New Wadax Atlantis Reference Dac

[Legolas]

Interesting. I had similar long trails with many high end DACs and IMO I much preferred the Kassandra performance. It sounds more real to my ears. The Arcadia may be similar to the Chord DAVE, which is also very good, especially with the upsampler. But the DAVE never quite leaves the synthetic realm. To me that is key to a lot of modern DACs, they have got better than the hideous old DS stuff, but IMO R2R still is ahead on timbre, weight and realism.

One thing to bear in mind with testing DACs at this level, it is reliant on the rest of the chain as well. For example before I got the Genus, I was after taming treble details down a bit, as my SS power amplifier emphasised the edges, especially at mid to lower levels, even on full Class A setting. However, since the Genus replaced that amplifier, I am now enjoying 'opening the window' and enjoying the treble extension and detail without any issue at all. So my point (in my system) the power amplifier was the weak link.

I am also convinced on streaming, there is noise getting into the chain at the switch level, I am going to attack that next. I think that is holding back streaming v off the drive playback. I am looking at the SOtM switch.

More to come I think....

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Francisco,

Bravo for such a great write-up. it seems like i could 'hear/see' exactly what you were describing in my mind's 'ear/eye'.

thank you.

not heard this Wadax, but have heard the Kassandra (i think the Ref Mk2) at RMAF last year. not sure that system/room at RMAF was telling us all that the Kassandra was capable of telling us.

it might have been interesting to have added my MSB to this comparison....although i'm sure i would fail to write about it as well as you have.

 

[CKKeung]

It so happened last week that I listened to the Wadax Arcardia dac at a friend's home.




I agree totally that the Arcardia is completely non-fatiqueing, particularly when compared to the dac section of his Esoteric K1 sacd player.

Arcardia has retained the house-sound of Wadax.
It's very obvious that it is the small brother of the Atlantis dac I auditioned many times before.

I mention "smaller brother" because IMHO the Atlantis betters it in all sonic aspects.
Not unexpected because they are priced so differently by Wadax. Arcardia is their "entry product".

Please don't misunderstand, Arcardia performs appropriately and is competitive against dac of other brands in this sub-usd25k price range.

Go ahead (although it is obvious) that the opinions that I will express are from the listening in the configuration that I have, the DACs connected to different previews, maybe they sound differently. I would also like to point out that the differences in the different parameters between the two are not overnight, far from it, they are small, in some cases very small. If a DAC combines the strong points both would be the ..........



To begin with, we should indicate that we are facing two DACs with development philosophies, not different but radically opposed, at least as far as the conversion from Digital to Analog is concerned.

Wadax bets on the ultra-processed signal. It uses a really powerful programmable chip (an ASIC) programmed with the algorithms developed by them, which examines the incoming signal and applies corrections to eliminate or at least mitigate the time and phase errors it encounters (Wadax dixit).

Well Aries Cerat believes just the opposite, the signal does not have to be processed at all, in this way we are facing a really rare DAC for the times that are running; R2R NOS and without Filtering. However, both developers agree on the obsessive importance they dedicate to the power supply and in general to the details. I would recommend going through their websites for more information.





If what Wadax was looking for with its processing algorithms was to eliminate that feeling of "digititis" to which we are so accustomed, I can only say that they have achieved it fully. I never heard a DAC that, like this one, can listen for hours and hours without hearing fatigue. In this aspect for me the test of cotton are the masses of violins, I usually use the first movement of the first violin concerto by Bach / The English Concert / Archiv. In my old Electrocompaniet EMC1, it was hardly bearable, with the Lumin A1 the thing improved but there followed the digital signature. With the Kassandra I thought that I no longer could obtain more softness of a digital reproduction. Well, I was wrong with the Arcadia the violins of that "fucking" recording are pure silk. It's the least fatiguing DAC I've ever heard.

The Kassandra is already but Arcadía is even more so.

In terms of dynamic macro both are and much, I could not say which is more. In microdínamicas, in that facility to show you the little details there may be a slight advantage for the Kassandra. In variations on a Paganini / Janos Starker theme. Attacks on cello strings are better in Kassandra, Starker is more in my room.

The orchestral weight is again slightly better in Kassandra although the image is more advanced than with Arcadia. In this I prefer the latter, also this gives an image a little higher than Kassandra, although equally wide.

Timbrically I think Kassandra is a bit ahead, in the tenth prelude to Debussy's first book I think Benedetti Michelangeli's piano is more like what I hear live in the Philharmonic Society.

However, to complicate everything, the first movement of the Brahms violin concert with the Mutter, New York Philarmonic and Kurt Massur is in the Arcadia of a beauty, serenity and refinement that is one step above Kassandra.

In summary Arcadia has a sound without edges, without fatigue and refined, Kassandra has that same "tad" underneath but nevertheless its sound is more like real music sounds, by timbre and dynamics and again I say no no by big difference .

 

[nonesup]

it might have been interesting to have added my MSB to this comparison....although i'm sure i would fail to write about it as well as you have.

Well your MSB is in another price league with respect to these two and without a doubt it must be in sound. If there is a DAC that I would like to hear, it is the MSB Select ll with double base and improved Femto clock. I will never be able to buy it, but I would love to hear it. In fact before buying my Kassandra I had planned to listen to the Premier MSB, unfortunately a misunderstanding with the importer prevented it. Afterwards, everything was clarified and I was offered to send a DAC to my house to listen, but I had already commissioned the AC and although they still had to manufacture it, I had to say no.

 

[Zero000]

My first reaction to the Wadax Atlantis at Munich when I saw it was "Christ. That is pathetic. There's no way in engineering terms a DAC that size can be justified."

I just thought it looked totally gross. And it does.

Just being honest...

BTW you have to see it in the flesh to realise just how huge it is.

 

[CKKeung]

My first reaction to the Wadax Atlantis at Munich when I saw it was "Christ. That is pathetic. There's no way in engineering terms a DAC that size can be justified."

I just thought it looked totally gross. And it does.

Just being honest...

BTW you have to see it in the flesh to realise just how huge it is.

Hello User211,
I guess what you mean is the new Wadax Reference DAC.
It was debuted at Munich Show 2019.
Although it is one-piece, it's HUGE!

Pls refer to the photo on #95.
The upper monster is Reference DAC.
The lower smaller one is Atlantis DAC.

 

[Zero000]

Hello User211,
I guess what you mean is the new Wadax Reference DAC.
It was debuted at Munich Show 2019.
Although it is one-piece, it's HUGE!

Pls refer to the photo on #95.
The upper monster is Reference DAC.
The lower smaller one is Atlantis DAC.

Yup my bad. I meant the Reference.

 

[koalakoala]

I think it is in 3 boxes...one dac box and 2 power boxes on two sides...

 

[audioway]

Something important with the Kassandra is that it is preferable to leave by RCA than by XLR. Stavros warned me and he was right. Now I have a RCA Göbel borrowed, while the connectors of my XLR change in the factory.

Francisco, thanks for such informative description of Arcadia and Kassandra. I ask you because I very good know Arcadia sound. At now all cleared.
I myself compared in my system Wadax Arcadia and Stahl~Tek Opus Prime (my DAC) and found the same experience of difference between Wadax (ASIC based conversion D/A method) and Stahl~Tek (Ladder D/A method). In some aspects I prefer Stahl~Tek in other preferable Arcadia.
Also thanks about output type recommendation because I thinking to try balanced version. At now will be focused on SE version.

 

[audioway]

Interesting. I had similar long trails with many high end DACs and IMO I much preferred the Kassandra performance. It sounds more real to my ears. The Arcadia may be similar to the Chord DAVE, which is also very good, especially with the upsampler. But the DAVE never quite leaves the synthetic realm. To me that is key to a lot of modern DACs, they have got better than the hideous old DS stuff, but IMO R2R still is ahead on timbre, weight and realism.

One thing to bear in mind with testing DACs at this level, it is reliant on the rest of the chain as well. For example before I got the Genus, I was after taming treble details down a bit, as my SS power amplifier emphasised the edges, especially at mid to lower levels, even on full Class A setting. However, since the Genus replaced that amplifier, I am now enjoying 'opening the window' and enjoying the treble extension and detail without any issue at all. So my point (in my system) the power amplifier was the weak link.

I am also convinced on streaming, there is noise getting into the chain at the switch level, I am going to attack that next. I think that is holding back streaming v off the drive playback. I am looking at the SOtM switch.

More to come I think....

Hi Astro,
Did you have experience of comparing Kassandra II Ref to Kassandra Signature II? Difference in price about 2 time. Is Signature II level correspodt to it price. Sorry for question about Aries Cerat in Wadax thread.

 

[audioway]

It so happened last week that I listened to the Wadax Arcardia dac at a friend's home.

View attachment 54465
View attachment 54466

I agree totally that the Arcardia is completely non-fatiqueing, particularly when compared to the dac section of his Esoteric K1 sacd player.

Arcardia has retained the house-sound of Wadax.
It's very obvious that it is the small brother of the Atlantis dac I auditioned many times before.

I mention "smaller brother" because IMHO the Atlantis betters it in all sonic aspects.
Not unexpected because they are priced so differently by Wadax. Arcardia is their "entry product".

Please don't misunderstand, Arcardia performs appropriately and is competitive against dac of other brands in this sub-usd25k price range.

Hello CKKeung,
100% agree with you about Wadax and Esoteric sound signature (listened Arcadia and Esoteric D-02 + G-0Rb and preferred Arcadia). Previously you mention that you listen Wadax Atlantis and MSB Select II. Will be very interesting to read your opinion about sound signature of MSB compared to Wadax. I listen both DACs only at show and not 100% sure of my conclusion.
Thanks for your opinion

 

[audioway]

I think it is in 3 boxes...one dac box and 2 power boxes on two sides...

Correct - 3 boxes and they can be placed on different shelves. See schematics.

 

[Legolas]

Hi Astro,
Did you have experience of comparing Kassandra II Ref to Kassandra Signature II? Difference in price about 2 time. Is Signature II level correspodt to it price. Sorry for question about Aries Cerat in Wadax thread.

I have not heard directly side by side. But I can say the Kassandra Signature was used at Munich as the source into the Impera pre and Achilleas power amplifiers, into the Symphonias and new Erevus Bass Horns. I have to say it sounded incredible, and got best of show from many who heard it. We swopped the TT and digital front ends over the 4 days without really noticing, so the digital to my ears was as good as the TT. Zero fatigue, fully dynamic (of the scale dynamics) and super 3D soundstage and pin point placement.

On DACs generally, at this high level it possibly comes down to personal tastes. I have struggled to connect with DS or DSD based DACs, or the up sampling DAVE architecture. I have no answer for it, only to say NOS R2R sounds more natural to my ears, and I enjoy listening for hours.

 

[Legolas]

Hello CKKeung,
100% agree with you about Wadax and Esoteric sound signature (listened Arcadia and Esoteric D-02 + G-0Rb and preferred Arcadia). Previously you mention that you listen Wadax Atlantis and MSB Select II. Will be very interesting to read your opinion about sound signature of MSB compared to Wadax. I listen both DACs only at show and not 100% sure of my conclusion.
Thanks for your opinion

I have heard at length the D01 as a CDP and DAC combo, and was not impressed by the sound of it. Too processed IMO. That was when I had the Audio Note DAC 5, and the AN DAC won that shoot out.

 

[Narayan]

Not really a fan of the look of the Atlantis Reference but I would certainly like to listen to it. One thing that irritates me about some spanish audio companies is the fact that they only have their website in the english language (I´m looking at you Wadax, Artesania Audio, Fono Acustica, Kroma Audio...) I don´t think Wilson Audio, MSB or Audioquest would ever have their websites in spanish or any other language rather than english, hell, Aries Cerat has a spanish distributor and they include spanish in their website. Many a spaniard will have to make the effort of having to use Google Translate to be able to navigate and understand a spanish company´s website which is senseless.
Sorry for the rant but I had to get being alienated by my fellow countrymen off my chest

 

[CKKeung]

Correct - 3 boxes and they can be placed on different shelves. See schematics.

The Wadax Reference DAC is modular and upgrade can be easy.
However and as far as I know, the modules are linked together directly via direct plugs-sockets.
I have never heard that there are cables to enable its modules to be placed separately.

 

[CKKeung]

Hello CKKeung,
100% agree with you about Wadax and Esoteric sound signature (listened Arcadia and Esoteric D-02 + G-0Rb and preferred Arcadia). Previously you mention that you listen Wadax Atlantis and MSB Select II. Will be very interesting to read your opinion about sound signature of MSB compared to Wadax. I listen both DACs only at show and not 100% sure of my conclusion.
Thanks for your opinion

Hello audioway,
My favourite dac is MSB Select DAC, followed by Totaldac Twelve Mk2 dac.

I shared my views on Select DAC here :
#1452 & #1458
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/msb-select-ii-arrival.23302/page-73

 

[spiritofmusic]

Not really a fan of the look of the Atlantis Reference but I would certainly like to listen to it. One thing that irritates me about some spanish audio companies is the fact that they only have their website in the english language (I´m looking at you Wadax, Artesania Audio, Fono Acustica, Kroma Audio...) I don´t think Wilson Audio, MSB or Audioquest would ever have their websites in spanish or any other language rather than english, hell, Aries Cerat has a spanish distributor and they include spanish in their website. Many a spaniard will have to make the effort of having to use Google Translate to be able to navigate and understand a spanish company´s website which is senseless.
Sorry for the rant but I had to get being alienated by my fellow countrymen off my chest

Narayan, you would have been impressed w the recent US Democrats presidential wannabes beauty parade on tv a few days back. Most of them spoke Spanish.

 

[nonesup]

Not really a fan of the look of the Atlantis Reference but I would certainly like to listen to it. One thing that irritates me about some spanish audio companies is the fact that they only have their website in the english language (I´m looking at you Wadax, Artesania Audio, Fono Acustica, Kroma Audio...) I don´t think Wilson Audio, MSB or Audioquest would ever have their websites in spanish or any other language rather than english, hell, Aries Cerat has a spanish distributor and they include spanish in their website. Many a spaniard will have to make the effort of having to use Google Translate to be able to navigate and understand a spanish company´s website which is senseless.
Sorry for the rant but I had to get being alienated by my fellow countrymen off my chest

I absolutely agree with you. I understand that with these prices the market to Spanish is marginal, but not offering the native language on the website is simply stupid. Well, I think I'm going to leave it here, before saying something that I regret tomorrow.

 

[Stereophonic]

My first reaction to the Wadax Atlantis at Munich when I saw it was "Christ. That is pathetic. There's no way in engineering terms a DAC that size can be justified."

I just thought it looked totally gross. And it does.

Just being honest...

BTW you have to see it in the flesh to realise just how huge it is.

Very funny post...
Pathetic? No way to justified it?
Could you be so generous to explain it why?
Regards.