The Wadia 581 se CD/SACD Player - Hi

EQUIPMENT REVIEW.
The Wadia 581 se
CD/SACD Player
by Ray Gregary
Wadia's 861, and latterly the 861se,
of the standard version. But look a
I'll sketch over these fairly quickly,
CD player has been pretty much a
little closer and you'll see differences
to the limitations
that whilst subtle, hint at important
give you some idea:
permanent
feature around these parts,
due
of space, but it will
1. The power supply section has
not least because the only player
changes. Not least are the slots cut in
I've heard that seriously surpassed its
the side and bottom panels, to improve
been totally revised, now featuring six
performance
cooling.
separate and independent
cost five times as much,
Then there's the fact that the
while few others even got close. Until
display actually sits in the middle
recently, that is. The arrival of the
its window,
Audio Research CD7 marked the first
machine
of
while the remote is half
the size and ten times as useful
to equal both the price and
(bear in mind that the
musical merits of the Wadia, whilst
original was
the arrival of SACD, and more
supplies for
sections of the circuitry,
stages.
These include
new
switch-mode
to provide
a sophisticated
architecture
individual
developed
supplies for the
As before,
to play
there is also extensive
internal
mechanical
them on, has offered up
isolation,
while
another challenge.
inductive
filtering
With that in mind, and
somewhat
charging
as careful
frustrated by
from the parent
the switching
company,
no deleterious
fruitful)
trip to
the Great Northern
externally.
Sound
ground
extensive modification
programme.
Ex-Wadia
I'll be reporting
useless remote ever, requiring
on in Issue 62, but in
what should happen
you to
stand right in front of the machine
to
implemented,
voltage regulation
that includes
it on the board. Wadia's
identical
showed
archly the
581se, the new machine
is visually
to the old, further
adding to the confusion.
It uses
buttons that spotlighting
prerequisite
was a
for operation).
But these changes are much more
than skin deep, internally
embracing
four key areas of system performance.
and offers
'These are even more relevant today, especially
the same digital input and switching
given Wadia's outreach strategy based on the 170
options*,
iTransport, a neat little dock that extracts a digital
indicated
£500 premium
by an i suffix and
over the £9950 cost
signal from your iPod.
research
that jitter performance
was
significantly
influenced
by fluctuations
in oscillator
temperature
and voltage.
By attacking
regulation
accuracy
construction,
its own
built right beside
get it to respond, and having so many
digital volume control
cleaner
has been
Wadia themselves.
the same monolithic
arrangement
plane.
along but the latest offering from
almost identical
or
2. A new, patent pending
the biggest and most
Dubbed somewhat
has
effects,
a noticeably
clock circuit
engineers, they do a fantastic job that
the meantime,
supply
The complete
power supply
delivers
Co, for their seriously
and
ensure that
either internally
made a long (and
on the
shielding
positioning
our 861se
extensive
caps, as well
the lack of developments
extremely
and
upwards of 30 local regulation
transport, display and digital sections.
recently the D3 versions of the
Esoteric machines
different
both variables
and thermal
with heavy
compensation,
has been improved
point where it is measured
to the
in single
parts per million.
3. Not content
including
with simply
DSD decoding,
Wadia
~
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EQUIPMENT REVIEW
modifications,
ecoding
a parallel processing algorithm
carried out by a mo
-,: ic Sony
861's bass extension,
operating
chip, in combina
irh ', 'adia's
texture were always exceptional,
further developed
the format, creating
at 64bits and 2.8 MHz, that
corrects deficiencies
improvements
124dB
SIN
4. The
in phase accuracy
and a
ratio.
3 output
implementation
in the 861, to a
circuit
resulting
the
current
mirror design. The new layout also
reticent, reluctant
different
levels of ex e
preferred
and focus, I
e
eaz,
bstance
Algorithm
..ing
and'
-·,i have
single-ended
path, allowing
ensure that both balanced
ended outputs deliver
without
resorting
from the
Wadia to
and single-
identical
to breathe, This has a lot
ternati 'e
setting offers better results, in acdi 'on,
should come as no surprise; so much
of music flows from their foundation.
it's worth noting that (as with ; e
are distinct
makes music
lucid, expressive and really allows a
performance
also instances in which an
you can adjust the 581's maxi
outputs
player. It's
ability to time notes, define when
as a whole much more free-flowing,
ere are
meaning
balanced
and far livelier sounding
interval in between,
- regards
the three. as,'
your own preference
to kick up its heels,
they start, when they stop and the
A, but ifs wort , ;
three separate paths per
for the
and on
10000aysin) it was a little
Well no more; the 581 is a quicker
"'eYing ubtly
provides
and negative legs required
and
profiles. eac
channel,
that the positive
but even when warmed-up
song (about
The
definition
decoding
comparing
the DAC's
in non-linearities,
itself is a decoupled
As
.• e co trol, you
Wadia's clear instructio
That's why it needs all those slots!
output,
er:'.5 algorithm.
and sense of flow tha ea:
in the 581se.
In order to avoid loading
in the player's performance,
also get balance and a c oi e of three
generally
moves from an i/c based
discrete Class A circuit
Digim
well as the digital '.-01
delivering
new SwiftCurrent
topology
proprietary
in the rise time
of the original encoding,
-
is
1
to do with the low-frequencies
but that
But it involves other factors too, not
output level to match the 0 'erall gai
least the blacker background
of your system, This is importan
lets you hear the notes more clearly,
any situation,
i
but especially so '; you
are using the player as a
Listening to Eliza Gilkyson's
that
'Beauty
Way' the bass has more shape and
levels
colour, whether
to an extra
it's the bottom string
counterpoint
gain stage before
of the acoustic
opening
the RCA sockets.
or the insistent
impact and easy lope of
the drum and bass
Okay, so it reads
fill that picks up the
like a wish list of
track and pushes it
audio upgrades to
forward, Just like the
the existing circuit,
861, the 581 tracks
but that's exactly
the even steps of the
what it is, helping
bass guitar melody,
to explain why it took
giving each note its
so long to arrive. The end
distinct
results are both sonically
operationally
and
impressive.
of a groove, a sense of purpose
In use, the 581se certainly ru
noticeably
rather than simply filling the space,
hotter than its predec
digital pre-arnp,
while it also seems more sensitive
'0
support, the Stillpoints
-
stand delivering
compone
an even greater be e-'
ensuring that you run the
'olume control
near the top of its range
and don't risk losing resolution,
Finally,
than it did with the 861; that discrete
an
output stage perhaps? I'll mention
aI ' e 581 doesn't suffer the protracted
again the remote control,
which'
in its own way most welcome
''il.I11HJp of its predecessor,
now sensibly sized, nicely laid out
In fact, the only (unavoidable)
imposed
step
is the sluggish disc handli
by the inclusion
of SACD,
The transport and optics are derived
from a Sanyo model with extensive
54
of
sounding
leaden from switch-on
and operates flawlessly from distance
backwards
pitch, but now
they have much more
and
ing near full performance
_
'h:
a blessing for reviewers and
o-se
itive alike,
- the easier, livelier tread that's
••....•.
~'<:'-'><4-,e
.' obvious on switch on is
,
tor to the improvements
Listening to live acoustic
everything
recordings,
from the Du Pre Elgar from
Moscow or the Gorecki 3rd Symphony
to Jackson Browne and the Wadia
makes the volume and boundaries
of the venue much more apparent.
Audience
noise, especially
interjections
the shouted
on JB's Acoustic Solo
Volume 2, have a much more obvious
sense of position
and distance, while
the repetitive strains of the Gorecki's
opening
bass phrases have space
around and below them, the notes
floating properly
on their acoustic
~
~
cushion,
the texture of the bowing
and the complexity
harmonics
of the stacked
drawing you in. It may
shape to the vocal, those familiar
to musical
tones render so much more naturally
to stand alongside
and intimately
that makes the song
seem obtuse to talk about pace when
more natural
it comes to a symphony
greater dynamic
movements,
with four slow
yet the gradual evolution
emotional
between them are crucial
the captivating
There's
range, but greater
range too and it's the latter
that's really important.
of each, the subtle textural and stylistic
differences
and emotive.
Meanwhile,
feeling second best.
made me want to play silver discs. The
581 has kept pace with the impressive
of high-end
and readily reclaims
analogue
the ability
or
replay
its benchmark
status. Add in the functional
grasp,
any ham-fisted clumsiness
players without
allows it
the latest record
The 861 was the first CD player that
evolution
to
quality of this mesmeric
piece. Any lack of rhythmic
performances
flexibility,
to play SACD, the potential
inherent
in the 170i transport
tightness of grip and the
and the existence
illusion collapses.
enhanced
The 581 pulls you
version in the shape of
in and keeps you
the 781 and Wadia are
there, testament
back with a bang. The
to the natural
face might be familiar,
accuracy
of its low-
frequency
tonality,
but the performancethat's been elevated
flow and weight.
Of course,
Gorecki
of an
and upgraded
whole
the
to
new level. Why do I
get the feeling that this is
is an SACD, which
brings us to another
only the first chapter of
feather
this particular
tale?
~+
in the 581 's cap. The interpolation
algorithm
developed
delivers
by Wadia
exceptional
the high-definition
a silver bullet.
medium,
results from
discs. SACD isn't
Just like any other
examples.
like The Pixies' Doolittle
an album
which
there are good and bad
But more discs sound
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
never made a comfortable
crossing
from LP to silver disc is
One-box CD/SACDplayer
Decoding Software:
Wadia Digimaster 2.5
transformed
machine
the SACD. Gone is the CD's glare
Sample Rate:
1.4112MHz
make the most of their detail and
and spatial
Outputs:
1pr single-ended RCA
transparency,
jumble
of instruments
vocals.
Instead there's the space and
Output Level:
Variable
I've used. It seems to
without
over into the slightly
quality
ever tipping
spotlit,
detached
that can make some of them
sound ethereal
and unreal.
the tonal and harmonic
Instead,
carefully
when the Wadia delivers
Type:
better on the Wadia than any other
compression,
layered
the record
when.
purpose,
now, buying
that broadens
and structure
the gap between
it
and even the best Red Book discs
to embarrassing
comparison
both formats
proportions.
Eleanor
more space, separation
the high-definition
wonder
and detail
that you
if it's the same recording.
But it is the added subtlety
and
a 581 won't
just open
between 0.3 and 4.25V
Output Impedance:
51 Ohms
Dimensions(WxHxD): 432 x 184 x 420mm
Weight:
5kg
that door, it'll have it off its hinges. As
Finishes:
Black or silver
good as the Wadia is with CD - and
Price:
£10000
is in
league entirely.
But irrespective
forward
on
standards
UK Distributor:
Musical Design Company
of format, the this
latest Wadia delivers a significant
McEvoy's
has so much
format
way back
If SACD has passed you by until
another
that there was ever any debate about
'Love Must Be Tough'
Maximum Output Level: Internally adjustable
edge that made
disc and it's SACD performance
on
leaves you wondering
SACD's benefits.
the
1pr balanced XLR
it's very, very good - give it a decent
Direct
of discs available
production,
so impressive
of SACD are wed to a sense of
substance
and screaming
energy and controlled
accuracy
the manic
step
Tel. (44)(0)1992 573030
Net. www.mdc-hifi.co.uk
from the already excellent
of its predecessors.
its effortless dynamics,
and smooth
high-frequency
the expressive
With
transparency
extension,
Manufacturer:
Wadia
Net. www.wadia.com
ebb and flow it brings
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