2. digital
  3. 1165194265

Wadia 861se with GNS vs Esoteric or Emm players

Hello, I'm ready to send my Wadia 861se to Great Northern Sound in the next month for their Reference upgrade. Would I be better off selling the 861se and finding a used Esoteric X-01 or Emm Labs transport&dac. Having SACD might be kind of nice. Has anyone compared these three? Thanks! Stan
talon4
btstrg
185 posts
 
Why not try the new Wadia 581 it is SACD.
Steve at GNS told me last week that it is the best player Wadia has made to date.
Also there is a Statement upgrade above that of the reference.
talon4 OP
185 posts
 
Hi Btstrg. I'm trying to stay away from new buys. I figure that, if I sell my Wadia 861se and add 2-3k cash, I should have about 7-9k to work with. The Reference upgrade for the Wadia is $1850. Although, I could get the 581 and get the upgrade later... a lot of possibilities to think about. Thanks! Stan
aolmrd1241
1,043 posts
 
Talon, Go with your gut instinct, choosing an upgrade from Steve is a no brainer. I would be hard pressed to believe that any stock machine could compete with the Wadia, upgraded by GNSC... The statement upgrade IMHO makes SACD a moot point...
goatwuss
877 posts
 
"The statement upgrade IMHO makes SACD a moot point..."

dsd and pcm sourced material sound different regardless of how well the player is built...
tabl10s's avatar
tabl10s
1,091 posts
 
I think Steve said that the stock 581 is better than the Ref grade 861SE.
More to discover