It's time to replace my 2009 factory-modded Wadia S7i with a current R2R DAC.

John,
I'm a Wadia guy. Still use my Model 8 transport on a daily basis with no issues after 15+ years. Dacs I  combined with it were a Wadia X-32 upgraded with at&t glass input option. Then moved up to the X-64 which I liked better. But like you, I wondered what current dacs would sound like in comparison to the Wadia. Acquired an Electrocompaniet ECD-1 with the Turbo mod from Empirical Audio ( Steve Nugent) fame.It upsamples all inputs to 24/192. Very analog sounding and made the Wadia which I was comfortable with for years sound terrible harsh. So sold the Wadia. Still own the Electro companiet, but moved to an older Mcintosh MDA-1000 using Burr Brown vintage chips. This is my last dac ever. It does everything I could ever ask for and then some. I tried it with its matching MCD-1000 transport, But the Wadia is far superior, and will be a keeper till it dies. The ECD-1 has a lot of  the Mac sound for a lot less money. Mine is currently for sale if you're interested. Hope this helps.
                     Den

John,

I may not be on point here, but I had a Hegel HD20 DAC and moved to an old Theta Pro Basic 3 R2R ladder for $500.

The Theta gives a lot of detail and is the best DAC I have had in my system.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

dr-john

If you like me, cherish your PCM Redbook cd collection, then yes stay with an R2R dac. As nothing does PCM like an R2R ladder dac.
The only trouble is now the major audio dac converter chip manufactures don’t make them anymore, way too expensive to manufacturer a R2R dac chips compared to today's DSD Delta Sigma dac chips.
Hopefully the manufactures will wake up and see that now R2R lovers are buying today's discrete R2R dacs, then maybe they’ll start making them again.

If you search, I have listed somewhere a list of hiend discrete R2R dacs.
Here’s just a couple of many out there, I suggest you look at these very good sounding R2R dacs, which will make your DC’s sound the best. And you have a great transport in that Wadia S7i, maybe use it?
MSB "The Discrete DAC"
Denafrips "Terminator" (level 2 or 3)

Cheers George

Try Mojo Audio R2R Dac

Hi,

FWIW, just wanted to would add a comment to this older thread.

I was using an eight year CD player with a Phillips Transport connected to my old Theta ProBasic III DAC.

I upgraded to a PS Audio Perfectwave transport about six weeks ago connected to the same Theta DAC.  

The improvement is amazing. Much more detail across the audio band with a lot more PRAT and presence.

EVERY CD is sounding better.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

Mojo Audio. Ben’s unit destroyed my Exogal Comet Plus in about four notes. 

+3 on the Mojo Mystique.  I have the v3 and love it.  Other R2R dacs I was considering:  SW1X and Audio Note

Holo Springs 2 Kitsune edition. You will love it. Read the reviews

dCS Rossini Player with Rossini Clock.
It takes both pieces to exceed the performance of the S7i, but they do.

My experience with decent CD player vs. decent standalone DAC, server and HD is that they will perform very similarly.  What is most important and what will deliver best performance is clock synchronization from server to DAC.  If they don't synch, the goal should be to use the DACs clock, not the servers.  

Not sure where your budget is but Rockna is my favorite R2R. At every price they compete, they are the best DAC that I have heard.

Read the reviews. The Wavelight is a hair warm and they get progressively more neutral as you go to the Wavedream Edition and Wavedream signature. The product is very highly regarded.

The only DACs I have heard that are clearly better than my Wavedream Signature is the MSB Reference & Aries Cerat. I would take the Wavedream Signature and NET server over a Rossini any day.  But that is me.  I like Rockna's more natural sound.  

I am looking forward to a side-by-side with the Playback Design Dream DAC.  I am going to be ordering a Playback soon I think.  

What is most important and what will deliver best performance is clock synchronization from server to DAC.

The dac should be the master, and and sources to be clocked to it.

Cheers George 

I just got the Ares II from Denafrips bests my Chord Qutest. But with Qutest I was using Optical and coax with Ares II. I will switch back soon but with Chord I need to add bnc to RCA adapter! 😃

dr-john

I would keep the Wadia. Very few companies build this kind of player in 2021 moving forward.

Happy Listening!