DCS Rossini APEX has arrived!

[andromedaaudio]

Yeah, no.

I've found Wadax mechanical and very unimpressive.

Try other transducers

 

[BillK]

I listened to the Wadax in a system that I'm familiar with and thought it's the most Analog sounding DAC that I've heard. I recently listened to a DCS Rossini in my system and it didn't work well in my system.

Different components will work differently in different systems and for different people.

For example, back in the day every magazine was enraptured with Theta DACs, where I found them so detailed listener fatigue would set in within minutes.

Others disliked what was my reference DAC brand for years, Wadia; for me the Rossini with Clock was the first DAC I ever heard at any price that finally matched and exceeded the sound of my Wadia S7i.

 

[andromedaaudio]

I bought a Wadia 581 for 9 or 10 K back in 2007 or 2008 ( around that time ) mostly on magazine recommendations .
My worst audio investment ever , traded it in after 2 - 3 months with a heavy loss

 

[ricjor1]

Different components will work differently in different systems and for different people.

For example, back in the day every magazine was enraptured with Theta DACs, where I found them so detailed listener fatigue would set in within minutes.

Others disliked what was my reference DAC brand for years, Wadia; for me the Rossini with Clock was the first DAC I ever heard at any price that finally matched and exceeded the sound of my Wadia S7i.

"Different components will work differently in different systems and for different people."...that was my point.

 

[nirodha]

Yeah, no.

I've found Wadax mechanical and very unimpressive.

Ultimate proof that this is a subjective hobby. Your adjectives perfectly describe my feelings listening to dCS

 

[BillK]

I bought a Wadia 581 for 9 or 10 K back in 2007 or 2008 ( around that time ) mostly on magazine recommendations .
My worst audio investment ever , traded it in after 2 - 3 months with a heavy loss

Why?

One of the best sounding DACs ever made.

Wadia was the first company that showed me digital could sound at all musical.

The only reason I went Rossini (with Rossini Clock) was I wanted something that could do more than 24/96.

Without the clock the Rossini still sounded worse than the Wadia.

Note this was pre-APEX.

 

[thedudeabides]

Yeah, no.

I've found Wadax mechanical and very unimpressive.

I have rarely seen a consensus of so many forum members and a preference for a digital playback system.

 

[Ron Resnick]

"Different components will work differently in different systems and for different people."

+1

 

[BillK]

I've found digital more than any other format seems to be listener-dependent.

For example, for several years the ESS ES9038PRO chip has been the holy grail of the audiophile community but I've never heard any product made with it sound good.

 

[l_santista]

What i have heard in Munchen wasn t very convincing .
I d advise Wilson to dump DCS and go with Wadax ( like magico did ) or Metronome (AQWO Dac) instead for the munchen show
Makes the demos a lot better/ interesting imo

wow, that is so opposite to my experience at 2023 HES!

DCS Vivaldi (dont remember seeing the rossini playing there) and MSB were so consistent, so analogue and impactful, yet "musical" to my ears. Different approaches, in systems Im not familiar to and so on, but well, both brands were used at many systems and I enjoyed them each and everytime.
Then on wadax, it was ok at best, not impressed in any of the rooms with it - the one with Magico's (I believe they were M6's) in front of Boenicke's booth was probably the biggest disappointments of the show, I had to come back a few times in both days to try listening to different song styles, but never came to like that setup at all. Not to mention the specially DCS looked like a piece of art in person, whereas Wadax looked even less cohesive and attractive in person than I thought it would. of course this is just my subjective opinion, of what I heard in a show, I dont live in a country you can easily hear any of these brands.

 

[Al M.]

Not to mention the specially DCS looked like a piece of art in person, whereas Wadax looked even less cohesive and attractive in person than I thought it would.

Can't comment on the Wadax sound, but I like the dCS look much better than the look of the Wadax as well, the design aesthetics of which I don't comprehend. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[BillK]

Can't comment on the Wadax sound, but I like the dCS look much better than the look of the Wadax as well, the design aesthetics of which I don't comprehend. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I always say I don't care what it looks like, I care what it sounds like, but readily admit if the Wadax was the best sounding rig and was coming to my s system it would take quite a while before I became comfortable with the aesthetics.

 

[Lee]

I always say I don't care what it looks like, I care what it sounds like, but readily admit if the Wadax was the best sounding rig and was coming to my s system it would take quite a while before I became comfortable with the aesthetics.

Wadax full stack is now around $370K. Certainly there is enough money to hire an industrial designer and add a bigger screen. At least offer up a CNC machined case like dCS or MSB.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Wadax full stack is now around $370K. Certainly there is enough money to hire an industrial designer and add a bigger screen. At least offer up a CNC machined case like dCS or MSB

Lee Lots of " High end " manufacturers these days who manufacturer Dacs / amps and LS have CNC machined housings incl Wadax.
Almost every machining workshop these days has CNC machines .
Can you come up with something better like .... SQ

 

[Lee]

Lee Lots of " High end " manufacturers these days who manufacturer Dacs / amps and LS have CNC machined housings incl Wadax.
Almost every machining workshop these days has CNC machines .
Can you come up with something better like .... SQ

That's sort of my point. Why no CNC design artistry ala dCS or MSB or Magico? The Wadax boxes may even be CNC'd but they are boring black crinkle finish boxes.

 

[WADAX]

Wadax full stack is now around $370K. Certainly there is enough money to hire an industrial designer and add a bigger screen. At least offer up a CNC machined case like dCS or MSB.

Hi Lee - I just wanted to add some clarity to your post, which is inaccurate and not true. WADAX has had an industrial designer working full-time since the inception of the company. Every WADAX product is designed by Alberto, both aesthetically and functionally. Additionally, the Atlantis Reference DAC chassis starts from over 320kg of aluminum alloy, with each chassis component milled from a solid block.To achieve the performance of the DAC, extremely tight tolerances are required, which only machining can provide. While the aesthetic of the Atlantis Reference series is unique and sometimes polarizing, it is not arbitrary. Javier Guadalajara, founder and chief engineer for WADAX, is a big Formula 1 fan. He asked Alberto to design a front panel reminiscent of a Formula 1 car. The front of the DAC and Server incorporate a shape similar to that of a Formula 1 steering wheel, including the shift paddles. I hope this clears up any confusion.

As for pricing, the Atlantis Reference DAC and Server, including the Akasa Optical System, is right around $250k. This is considered a Level 2 system. A Level 4 system, which adds the Akasa Reference DC cables and the external power supply for the Server, is about $370k.

 

[Elliot G.]

That's sort of my point. Why no CNC design artistry ala dCS or MSB or Magico? The Wadax boxes may even be CNC'd but they are boring black crinkle finish boxes.

By the way for every Wadax system I have sold I took either a MSB or dCS in trade.

 

[Lee]

Hi Lee - I just wanted to add some clarity to your post, which is inaccurate and not true. WADAX has had an industrial designer working full-time since the inception of the company. Every WADAX product is designed by Alberto, both aesthetically and functionally. Additionally, the Atlantis Reference DAC chassis starts from over 320kg of aluminum alloy, with each chassis component milled from a solid block.To achieve the performance of the DAC, extremely tight tolerances are required, which only machining can provide. While the aesthetic of the Atlantis Reference series is unique and sometimes polarizing, it is not arbitrary. Javier Guadalajara, founder and chief engineer for WADAX, is a big Formula 1 fan. He asked Alberto to design a front panel reminiscent of a Formula 1 car. The front of the DAC and Server incorporate a shape similar to that of a Formula 1 steering wheel, including the shift paddles. I hope this clears up any confusion.

As for pricing, the Atlantis Reference DAC and Server, including the Akasa Optical System, is right around $250k. This is considered a Level 2 system. A Level 4 system, which adds the Akasa Reference DC cables and the external power supply for the Server, is about $370k.

Thanks, I appreciate the clarification. I guess my view of good industrial design is a bit different. I am also a huge Formula 1 fan but I find it hard to see how the front panel reflects that.

 

[WADAX]

Thanks, I appreciate the clarification. I guess my view of good industrial design is a bit different. I am also a huge Formula 1 fan but I find it hard to see how the front panel reflects that.

You're welcome. As for the front panel, it just takes a little imagination.

 

[Another Johnson]

By the way for every Wadax system I have sold I took either a MSB or dCS in trade.

Of course! It’s one of the few that costs enough more to impress and solicit the shock factor from the others in the club!

it seems like nearly every thread has to become a pi$$ing contest.