Any previous Wadia users?? Or did everyone move?

The reason why you don't see too many Wadias for sale in the Gon is that most people will never part with their Wadia gear. I am with them since the X-32 days and I am perfectly happy today with the 270/27ix. To me Wadia represents true high end and there's no need for further search once you have set them up in a likewise true high end system.

Like you, I have an 860x, which I had modified by Steve Huntley at GNSC a few months ago. Takes a while to break in (as he will tell you), but the results were superb. (I posted a mini-review of the modded 860 vs my Linn CD12, which shouldn't be hard to find.) The modded 860 is more musical/euphonic than the stock version. I thought the stock version was terrific with detail, but tended to over-emphasize problems with the program material, in a somewhat cold and lean presentation. The mod takes care of that beautifully.

I've A-B'ed the Linn CD12 (which is a great player of course) against the EMM and the Linn against the modded 860, but never did a direct comparison between the modded 860 and the EMM. However, given that my comparisons have common ground in the Linn, I will speculate that there is not much difference between the modded 860 and the EMM. Each extracted more information than the Linn, but presented the information in a manner that was not overly analytical.

Frankly, I would mod your Wadia, and forget about it for another 5 - 10 years. It ought to last...it's built like a tank.

Good listening.

I have owned the meitner seperates (non se) and the wadia 860x with GNSC statement mods and currently own the new meitner one box and the resolution opus 21 with GNSC reference mods with the upgraded ridge street umbilical and IMO you could not go too far wrong with any of these. I imagine different folks, with different tastes and different associated gear would choose between them differently and all would be correct in their choice.

I'm a recent Wadia owner compared to some of the others who have responded.
Used to have a stock 860 & loved it in its stock form.
Sent it to GNSC for mods & upgrade to the 861SE model. I love this CDP & do not plan to part w/ it.
No regrets being a Wadia owner no matter what the other forum members say or think!

I listened around and nothing made me even think about going another way. The Wadia 861se w/GNSC Statement Modification is everything I need in a CDP.

The reason that you don't hear more about Wadia is that they've been pretty inactive regarding new models for quite some time and the 581 has had more than its share of teething issues although as I understand it it appears that the kinks have finally been worked out.