Topic: Wadia Digital DAC+Integrated Amp

[jmz93]

Wow, this looks good for those who want to keep things digital, all the way to the speaker outs.  No info on Wadia's own site yet, but I have emailed them some questions.  Hmmm, Benchmark, Mytek, or Wadia - trying so hard to decide on a $1,000 or less DAC solution. 
http://www.musicdirect.com/product/86634?utm_campaign=

[ducati]

Just a caveat: this isn't digital "all the way to the speakers" AFAIK.  Not like the old Sharp's, nor the new NAD all-digital amp.  I believe this to be a DAC directly coupled to a class D switching amp output stage, which is still analog.

However, that is not to take away from this little beastie, which I think is super cool.  I can't decide whether to grab this thing and pair it with my 170i for my work office, or grab a bel canto S300iU and run direct from my laptop.  Hmmmn.

[Nick's Picks]

I was going to post some info on this...., as I was checking it out this week.

http://www.wadia.com/products/amplifiers/151.php

Its the 151 PowerDAC mini ..or something like that.  I think that the signal stays digital, right through the gain.., but the actual power comes from an analog section.  Prob. a chip.  Think of it like a T-amp with more beef and a very nice conversation stage in front.  All processing, including gain done via DSP so that last hop has a path of "power > speaker binding post".
but maybe i'm misreading.  thats how it was presented in the catalog I was reading this morning.
In any case, it looks very, very cool.  Esp. as a nice office system w/some monitors.

[MattD]

I wonder what the USB input's capability is. Interesting unit. I've never listened to anything from that company so I am curious how it sounds.

[ducati]

class t is tripath's nomenclature; do you see anywhere in the wadia spec that they are using tripath's?  They could of course also use b&o icepower class d, or their own design.  Likely not the latter as this is relatively inexpensive.  I can't recall what their last powerdac used..?

They would be applying attenuation in dsp, not gain . I wonder if wadia is using strictly digital attenuation (like bel canto) or their combined digital/analog attenuation. With the high native resolution of dacs now, loss of resolution isn't such a factor, so I suspect the former.

[Jimna]

ive heard one of there cd players that cost more than my car once in a hifi shop in baltimore 10yrs ago.  they make very nice stuff.

[jmz93]

Ooo, and there's also the Nova (integrated amp plus Sabre DAC) from Peachtree Audio. *drool*

[ducati]

Or the bel canto S300iU.  Only a USB input, but sounds excellent for the price.