Wadax Munich 2022

[Steve Vu]

Steve, here Emile's post #9949:

Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème | What's Best Audio and Video Forum. The Best High End Audio Forum on the planet! (whatsbestforum.com)

Matt

Thank you. I followed this thread before and I read it everyday. I learned many things from it.

Like Rhapaody said, we should keep it in Wadax thread.

 

[Audiocrack]

The Wadax Room: Wadax Atlantis Reference Server with PSU Power Supply, DAC, and Transport X CD Player; Audio Research Reference 6SE Preamplifier and Reference 160 M Amplifiers, Wilson-Benesch Eminence Loudspeakers, Transparent Cable

The Wadax room brought huge gear and huge sound to Munich High End, along with a couple of new product introductions. Their main demo, in Atrium 4.2's E207 room presented the Wadax Atlantis Reference Server ($64,900) with a new, upgraded Reference PSU external power supply ($49,000) that's said...

www.stereophile.com

 

[Elliot G.]

Best Sound in Munich | High End 2022

Hi-Fi news, gear reviews, and interviews

parttimeaudiophile.com

 

[Stereophonic]

This image represents the modesty of majority of mortals like me, see the unattainable with humility and admiration from our real position.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Aka "if you need to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it".

 

[musicfirst1]

This image represents the modesty of majority of mortals like me, see the unattainable with humility and admiration from our real position.
View attachment 94058

For me, despite sonic issues on T,F,S, by Sunday, one of the top three best sounds at the show.

 

[Audiocrack]

Munich High End Show 2022 Detailed Report - Soundnews

If there would be a definition of heaven for audiophiles, then it would definitely feel like everything we saw, touched, heard (and licked) at the Munich High End Show 2022. It was a blast talking with some of the biggest designers, engineers and music enthusiasts in a language that is so...

soundnews.net

Inter alia comments on the Kharma/Wadax room

 

[LL21]

This image represents the modesty of majority of mortals like me, see the unattainable with humility and admiration from our real position.
View attachment 94058

Interesting…do you or does anyone know what the Robert Koda K160 is sitting on? Looks like some kind of combination round silver cylinder and black cylinder?

 

[Stereophonic]

I’m not sure, but they seem Stillpoints…

 

[Audiocrack]

Munich 2022 - Gy8

Munich Show 2022 conclusions

gy8.eu

See page 2 for Roy Gregory’s comment on Wadax in Munich.

 

[Stereophonic]

“But surely the biggest disappointment at the show was the poor performance of so many high-end digital contenders. Streamed music has certainly contributed to a general decline in musical standards (it’s no coincidence that, with the sole exception of Wadax, all the best sounding rooms were playing physical media) but it was also noticeable that none of the highly touted digital brands trying to close the musical and technological gap to Wadax managed to deliver. MSB, TotalDAC and dCS all disappointed, with sound that varied from sterile through to actively unpleasant.”
No more questions..

 

[andromedaaudio]

“But surely the biggest disappointment at the show was the poor performance of so many high-end digital contenders. Streamed music has certainly contributed to a general decline in musical standards (it’s no coincidence that, with the sole exception of Wadax, all the best sounding rooms were playing physical media) but it was also noticeable that none of the highly touted digital brands trying to close the musical and technological gap to Wadax managed to deliver. MSB, TotalDAC and dCS all disappointed, with sound that varied from sterile through to actively unpleasant.”
No more questions..

So i wasnt the only one , lol.
No wonder why i play tape at home , Wadax being indeed a pleasant exeption .
Best of the rest was CH digital afaik.

 

[amadeus]

ok, fair enough. nothing to quibble with.

so allow me to more narrowly ask my question; can you cite an example of any digital playback that fulfils those expectations for you? gear and system context?

In the past i had some great experiences whit some digital gear like:
-Cec tlox > Audio Note Dac 5 Signature (Best for human voices)
-Zanden 2000P > Zanden 5000 Sig (allround perfect just a litle weak on Bass if your system need some added Bass)
-Metronome Kalista reference Cd transport whit the original battery powered power supply pairen whit Lampizator Pacific Dac whit great results (at the moment i am playing whit this combo)

All 3 combos have after fine tuning cable matching and tube rolling have made performance at the highest levels...

Not to forget to mention i have used for many years a spare cd player in my demo room and that was a one box player of Audio Research CD8 this player is up to date still the best once box player i have heard no nonsense much better than "some" very very expensief good looking bas sounding gear....

 

[morricab]

“But surely the biggest disappointment at the show was the poor performance of so many high-end digital contenders. Streamed music has certainly contributed to a general decline in musical standards (it’s no coincidence that, with the sole exception of Wadax, all the best sounding rooms were playing physical media) but it was also noticeable that none of the highly touted digital brands trying to close the musical and technological gap to Wadax managed to deliver. MSB, TotalDAC and dCS all disappointed, with sound that varied from sterile through to actively unpleasant.”
No more questions..

Except TotalDac sounded great!

 

[Audiocrack]

So i wasnt the only one , lol.
No wonder why i play tape at home , Wadax being indeed a pleasant exeption .
Best of the rest was CH digital afaik.

Of course you were not the only one. You were not the only person who listened with an open mind, that is without preconceived ideas and without (other) commercial interests.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

In the past i had some great experiences whit some digital gear like:
-Cec tlox > Audio Note Dac 5 Signature (Best for human voices)
-Zanden 2000P > Zanden 5000 Sig (allround perfect just a litle weak on Bass if your system need some added Bass)
-Metronome Kalista reference Cd transport whit the original battery powered power supply pairen whit Lampizator Pacific Dac whit great results (at the moment i am playing whit this combo)

All 3 combos have after fine tuning cable matching and tube rolling have made performance at the highest levels...

Not to forget to mention i have used for many years a spare cd player in my demo room and that was a one box player of Audio Research CD8 this player is up to date still the best once box player i have heard no nonsense much better than "some" very very expensief good looking bas sounding gear....

so it took you 8 days to think that through enough to answer. ok. thank you for taking the time to relate the data points. i will certainly keep your essential list of attributes in mind if i hear any of those combos to see what i hear. i have encountered most all of those pieces at one point or another. need to pay more attention.

it also might be fair to say you have a strong preference for silver discs and tubed dacs. just say'n.

and one follow up question; was there any digital at Munich that hit those attributes for you? where you could pick out those things and attribute it to a digital source? thank you. from your response evidently no, but just wanted to make sure.

 

[LL21]

I’m not sure, but they seem Stillpoints…

Thanks…perhaps black Stillpoints Ultra 7s on the very bottom but with some very big silver cylinder on top of it directly underneath the chassis.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Thanks…perhaps black Stillpoints Ultra 7s on the very bottom but with some very big silver cylinder on top of it directly underneath the chassis.

Lloyd have you heard Wadax ?

Besides you as a rockport lover , I think you d love the Rockport Lyra as well , very good speaker

 

[amadeus]

so it took you 8 days to think that through enough to answer. ok. thank you for taking the time to relate the data points. i will certainly keep your essential list of attributes in mind if i hear any of those combos to see what i hear. i have encountered most all of those pieces at one point or another. need to pay more attention.

it also might be fair to say you have a strong preference for silver discs and tubed dacs. just say'n.

and one follow up question; was there any digital at Munich that hit those attributes for you? where you could pick out those things and attribute it to a digital source? thank you. from your response evidently no, but just wanted to make sure.

I am not familiar whit streamers and the one i hav e heard didnt sound "natural" to me, doesn't mean they are good or bad i only have not experienced the "better" ones yet.... Soon i like to visit Taiko Audio, i hear many great feedback regarding Taiko streamers hope it can convince me that a streamer can sound as good as a top cd transport or even better...??? If so its so much more comfortable to use streamer!

Once at room of Alsyvox all other equipment was from Omega audio from Italy also the Cd Transport and Dac that was from Omega Audio really great sounding system and in one of other rooms forget which other equipment i remember that i liked very much the MSB top of the line Dac sound very dynamic and natural.....

 

[Elliot G.]

another best sound at the show report.