Wadia 861

Mejames: How much did the GNSC mod cost? Also, do you know how many mods are available from GNSC and the range in prices? Thanks.

believe the statement modification is $3300
the less substantial reference modification is $1850
I believe their is a standard modification for ? $ also

Well,,,,,,,

I have changed my opinion somewhat on the Wadia 861! I actually bought one despite my ho-hum to negative comments on it (vs. the Gryphon Adagio)!

Since I bought this player, I've had it on 24/7 & got a chance to take it over to a friend's place to compare to his Sony SA-777ES SACD player.

I'm using the 861 in algorithm B with the stock power cord. We max'd out the digital volume (bypass mode) & fed the analog out to his Spectral DMC20 2-chassis pre. The pre fed his Plinius SA-250 (used in class-A mode only) & that fed his N804 speakers.

Both the owner & I unanimously claimed that the 861 handily beat the Sony 777ES in BOTH redbook & SACD modes. I.E. the same hybrid SACD when played in the 861 sounded better than when it was played in SACD mode in the Sony 777ES. The 777ES redbook mode was far below the 861 redbook mode & the Sony turned out to be too bright.

Could be that the 861 is a better player? or, that the hybrid SACD was not well made? or, only algorithm B is better than the Sony & algo A, C are worse? or, my mind is playing tricks on me?

It was an Alison Krauss "New Favourite" hybrid SACD, which I was told was a DSD recording for the SACD.
We played several other CDs - Simply Red, SRV "The Sky is Crying", Grateful Dead to name a few.

I was *not* expecting the 861 to sound better than SACD after hearing all the news/talk/hype on SACD. I'm still in a bit of disbelief! Could this really have happened???

The Gryphon Adagio might still be better than the 861 but I now feel that that owner didn't give this CD player a fair chance. Maybe, at that time, we should have done the Adagio-861 comparison using algo B (instead of A)? Also, he had the 861 on for 1 hour before I arrived for the listening session. I know that Wadia recomends 72 hrs before critical listening.

IMHO. FWIW. YMMV.

I'm not surprised at all, actually I feel relief.
I had similar experience to but with lower level equipment.
I have bought SONY DVP S9000ES as replacement to my 7 years old cdp Arcam ALPHA 6. It was supposed to be so good!
And cheap (300-400USD) Arcam beats SONY in SACD mode easily too. Even my wife can hear that. SONY is so unmusical.
So good to hear that I not alone. So I loose interest in SACD for a while.

The key to making any of the Wadia players or seperates sound better is to max the digital volume control and run the Wadia into a preamp. The output section of the Wadia SUCKS!! You, at first, think you a hearing an increase in detail and clarity, when, in fact, you're hearing a "Skeletal" presentation. It is devoid of meat, muscle, fat and color. I spent years screwing around with cable changes with a GNSC modded 270/27 combo and only when I ran it thru a preamp did it begin to sound listenable- for longer than 20 minutes. Ultimately, the EMM LABS gear- modified Philips SACD 1000 and DAC 6 make the make ANY of the Wadia gear, including GNSC modified pieces sound Primitive, if not Broken!