Cary 306/200 vs Wadia 850 what player is better

I have owned the MF, SCD-1, and the Cary. I liked the Cary over the others by quite a bit. SACD from the Sony is very good but the redbook is not. I have heard several Wadias, but never in my system. They were always nice, but I think I would still get the Cary. Good Luck.

Thanks for the info it really helps considering that you have almost owned all of these units.

I have no personal experiences with the Wadia, but I do for the Cary 306/200. The Cary is one great Redbook CD player. There are so many good qualities about the player. For one, its built very good and weighs like a receiver. It also has a metal (reliable) transport, eight Burr Brown 24bit/192khz DACs,numerous digital and analog inputs and outputs. It can be used as a dedicated transport or a dedicated DAC. However,matching the Cary is very important, with the right components and cabling, this player can have a great balance of accuracy/analyticalness and warmth/musicality. It can sound very impressive, one of the best redbook CD players around. The used prices that it's selling at is a bargain for the sound quality and features it provides. The limitations would be more on the medium than the player.

Good luck

I'm going to get the 306/200 when a silver one pops up on audiogon...

The 306SACD is just too costly...