Player that excels at imaging..

Agree with the power cord.

Disagree with the Pass Labs limitation.

Wadia is great at imaging (ie. 381 or 581). I believe having a wide and layered soundstage that is correct requires brute resolution. There are many components that increase soundstage in an unconvincing manner. For me, musicians need to have have the correct position, size, and stability. This must hold across different venues, genres, and volumes. The soundstage must have the appropriate distance, width, depth, and layering. You should be able to point to each musician individually.

You probably need to look at CDP 6-12k new for a breakthrough in price/performance. There are probably a dozen brands to consider. You still need a power cord, though.

It doesn't look like you can reduce toe-in or increase speaker width, so probably not much to do there. However, do play with speaker position every time you demo a new piece of equipment. Speaker position can be used to highlight or hide certain aspects of your system, so a change necessitates re-evaluation.

Unusual responses.
Power cords? Brute resolution?
Or warm, magically floating, musically holographic, tubes.

So you think upgrading a power cord will be better then a whole new unit?

01-15-09: Spaz
So you think upgrading a power cord will be better then a whole new unit?

Maybe, maybe not. That's what makes this hobby so much fun. I have heard many different electronic gear, cables, power cords, speakers, etc. in the last 30+ years. From my experiences, it sounds like what you are looking for is a more immediate, or forward presentation.

Now, you have experimented with a couple of minor players in the power cord field, and have had no reaction, not surprising really. To be honest, 6-7 years ago I was not a believer in power cords either. Today, I feel that power cords make more of an impression on the music than either interconnects or speaker cables.

That being said, if you really want a new CDP, go buy one. However, I do feel that you can find what you seek with a power cord.....yes, a power cord. Buy a used Virtual Dynamic's cord, and if it doesn't work for you (present a more immediate and wider soundstage), then sell it for about what you paid for it. The old AudiogoN buy'n'try method.

If it works, you just saved a lot over buying a new CDP, if it doesn't, you sell the cord and go buy a new CDP. I still think the EMM Labs CDSA-SE is the only player that will suit your tastes.

Keep in mind that these recommendations are not what I would prefer. I do not care for either the Virtual Dynamic's cables/cords or EMM Labs CDP's. I prefer a mid-hall seat, and both of these are too forward or immediate for my tastes. I do realize that many enjoy that 'front row' perspective though.

Cheers,
John