me atleast) that you would be met with mediocre results, which you were.
And, when it's your incompetence you go & blame the product, suggest that the 2nd iteration will solve the issue, etc! Yes, the product is flawed (& that was described in that link in great details) & there is a way to use it (unless you are willing to live with the compromised sound & many area) such that you get better sonics.
What's the point of posting on a forum when you cannot comprehend & assimilate the info that is being given to you?? You are wasting your time & the forum members'.