I don't have experience with the Rega DAC, but the Wadia 12 was great. I had it for 20 years. Strong points: dynamics, liveliness and drama, as well as neutrality. Resolution was pretty good, but no match for my current Berkeley Alpha 2 DAC, which also excels in the areas mentioned.
In terms of liveliness, drama and neutrality it easily beat in my system modern alternatives like NAD M51 and Hegel DAC25. Warm and full sounding recordings are reproduced as such, colder or thinner sounding ones also (just like on the Berkeley). It doesn't pretty up things, which I like. I don't want all recordings to acquire a boring sameness. -- Bass is very precise, but on the leaner side of things, compared to modern DACs.
Caveat: mine was upgraded with a Wadia 860 opamp. More silence between the notes. I don't know how the stock Wadia 12 would compare to modern alternatives, but it still would have the positive attributes I just described.
You can get an old Wadia 12 very cheap these days.
In terms of liveliness, drama and neutrality it easily beat in my system modern alternatives like NAD M51 and Hegel DAC25. Warm and full sounding recordings are reproduced as such, colder or thinner sounding ones also (just like on the Berkeley). It doesn't pretty up things, which I like. I don't want all recordings to acquire a boring sameness. -- Bass is very precise, but on the leaner side of things, compared to modern DACs.
Caveat: mine was upgraded with a Wadia 860 opamp. More silence between the notes. I don't know how the stock Wadia 12 would compare to modern alternatives, but it still would have the positive attributes I just described.
You can get an old Wadia 12 very cheap these days.
You are probably aware that the Wadia 12 only decodes Redbook CD (max sampling input rate 48 kHz). To me it didn't matter since I am not interested in hi-res.
Or did you mean the modern Wadia 121 DAC? Then of course you can forget my above write-up
Or did you mean the modern Wadia 121 DAC? Then of course you can forget my above write-up
I would look more at a Wadia 9 or 15, which both had BB PCM63Ks inside. The Wadia 12 used either AD1864 (ok) or AD1865 (also pretty good). It seems the later ones had the AD1865 and if you want a 12 then that would be the right one to take.
Thanks, Thats useful info.
I got the Wadia 12 in a heritage from a family member. I really like the sound but I was not sure if to keep using my Rega or switch
