Wadia 381 vs. dcs Puccini vs. EmmLabs CDSA SE

I used to have the EMM Labs CDSA SE until I upgraded to the Puccini with U-clock. I have not heard the Wadia, so I cannot pass judgment. Comparing the Puccini with U-clock combo(all further comments refer to this combo and not just the Puccini alone, feeding Bryston 28B SST monoblocks directly via its digital pre-amp) vs. the EMM player is like removing a wall, not just a veil, between you and the music.
The first things I notice about the Puccini is the enhanced clarity, truth of timbre, transparency and resolution compared to the EMM. The next amazing thing is the way the Puccini develops air and space around instruments to give a wide, deep and layered soundstage that is not artificially stretched but rather true to the actual positioning of the instruments. For example, the highs and lows of a piano does not stretch all the way from left to right but are imaged solidly where the piano is positioned in the stage, whether the piano is dead centre, left or right of centre, upfront or further back in the stage. The EMM is the anti-thesis of all that has just been described for the Puccini.

Funny, your description of the dcs, sound like I what I would say of the EMM. Guess it is best to listen to both and decide for yourself if you are considering the purchase of either, or the Wadia for that matter.

It would be a big step up when going from the AA to the EMM. I felt the same way when I went from an MBL player to the EMM. But going from the EMM to the Puccini is truly a very very much bigger step up. Try to get a home demo of the Puccini/U-clock to compare with the EMM. The difference will amaze you and put a smile on your face or a twinkle in your ears. Enjoy!

I've never heard of an unhappy Puccini owner. I think I'll wait till the current digital processing is obsolete before making the next move though. I somehow think the next move will involve some kind of music server and DAC. I assume there will be some progress made during the next 3-5 years, espeically in the availability of hi-rez downloads.

I agree wholeheartedly. The next 5 years will bring about a sea change in the way music is played at home. High-end music servers that play music from solid state memory, a bit like the Memory Player from Nova Physics but even better. Music would be sold in memory cards like SD, not as physical spinning discs. No more transport problems or disadvantages of hard drives with their moving parts, error correction, reliability, noise and so on. Hmm...that would be just the time to retire the Puccini.