Wadia CD players direct to power amps opinions

I don't think I'm adding much here as it looks like the topic is well covered, but from the Supratek threads I have yet to hear anyone say their direct system got worse adding a Supratek pre to the chain. I would think people with Wadia could afford them, soit is a viable option.

I was running straight for 5 years or maybe a bit more, albeit with a much lower quality CD Player, added the Supratek, and then there it was! I became a convert as well.

Maybe someone with a Wadia who is running straight to amps (and who likes it that way better) who is near someone with a Supratek can set up a listening session borrowing the Supratek and both parties can listen to before/after?

Remember its not that you don't need a pre, its that without an external pre the CD player has it inside. By pre what we are really talking about is increasing the voltage (the other function is switching sources, which we are ignoring for the moment). So we are talking about comparing whatever circuitry is inside the Wadia dedicated to increasing the voltage of the signal post DAC to the external devices.

That said, its seems the Wadia internal pre is much, much better than other companies CD internal pre amps as they have focused on it as a design goal rather than an afterthought. Most CDs with internal pre amps really only have a couple of $1 - $3 devices inside them to increase voltage.

I have had a Wadia 850, 861 and now a Wadia581, i run it direct to my Jadis ja80 tube-monoamps. i did make a compare with a Krell KRC-Hr preamp and also a Tact rcs 2.0 preamp.
I my opinion the direct drive sounds better.

Cable: Heavensgate Ultrasilence interconnect and powercable.

I am really enjoying the Wadia direct to my Audio Valve Tube amps and the if you wanted to add additional digital devices to take advantage of the high quality DAC’s you can. The benefit of the iSE version is built in pre amp with a truely highend CD/SACD player and 4 additional digital inputs which can accept signal's up to 96kHz, the disadvantage is you are limited

1. ST Glass Fiber Optic (possible the best for digital)
2. S/PDIF (BNC)
3. TOSLINK (MAYBE THE WORST)
4. AES/EBU (XLR)

You only have (1) of each. But hey it works, you put your money into a 1st class CD/SACD player with built in pre amp and it is very good high-end system. I know the are others whom may disagree but hey that is why there are so many other manufacturers to choose from you just buy into there pholiscy and what your ears perceive to be “THE LIVE EVENT” that we are all attempting to get as close to as possible.

wadia is the hyper detail style of cdp and nothing wrong with that if it's your taste...mine tends toward an analogue presentation....I have owned wadia...fine gear.
Larry

I don't know how the Wadia pre works, but there are only two ways which it can work:

- as a digital pre. This is definitely inferior to an analog pre, because it throws bits away, compresses dynamic range, and brings the signal closer to the noise floor. I have heard the effect of digital pre's and let me tell you it is not pretty.

- as an analog pre. The DAC outputs its full signal into a conventional analog preamp. The question then arises - if you are going to run the digital signal through an analog preamp, then why bother using the Wadia as an analog pre? You lose the advantages and flexibility of having a seperate pre. Why not just take the signal from the DAC and use a seperate pre?

People who might argue that the one box solution is "simpler" may as well argue that integrated amps are better than pre-power amps. A DAC with volume control integrates the analog pre to the DAC, in the same way that an integrated amplifier integrates the pre to the power amp.