Hi Aoliviero,
your question is exactly up my alley!! :-)
Altho my Wadia 861 is stock & not the SE version, I still love it. I run it into a CAT SL1 Sig Mk3 & in turn into a pair of Symphonic Line RG4 Mk3 amps. I agree w/ Gregm that these amps are really very good sounding & a very good match for the CAT SL1 Sig Mk3. They seem to be sounding a bit better ever since I upgraded their diode rectifier bridge.
Take a look @ my TT setup - it retails for little over $4K & it handily beats the Wadia 861. It's more "organic" & the music simply flows thru it. Not that the music doesn't flow easily thru the Wadia 861. In & of itself, the Wadia 861's rendition of music is simply superb & so far I wouldn't trade it for another CDP but when compared to my TT setup, the Wadia loses. There's a "correctness" of the music thru vinyl that the Wadia cannot give. I don't think that it's the Wadia as much as I think that it's the digital format. I've worked on getting the sound out of the Wadia & I feel that I have it where I want it now. So, the Wadia's sound has been largely optimized in my system (sure there can be improvements but I think that I'm at the point of diminishing returns).
Often the recordings that sound most analog thru the Wadia are the ones that are 2-mic recordings such as "Blues Union", "Meeting by the River", those recorded thru DSD format like "Healin" & those using the JVC K2 process. Not surprising!!
I think the advice in this thread is pretty much dead-on: you don't have to spend a whole heck of a lot for the vinyl to setup to beat the digital. About half the cost of your digital setup should *easily* do it, from my experience. I personally like the Nottingham Spacedeck w/ the latest SpaceArm & the Teres designs. Superb dynamics & PRaT! The scary thing is that you have sooooo much choice, you could very easily get analyes-paralyses choosing one!!
your question is exactly up my alley!! :-)
Altho my Wadia 861 is stock & not the SE version, I still love it. I run it into a CAT SL1 Sig Mk3 & in turn into a pair of Symphonic Line RG4 Mk3 amps. I agree w/ Gregm that these amps are really very good sounding & a very good match for the CAT SL1 Sig Mk3. They seem to be sounding a bit better ever since I upgraded their diode rectifier bridge.
Take a look @ my TT setup - it retails for little over $4K & it handily beats the Wadia 861. It's more "organic" & the music simply flows thru it. Not that the music doesn't flow easily thru the Wadia 861. In & of itself, the Wadia 861's rendition of music is simply superb & so far I wouldn't trade it for another CDP but when compared to my TT setup, the Wadia loses. There's a "correctness" of the music thru vinyl that the Wadia cannot give. I don't think that it's the Wadia as much as I think that it's the digital format. I've worked on getting the sound out of the Wadia & I feel that I have it where I want it now. So, the Wadia's sound has been largely optimized in my system (sure there can be improvements but I think that I'm at the point of diminishing returns).
Often the recordings that sound most analog thru the Wadia are the ones that are 2-mic recordings such as "Blues Union", "Meeting by the River", those recorded thru DSD format like "Healin" & those using the JVC K2 process. Not surprising!!
I think the advice in this thread is pretty much dead-on: you don't have to spend a whole heck of a lot for the vinyl to setup to beat the digital. About half the cost of your digital setup should *easily* do it, from my experience. I personally like the Nottingham Spacedeck w/ the latest SpaceArm & the Teres designs. Superb dynamics & PRaT! The scary thing is that you have sooooo much choice, you could very easily get analyes-paralyses choosing one!!