For a number of years now, I do not often post here, but do lurk and read others, thank you others!
My relationship with my Bartok has not been wholly without issue:
(Mosaic Skipping and Partial Playing Tracks)
I settled those issues by purchasing a LP12 and recovering and rebuilding my modest vinyl collection.
However it has to be admitted that streaming is so useful for finding and listening to “new to me” music content, without always going to Discogs and ordering another delivery of a 12" flat box package for £25. Plus you can cook with a DAC playing down the hallway in the background…(what?)
Whilst in the upper reaches of home doing the vinyl records thing, fairly heavy boxes of old but perfect condition CDs made their presence known to me by blocking my path. I felt that perhaps CDs may be making their way back after vinyl and tape cassettes perhaps? A few plays of my choice silver discs (at dealers) reminded me that Red Book really still has very much to recommend it as a format…so maybe what I needed was a quality CD transport.
A chunk of research to find a partner transport for the under used Bartok happened. Much and many Teac, Esoteric and dCS transports were enquired after, heard, tested, all without collecting any cigar.
Slow forward…and given history, I felt a replacement cum upgrade for the Bartok was probably best. Thus an Apex Rossini Player was researched and sought. Well what could possibly go wrong or distract me from this relatively straightforward path you ask? Well on the way to the sweet shop with my pennies in hand, I just happened to divert into KJWestOne and the following thing happened to me:
and thus I suspect as a direct result of this near libellous purchase and this ensuing post, that this might be the last entry I make on this platform…
…but as they say…thanks for the cheese…
Be well,
Sean
Nice one.
Just need the clock and power supply to go with it now
But seriously, got to hear the wadex player at the hifi deluxe show this year and it sounded ok. It wasn’t the same experience the room has had the last few years, but given the price difference between front ends it did well.
It certainly has a nice sound that draws you in on first listening, a bit like how naim was, is how i would put it, but better.
Enjoy and hopefully you will pop back in and update us on how you are getting on with it once the honeymoon period is over.
Congratulations on the purchase. In all honesty, being in this hobby and having these kind of source components to play with is a already a rarified segment of luxury goods, and it might be as much down to taste and system synergy which brand you end up with. In Munich this year, I saw and heard several systems using this new Wadax Studio Player. I find it a lot better looking than their reference line, and as far as I could tell it worked well in the systems I heard. There are many ways to Rome, and audio is no different. Be well and enjoy the music.
It depends upon how they are compared. Or at least, how you try.
The transports have different roles, Vivaldi being only a silver disc transport, Wadax Studio is a transport/streamer/DAC. So it could be regarded that as though they have same ticket price, Wadax studio is effectively cheaper. ( both cost the same but Vivaldi has fewer functions)
If you want totally comparable functions, at least as far as you can, Wadax is a 3 box system and Vivaldi 4. This is reflected in the system price, W. £93,400, V. £122,250.
Good point Duncan. Just for fun,as best I can, if Vivaldi One Apex was still available at the last recorded price plus clock it would be £97,500. Without the clock, £76,000.
Actually Pete I think player/transport/streamer would be more accurate since afaik the only digital input on the Wadax Studio Player is the network input. So while it clearly contains a DAC, Wadax seem to have chosen not to expose that functionality via any standard digital inputs.
Then if you are correct ( and I expect that you are) for some listeners the comparative cost will not be relevant as the Wadax will simply be the wrong choice.
I felt that with my Benchmark, ATCs and Fathom I had extracted most of what was to come forth from the Bartok (mk2 non Apex) in my room (carefully chosen words here).
However, early on with the Wadax I rapidly came to the understanding that there was more expected of my old setup so I have been somewhat compelled to up my system game.
Benchmark LA4 swapped out for a Pass XP-30
ATC50 Towers back to ATC for latest tweeter and all drivers re-coning and amps serviced to latest spec.
All Shunyata Theta signal XLRs and Power cords looms.
New HRS rack and platforms (inc some WellFloats for speakers x 4).
Shunyata Everest power conditioner.
Solo JL Fathom F113 p/exed towards stereo F112s.
Dual LPS and 2 x Shunyata ethernet cable upgrades to BT Fibre and SmartHub 2, inc from ONT to Hub.
Enough! I think I may be in end game territory now. Basically what I have found is that I am now able to clearly hear upgrades I could not sense before. The lesson here is that if you upgrade your source, then be prepared to follow up with the rest of the system to ensure you get the full benefit……apart from the DAC the other noticeable step up in sound quality was the cable loom(s) upgrade (was previously on Furutech).
I suspect I may be the subject of much and many less than perfect comments…but thought to update the forum….Be well, Sean
