I have heard noise from both right and left channels, balanced and unbalanced. Brett will have the beast tomorrow; I hope that he finds the problem quickly and won't have to dismantle the machine in the process..... |
I BOUGHT THE UNIT NEW FROM THE DEALER WHO MODIFIED IT BEFORE I EVER TOOK POSSESSION OF IT. |
The noise was present whilst using balanced or unbalanced interconnect. |
In addition, I have used 3 other CD players and there is dead silence--no noise whatsoever using any inputs for these players, including another Wadia. Switching from left to right--the noise follows whatever input I plug into using the affected Wadia. |
I have tried grounding the Wadia using the usual techniques to no avail. I have done all sorts of interconnect changes but the noise follows: for example, if I switch the interconnects to a different input, the noise shows up there. Here is the link to a youtube video--turn up your volume as the conversion from my QuickTime file lost some of the audio in the translation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-x0h-2rj34&feature=youtu.be
The dealer offered to reexamine the unit but clearly there is some gremlin at work here and I would rather start with a new UNMODIFIED unit. Frankly, if I was warned ahead of time that the modification would nullify my Wadia warranty, I would never gone for the mod, but the owner of the dealership who has a longstanding good relationship with Wadia did not disclose this rather pertinent information up front. The owner has not returned any of my recent e-mails or phone calls for reasons only he knows. |
I asked the dealer in Minnesota to replace the unit with a brand new unmodified wadia 381, but was told that this was DEFINITELY NOT AN OPTION. Partially out of respect for the dealership, I have left their name out of this thread. This company that performed the mods has been doing this service for a number of years; they had previously done a repair on another Wadia (transport)of mine that went on to work beautifully for many more additional years. That is why I did not think twice about allowing the mods on a brand new 381. Clearly that was a big mistake. I am honestly shocked at the horrendous treatment I am now getting from this dealer. I would love to believe that they heard no problems, but find this difficult considering that I can reproduce the noise with a multiplicity of playback systems and building locations. Here is the youtube video of the noise: Partially out of respect for the dealership, I have left their name out of this thread. Check of the youtube video of the noise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-x0h-2rj34&feature=youtu.be |
THE DEALER MENTIONED THAT HE SUSPECTED that there could be issues with the current conveyors but he never followed through with a repair. The reason: he claims he could not reproduce the problem, which is absurd. At the very least, the hiss or noise floor is very obvious--just turn up the volume on the amp without playing any media and there it is, and much louder in the left channel. Sometimes there is the static noise as recorded and posted in the youtube video, but it is not always present. But when it is, you can easily hear it, even during playback of low volume material. I can contact Wadia again, but they insisted that the Dealer, with whom they have a "working" relationship, should perform the repair; Wadia will supply the parts needed under warranty under those circumstances. Remember, I NEVER actually RECEIVED and used this 381 BEFORE it was modified. Perhaps that was my biggest mistake--it was probably good enough without the mods. But the fact is that the seller/dealer recommended these mods. I have had a positive experience with this dealer before when he repaired/modded a Wadia 8, so, I agreed to allow him to mod the new 381 before I every used it. After modding the new 381, he shipped it to me. The noises that are still there (static, hiss, noise floor issues) where there from day one. However, I attributed the noises to my old tube amps which I eventually sent in for "repair"/adjustment. Weeks later, when I received my amps back, the NOISES WERE STILL THERE. It turns out my equipment was fine IN THE FIRST PLACE--the Wadia was the source of the noise since it first arrived on my doorstep. All the rest is history. I cannot even get a phone call or e-mail back from the dealer at this point. Many people in this forum have used this dealer. Unbelievable. |
Ridiculous as it sounds, I did not know that a certified Wadia dealer would knowingly void my warranty without at least disclosing or discussing that possibility. I guess that I was naive in assuming that the seller would have properly educated his customer regarding this vital bit of information. The dealer provides a 3 year "store" warranty, but if he is unable or unwilling to repair the unit he modded, what good is this warranty? It is only as good as his skill set in diagnosing the problem. By all rights, he should fix whatever is causing the malfunction (noise) under the warranty he has provided. In short, the dealer/seller is the only one that knows the full details of the modifications. As such, he is the only one qualified to fix it, and under the warranty with his name stamped on it. |
Sorry to shout. This is so frustrating. The mods performed are commonly done by this dealer and are frequently discussed in this forum. And I accepted a modded, new 381. But I got more--and less-- than I expected (with the noise issue and my voided factory warranty) and, for whatever reason that only the seller/dealer/modder knows, I cannot seem to get any traction in a positive direction. I will eventually provide the dealer's name. I just thought that by being discrete, at least I would take the high road. At such time that he does the right thing, I will give full disclosure. The seller is one of the "full line dealers" in Minnesota, |
OK. I spoke with WADIA today and they are going to help me out---not sure what it will cost. BUT HERE IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE DEALER'S POOR SERVICE--HE IS OUT OF BUSINESS!!!
The dealer is, or should I say WAS: The Great Northern Sound Company--owner: Steve Huntley. I heard this straight from Wadia. Best guess why my unit never was repaired: Steve was in the process of closing his doors and he just did not want to deal with me or my problems.....)-: So there you have it! I will eventually report back the diagnosis after Wadia examines my 381. |
Thank you, Inpieces, for your support in this matter. Yes, hopefully, Wadia won't remove all the mods, though Brett did say that this may be necessary, at least in part. Brett indicated that once he goes through the rig, he will develop an evidence based plan....Hopefully, the current conveyors are bad.....I will get them replaced, and then life will be good (-: I'll keep you posted. |
Sorry that I have not responded until now....there was nothing to report until today as I finally received my 381 back from repair. Needless to say, I never heard back from Steve H. So much for that. So I turned to my only logical choice: I talked with Brett at Wadia and he took my 381 in for repair. Brett was of the opinion that the current conveyor modules were the source of my gremlins--so he installed the new modules (the repair order says "WS7i Swift Current). He also replaced the electronics associated with the front panel display to an updated, more reliable version (I was having sporadic issues with the unit not responding to remote or direct front panel button commands--the front panel repair is supposed to fix this annoyance). Finally, he secured a loose pad associated with the DAC that Steve had installed as part of his mod. ALL of Steve's mods were left in the unit--I guess that may be a good thing--or not--who knows. So far, no static sounds and or any of the previously noted extraneous and inappropriate noise--just a silent background--finally! It is too soon to say how my "new" 381 compares with the original modded unit before new current conveyors as far as improvements in sound quality--but so far so very, very good!! |
The system is sounding quite fantastic now as the Wadia appears to be fully broken in. A musician/engineer friend was over yesterday and remarked that this was absolutely the best he has ever heard Bob Dylan sound on a music system. (I was playing the 2004 remastered version of Freewheelin'". |
