Breaking news from DCS….

[caesar]

We always feel sorry when someone we care and helped us leaves the job and moves to a new job. But please see that John Quick has been with other brands before and Jesse Luna has changed job four times in the last ten years. And fortunately the newcomer to dCS also has an outstanding record in similar functions.

Yes, we live in a free market economy that has created unprecedented wealth - including the ability for us to engage in this hobby. It's the best time to live in the history world, even during Covid, with vaccinations readily available for most of us here. So, yes, the guys that were let ago are talented and will land on their feet after a "rough patch".

But other than showing a lack of empathy for guys like John Quick, who has positively touched thousands of individuals in this hobby, is there another point to your post?

 

[caesar]

I guess the Wadax dealers see Dcs as their biggest competitors and hope more US customers will buy their overpriced ugly dacs now !

Hi Lagonda,
I respectfully disagree with you on one point - the pricing of the Wadax DAC. According to the "audio journalists" who have heard it, it's the Best DAC in the world! By this logic, this DAC is actually underpriced!!!! The wadax distributor, the big lady from Canada with the charming personality, completely mis-priced this dAC in North America. It's priced only 4 percent higher than the previous best DAC in the world, the MSB.

Audiophile world aside, where one's imagination rules over reality, economic logic tells us that it's irrational to price uber luxury products in the Middle or as mere High, as people reflexively judge a product on their price. This Wadax is marketed as a trip to space on one of the billionaire space shuttles, but it's priced as mere luxury cruise!!! Anywhere outside of audio, any serious new venture investor would laugh the lady distributor right out of North America based on the pricing strategy.

So the Wadax is actually Underpriced based on the claims.

As far as looks, also agree. But hopefully the Wadax designer can offer a minimalist front plate option, a la Soulution and CH Precision. If he were smart, he would. FAST. (Because human response to design is pre-rational and he's losing sales!)

Anyways, since there are still no comparisons with other top DACs and just claims of best from the "audio journalists", still waiting to understand how the Wadax actually sounds like. The sooner the better for Wadax. Wadax has made serious strategic marketing mistakes but I sincerely wish wadax the best.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Anyways, since there are still no comparisons with other top DACs and just claims of best from the "audio journalists", still waiting to understand how the Wadax actually sounds like. The sooner the better for Wadax. Wadax has made serious strategic marketing mistakes but I sincerely wish wadax the best.

stay tuned....

 

[Elliot G.]

I have no comment about dCS or any other companies choices however Caesar your comments about Wadax are truly uninformed and wrong.
There is no US distributor for Wadax!. Wadax controls their own distribution and makes their own decisions.
I am truly sorry that the folks at Wadax did not ask you personally before they made any choices since your expertise on audio marketing is well known worldwide.
I am a Wadax dealer and I do speak to Javier and Jerome frequently. They are following the plan they have and will continue to do such.
They have gotten terrific press, have a small group of selected dealers and are continuing their path to make the best products they know how to build. I don't see what's wrong here but alas I am not the all knowing ,omnipotent Caesar

 

[caesar]

stay tuned....

Hi Mike,
Looking forward to it. Yours will be an excellent data point.

But I think we need more. I would also love to hear from guys who prioritize the emotional aspects of sound, like from guys who like horns and high efficiency gear.

 

[caesar]

I have no comment about dCS or any other companies choices however Caesar your comments about Wadax are truly uninformed and wrong.
There is no US distributor for Wadax!. Wadax controls their own distribution and makes their own decisions.
I am truly sorry that the folks at Wadax did not ask you personally before they made any choices since your expertise on audio marketing is well known worldwide.
I am a Wadax dealer and I do speak to Javier and Jerome frequently. They are following the plan they have and will continue to do such.
They have gotten terrific press, have a small group of selected dealers and are continuing their path to make the best products they know how to build. I don't see what's wrong here but alas I am not the all knowing ,omnipotent Caesar

Hey Elliot,
The ads I have seen show audio pathways from Canadata as the distributor. thank GOD for Wadax that lady is not the distributor, as my understanding Avantgarde tried to get rid of that lady as their distributor , behind her back...

The positive press the DAC got is from the least respected guys in the industry. And as for other strategic issues, good luck! no amount of personal comments toward me will change that reality. Happy New Year!

 

[andromedaaudio]

like from guys who like horns and high efficiency gear.

Traitor ,switching camps again

As far as looks, also agree. But hopefully the Wadax designer can offer a minimalist front plate option,

Its a luxury industry , afaic he should put a diamond imbedded in gold on the frontplate

Anyways, since there are still no comparisons with other top DACs and just claims of best from the "audio journalists"

Usually you say they are all heavily biased /corrupted , and suddenly you need their opinion / confirmation ?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I would also love to hear from guys who prioritize the emotional aspects of sound, like from guys who like horns and high efficiency gear.

maybe cite one example of a high efficiency speaker system user (98db efficiency or above), with uber digital. your wait will be eternal. my speakers are 'accidentally' 97db efficient; but not really compatible with modest powered or lower tubes. i use high powered solid state. find an SET (under 30 watts) powered system with uber digital. again, not really out there.

they maybe do Lampi Pacific, or modest CD digital, then stop there. the ideas of all in digital and horns are mutually exclusive.

a case can be made that the Lampi Pacific (or modest CD playback) is all in digital.....but it's not the playground we are talking about here.

 

[dcc]

maybe cite one example of a high efficiency speaker system user (98db efficiency or above), with uber digital. your wait will be eternal.

they maybe do Lampi Pacific, or modest CD digital, then stop there. the ideas of all in digital and horns are mutually exclusive.

a case can be made that the Lampi Pacific (or modest CD playback) is all in digital.....but it's not the playground we are talking about here.

The Aries Cerat Symphonia loudspeakers (101 dB) with a full Aries front end (amp, preamp and DAC) are quite convincing.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

The Aries Cerat Symphonia loudspeakers (101 dB) with a full Aries Symphonie front end (amp, preamp and DAC) are quite convincing.

exception that proves the point.

and arriving at Aries Cerat digital is rarely based on other digital choices (especially the top level), more the brand synergy and direction. it's a system approach. not duking it out with other digital choices.

so it's an outlier.

 

[Stereophonic]

I thought this was a DCS thread …

 

[Steve williams]

stay tuned....

so when does it arrive Mike

 

[andromedaaudio]

There is no US distributor for Wadax!. Wadax controls their own distribution and makes their own decisions.

Sounds very reasonable to me .
As its a small market for such high priced dacs .
What would the distributor benefit be anyway for products with relatively small sales like that .
Resulting in ( unnecessary) mark ups for the customer ??

 

[Stereophonic]

For everybody interested in Wadax…

New Wadax Atlantis Reference Dac

Hi everybody. Yesterday was launched the new Atlantis Reference Dac.... Extreme taken to the limit !!!

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[Jpspock]

Very interesting thread. I own a dcs Rossini and vivaldi clock… what I cannot understand, how it is possible to say that this dac , speaker are the best of the world… especially in our hobby…

 

[microstrip]

Yes, we live in a free market economy that has created unprecedented wealth - including the ability for us to engage in this hobby. It's the best time to live in the history world, even during Covid, with vaccinations readily available for most of us here. So, yes, the guys that were let ago are talented and will land on their feet after a "rough patch".

But other than showing a lack of empathy for guys like John Quick, who has positively touched thousands of individuals in this hobby, is there another point to your post?

My post was a followup of other posts in the thread and should be inserted in the context of the very scarce news. And again, please focus on the content of posts and do not distort messages to kill the messenger. Until we have all the details we can only refer to facts, not to intentions.

 

[microstrip]

I thought this was a DCS thread …

The dCS products are extremely successful and, disregarding specific preferences, the Vivaldi ranks as one of the top sounding digital systems. It is natural that a dCS thread hosts out of thread posts on other top DACs. But probably we would be happier without vitriol.

 

[Stereophonic]

It seems that in Bangkok everything continues as usual ...

BAV Hi-End Show 2021

 

[caesar]

I thought this was a DCS thread …

Hi Stereophonic,
Since you have been a frequent contributor to Wadax information on this site, with unclear affiliation to Wadax to most members, it's only natural that people will question your incentives and motivation. Now I am not suggesting anything, but you should not be surprised by people bringing Wadax into this thread.

Just an outsider perspective.

 

[caesar]

For everybody interested in Wadax…

New Wadax Atlantis Reference Dac

Hi everybody. Yesterday was launched the new Atlantis Reference Dac.... Extreme taken to the limit !!!

www.whatsbestforum.com

Hi Stereophonic,

Since you seem to have some type of relationship with the Wadax owner, is it possible to have him join the site and start a new thread? Look at the success the Lampizator thread and Taiko Exteme server thread are having with the company principals engaging with the fans. People may not agree 100 percent with those guys, but they are respectful of those individuals and both threads are very successful.

The other Wadax thread doesn't seem to be doing any justice to the Wadax endeavor, as the owner has outsourced his marketing to a couple of polarizing (and disgusting to many audio fans) industry guys who are not willing and are not capable differentiating the wadax dac from a sonic and technical performance. The modus operendi of these "journalists" is just to call something Best every few months, so they can keep getting free toys (and fees?) every few months.

I think my suggested approach will work much better. One can palpably feel the excitement and electricity generated by the raving fans of Lampizator and the Taiko Extreme. And what we are seeing in the Lampizator and Extereme threads is a much more genuine approach, vs. the "Emperor with No Clothes 'audio journalists' " who treating hobbyists like they are the great unwashed masses, who need to be told what best to buy with some "expert" who knows their taste and situation. This should be about making life of the customer better, not about the ego of the "audio journalist". I hope this lose - lose - lose situation can be reversed ....