Uber High End Streamer Wars: Taiko vs. Wadax. What are the Design and Subjective Sonic Differences between the 2?

[caesar]

selling updates to those who are server customers is not quite the same thing but we shall see what they do in the non locked in customer market once they get out of the extended back order situation, This isnt a negative but its what real at this time.
Anyone that owned an MSB or a dCS or a Wadax is going to take the easiest path and the least painful path instead of a full change which as we all know in HE Audio difficult and can be expensive.
People have done this for years with products like VPI, LINN and other companies that upgrade regularly.

Very true… and Wilson, of course… people just get acclimated to the sound, and convince themselves that their established brand is best for them. Their dealer schmoozes them…

New brands have it very, very tough in this luxury, band wagon ridden hobby

That’s exactly why comparisons that differentiate products are important

 

[Elliot G.]

True. Of course manufacturers do not want comparisons. They just want reviewers, authority figures, to constantly call their product the BEST. They also want that reinforced , month after month, year after year. Like The analytical Sound does for Magico and Stereophile does for Wilson with product of the year awards, midyear “audiophile ear awards”, best of shows awards… to maintain top of mind awareness …

They also want a herd of rich, incurious audio fans blindly following their brand and not doing due diligence and comparisons - see wilson dealer network ,orgiastic taiko threads on this forum that have 25 likes after each idiotic post,, etc.

But I’m in the side of the fans. And finding what’s the best for my tastes and preferences. Although people’s tastes are different, eventually salient differences do consistently come through …

Unfortunately for the consumer making changes on the high end is painfull. It can be very painfull as there are not the same trade in values and the ease of gettting these values of say cars and now watches. Audio does not have that and the resale value of used gear is no where near as strong as people would want. If one can change for small amounts aI think everyone would but thjats not how it works in this Industry. So being able to take advantage of an update does two things it keep you with the brand ( good for manufacturer) and it ewases the pain of the change /update/trade. Thats why its done.

 

[microstrip]

I’m waaaay behind on audio reading. What speakers and amps do you have now?

SoundLab A1 Px's. I have owned several versions of the A1's for more than thirty years - the old version with wood stators inclusive.

 

[microstrip]

(...) it's where analog references enter into how far digital might be able to go. it where the tip top separates itself.

Mike, you could not resist ...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike, you could not resist ...

because from where i sit it's where the references are.

YMMV.

 

[microstrip]

because from where i sit it's where the references are.

YMMV.

Interesting ... Thanks for being so clear.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Interesting ... Thanks for being so clear.

without solid references you are flapping in the wind. analog references mostly remove tube bias and dac bias. not that preference for those things does not (or might) trump an analog reference, people like what they like reference be damned. but at least you are calling a spade a spade.

i personally ran into this and choose my analog references over other preferences to a degree at one point. it surprised me but it was a learning moment.