Last CD purchase; M.L. 39 or Wadia 850?

I had a M.L. 39 which i sold once i heard the resoluion audio CD50.the digital attenuator is by far superior then the two units your considering.save yourself alot of money and get yourself a more musical player,THE CD 50.

I also did comparisons between the 860 and the 39. I bought the 860 as well. They are both good, the Wadia is more immediate and tight(accurate) with great tight tuneful bass. The Levinson is much more laid back relaxed (smooth) If your system is nueteral the Wadia might be better, if it is too bright the the Levinson might work better.

i compared 850 n 39 when i was looking for cd/processor for my ARC VT-100 MKII. i didn't want to buy a pre-amp too. i end up buying the 850 cuz it suit my music(heavy bass stuff) better. 850's bass was way better than 39 in every aspect, tighter, more articulate, more detail and more punch. but i would say 39 sounded more neutral(analog) to me, cuz it's really smooth. for my system, it sounded kinda boring n mellow. i get more excited when i listen to 850's brighter(than 39) sound. one problem with the 850 tho, it's mid-high frequency sounded brighter than 39 but i sometime felt it's highest frequency is kinda rolled-off. i'm not sure tho, cuz maybe it's because i'm using cardas interconnect n speaker cables. hope this helps

Wadia has discontinued the Model 850. The new model numbers are the 831 (~$4,000)and the 861 ($7950) are due out approx. June (date is not firm). I recommend Wadia over the ML. thanks..

Read the review of the Wadia 830 in 'Soundstage', where he compares an 830 with his 39.