Wadia 121 decoding computer head amplifier dacdigital. The wadia 121decoding computer is a small form factor digitalto analog converter with digital preamplifier capabilities. Ive always enjoyed wadias industrial design and the di122 is no exception with their new series 1 compact casework. Jan 21, 2012 should i leave the wadia 121 decoding computer with the power on. Using their native usb implementations i thought the nuforce and wadia were extremely close in sound quality with the edge going to the wadia 121. The wadia 121 features a new generation of wadia s proprietary interpolating digital filtering system known as digimaster. Rather than work with the same chipsets used in many other dacs, the 121 uses wadias patented digimaster circuitry to upsample the incoming digital data to a 32. Its 2 optical and 2 coaxial inputs accept music with resolutions up to 24bit192khz, while the din input will allow future wadia. While the 121 is unusually fluid for a wadia, its treble is still somewhat dry at times. Item offered is a beautiful condition and great sounding wadia 121 decoding computer aka dac.
For sale is a wadia 121 decoding engine in excellent condition, including original box, manual and all accessories. The a102 digital stereo amplifier offers 50 80 watts of power into two. This wadia measures 8x8 square and less than 3 tall. Positive points for the wadia di122 usb dac and digital preamp were forensically detailed. The wadia 121 offers several digital inputs and a digital volume control and ive seen them refer to it as a digital preamp which makes sense. It achieved this by identifying that jitter was a major source of problem for digital audio, a fact that was subsequently taken onboard by the rest of the industry and is now a standard consideration when designing dacs. There are five digital inputs aesebu, coaxial on bnc, coaxial on rca. Jan, 2015 ive always enjoyed wadia s industrial design and the di122 is no exception with their new series 1 compact casework. Up for sale is a brand new 50w linear power supply for wadia 121 dac. New wadia 121 decoding computer dac a killer dac and. W a d i a d i g i t a l wadia 121decoding computer overview. Exogal currently has three products that include the comet dac, the ion digital amplifier.
Aesebu, coax rca, coax bnc, optical toslink, usb2 up to 192k24b. I listen 90% cd format, that is why i choose wadia 121 at this moment, dsd format is changing so frequent, may be there are dsd64, dsd128, dsd256. At wadia we refer to our digitalto analog converters dacs as decoding computers. Wadia 121 decoding computer dac great headphone amp. I sent mine back since wadia never responded to my emails. The volume level can be varied in the digital domain by means of mathematical. Wadia transport exogal comet dac recently replaced wadia dac cary sa280 v12r classe monoblocks 600 watts infinity epsilon speaker system recent crossover upgrades velodyne. I just wish that stereophile could include more dac. Highresolution digital files via a macbook air and amarra software meet or. The 121decoding computer is a dac, preamplifier, and headphone amp.
It offers all kinds of goodies, such as asynchronous usb input, clocklink input wordclock compatible, wadia digimaster filtering, digital volume control, and much more, at a very low price. Wadia 121 decoding computer da processor in excellent. I original leveraged this in my audio research and vandersteen setup and as a head. Just connect your itransport, computer, streaming audio.
It can fit just about anywhere and easily stackable. Sure enough, i could hear no difference between using the 121 as a preamp or through another preamp, at any volume level. The wadia 121decoding computer is designed to be left with the power on with no harm or wear to the unit. Wadia writes software that runs on multipurpose processors to decode and process digital audio.
Wadia digital wadia 121 decoding computer dac music direct. Wadia 521 dac hfa the independent source for audio. Wadia s designs are born of a delicate balance of technology shaped by a passion for music. Purchased two dacs in this price range and i assumed i would like both but dont want to risk an ab test since i liked the first one i tried so much i wanted to leave this sealed for resale. Dec 27, 2015 wadia digital 321 wadia was one of the first companies to make a decent cd player back in the early nineties. Solidstate, remotecontrolled da processor and headphone amplifier. The customer is granted a nonexclusive license to use the licensed software only on this wadia 121decoding computer.
Just connect your itransport, computer, streaming audio source, or any other digital. Wadias newest digital statement the wadia 121decoding computer is a high performance dac with a complete set of digital inputs, balanced analog outputs, and a headphone. Granted, the only preamp i tried in this system was a rotel rc 995, so i cant comment on how it would sound with a seriously highend preamp. Meant to stack with other components in the line, the di122 is a. Wadia are known for offering state of the art digital products, and for. The wadia is large and hefty cumbersome to me at 18 x 20 x 338 weighing 25 lbs while the ds jr has a more manageable size of 17 x 14 x 234 and weight of 18 lbs advantage ds jr of note though is that wadia s size i think is driven by the ability to stack the dac with other components from the same family i. Wadia s first creation was a dac, the digimaster 2000 decoding computer and the technologies developed in that dac remain at the core of wadia s models to this day. Why you might want one, and what to look for discussion duration. Jun 22, 2012 the wadia 121 offers several digital inputs and a digital volume control and ive seen them refer to it as a digital preamp which makes sense. Solidstate highresolution pcm digital toanalogue converter preamplifier. This warranty covers the wadia 121decoding computer. I do know that wadia makes a big pitch in the manual not to use a preamp.
Rather than work with the same chipsets used in many other dacs, the 121 uses wadia s patented digimaster circuitry to upsample the incoming digital data. The 121 combines a dac, preamplifier, and headphone amp. The latter requires a software driver that is included with mac os x but requires installation on. For sale is my wadia 121 decoding computer in excellent functional and cosmetic condition. This minimalist all digital preamp dac gives you a wide assortment of connections for plugging in your computer, network music player, disc players, and more, and experiencing their sound with eyeopening depth, detail, and dynamics. Wadias superior technical performance with a sleek, industrial design. W a d i a d i g i t a l wadia 121decoding computer overview adefinition what is a 121decoding computer. Wadia 121 decoding computer digital to analog converter. While i have not heard the 321 or 322 i have owned the wadia 121.
Whether seeking a high performance dac or a fully functioning digital preamplifier to build your system around, your search is over. The digimaster system in the 121 is a software based solution that runs on a. I can highly recommend the wadia 121 decoding computer to someone who prefers a dcstype sound at a far lower price. The software player, the dsd player and the sources of dsd files are important. Bring the full weight and power of your music to life with wadia s di322 digital audio decoder. In wadia speak this is a necessary evil, to allow the dac to be very good in other areas such as phase coherence. The wadia 121decoding computer uses the latest generation of wadia s proprietary digital volume control. Wadia calls the 121 a dac digital preamp because its remote controlled digital volume allows it to be connected directly to ones power amp. Apr 11, 2012 yes, wadia states that they have not found a preamp that they think sounds better than using the 121 straight into a power amp using the digital volume control. This product just may be destined to change forever the way you hear highresolution music files, signaling a new. A classy looking dac, digital preamp and headphone amp that majors on detail with a lively presentation. Im running my wadia 121 dac direct into a bel canto amp and it sounds great. The 121 strikes a very good balance between classic wadia virtues and newfound smoothness, and this makes the dac very engaging and very easy to listen to.
Wadia digital 121 dac headphone amp preamp in fantastic. Dec 21, 2016 founded nearly 20 years ago, wadia is now part of the mcintosh group that owns berhighend audiophile brands such as mcintosh labs, audio research, and sonus faber. The di122 digital audio decoder integrates wadias superior technical performance with our new series 1 mini industrial design. Wadia 121 decoding computer dac great headphone amp mint. Jul 21, 2014 successor to the famous 861, the 581 uses a more basic transport, but is the first wadia to offer sacd playback retail price 9800 euro. Like these other components, the 121 was designed for use in a computeraudio system where it functions as a digital preamp, dac. At wadias sole discretion, wadia may provide customer with updates of the licensed software. I use it primarily as a headphone amp and as a dac preamp on a secondary system. Wadia s7i cd player hfa the independent source for audio. It is designed to function as the control center for playback. Wadia 121 dac headphone amp da converters audiogon. We write software programs for our dacs that run on powerful multipurpose processors to accomplish a.
Hes a legendary audio engineer whos produced countless awardwinning products in his career, including the wadia 27 decoding computer, wadia 270 cd transport and the wadia 790 powerdac, to name a few. Wadia di322 digital audio decoder stereo digital preampdac. I also contrasted the wadias direct output with routing it through a preamplifier my trusty townshend allegri. This full featured, remote controlled dac has a terrific headphone amplifier plus a preamplifier volume control section driving both balanced and rca jacks with user selectable fixed or variable 1v, 2v or 4vrms max. The wadia 121decoding computer is a high performance dac digital preamplifier with a complete set of digital inputs, balanced analog outputs, digital volume control, and a headphone output section. This audio is received, buffered, and processed by decoding computers such as the wadia 121 similarly to conventional computers. The wadia 121 decoding computer features asynchronous sample rate conversion as well as internal usb asynchronous clocking. To the end user a wadia decoding computer looks, feels, and functions the same as any dac. Wadia 121decoding computer da processor specifications. The wadia 121 decoding computer is a highperformance dac digital preamplifier with a complete set of digital inputs, balanced analog outputs, digital volume control, and a headphone output section. Meant to stack with other components in the line, the di122 is a straightforward dac design with two spdif and two optical plus usb inputs on the back along with both balanced and unbalanced audio outputs. So while it obviously does not take the place of a traditional analog preamp, for those who only need digital inputs, it can fit the bill. Title to licensed software is not transferred to the customer. Wadia 121 decoding computer dac mint da converters.
Linear power supply for wadia 121 dac for sale us audio mart. Wadia 121 dac and headphone amp for sale us audio mart. It shares the same sleek, modern industrial design as the 321 decoding computer. Cambridge audio azur 851c black cd player digital preamp and dac. Wadia digital wadia 121 decoding computer dac music. While the term dac digitalto analog converter also fits, wadia understands that nomenclature is destiny. This is an early nonproduction sample of this new device. At 1400 euro, the 121 is not a reference class dac, and it should not be judged as such. With the addition of dsd support, digital music lovers can experience and enjoy some of the latest high resolution music offerings. Expensive power supply or not, the 121 is a serious dacor, as wadia calls it, a digital decoding computerwhich quickly becomes apparent when perusing its front and back panels.
Mar 20, 2012 digital source and realize exceptional high quality sound from a small, flexible, powerefficient dac. Wadia 121 decoding computer page 2 what emerged was a composite portrait of the 121. Like these other components, the 121 was designed for use in a computeraudio system where it functions as a digital preamp, dac, and headphone amp. On the left, on top of the s7i you can see the wadia 121 dac. This revealed that digital volume controls still have their limits, and whacking the dacs output up to max and using the preamp brought quite significant rewards in terms of dynamics, drive, and solidity of stereo image. At wadia s sole discretion, wadia may provide customer with updates of the licensed software. The wadia 121 decoding computer dac in an effort to avoid confusing readers let me state that the wadia 121 is a dac with a more descriptive name and extra features such as volume control and a headphone output. The di122 can be used as a digital to analog converter connected to your favorite analog preamplifier or as a main audio preamplifier connected to your favorite amplifier. The digimaster 4 waveform algorithm for the 121 has been optimized for a wide range of performance parameters.
The 121 is packed with wonderful design and proprietary technologies developed by wadia. Wadia 121 decoding computer, dac digital preamplifier wadia s newest digital statement the wadia computer 121decoding is a high performance dac digital preamplifier with a complete set of digital inputs, balanced analogue outputs, digital volume control, and a headphone output section. The wadia 121 decoding computer is wadia s latest foray in to the world of digital toanalog converters. As long as you dont mind being ruled by a pushbutton remote control dont lose it, and keep a spare battery handy at all times, the 121 looks great, and provides all the preamp functions needed in an all digital. Wadia 121 decoding computer amazing sound and good looks at a. So while it obviously does not take the place of a traditional analog preamp, for those who only need digital. Still, i can highly recommend the wadia 121decoding computer to someone who prefers a dcstype sound at a far lower price.
W a d i a d i g i t a l wadia 121decoding computer. There are cleaner and more detailed dacs around, but a t this price level i think the 121 has little competition, when you are after a wadia typical robust delivery. Wadia intuition is an alluring experience for both the ears and eyes. Wadia calls the 121 a dacdigital preamp because its remote controlled digital. The wadia 121decoding computer is a high performance dacdigital preamplifier with a complete set of digital inputs, balanced analog outputs, digital volume control, and a headphone output section. Wadia 581 sacd player hfa the independent source for. Upon first look its easy to see the wadia 121 s resemblance to other components in wadia s mini line, including the 171i ipod dock and 151 powerdac. This full featured, remote controlled dac has a terrific headphone amplifier plus a preamplifier volume. Regardless, it should work well it your rogue cronus.
Wadia 170i transport and cia channel islands audio power supply. Just connect your itransport, computer, streaming audio source, or any other digital audio source, and experience exceptional audiophile sound quality. Upon first look its easy to see the wadia 121s resemblance to other components in wadias mini line, including the 171i ipod dock and 151 powerdac. The wadia 121decoding computer is a small form factor digitaltoanalog converter with digital preamplifier capabilities. As i later discovered, the headphone section alone would be worth the price of admission. Wadia 121 dac dac, headphone amp, preamp for digital sources asynchronous usb input makes your audio files sing the wadia 121 calls itself a decoding computer. Current wadia products such as the 322 successor of the 321 are built in the mcintosh factory but still run the famous digimaster software. Integrates wadia s superior technical performance and supports both dsd and dxd formats.
While the power light is always illuminated, the volume and input sections of the front display can be minimized by pushing the display command on the remote control. Wadia 151 powerdac mini integrated digital amplifier and dac. This is why weve determined that the wadia 121 is more than worthy of one of our exceptional value awards for 2012. After this driver was installed on my computer the 121 was basically a plug and. I am the original owner of this wadia 121 and was purchased from an authorized dealer local to the milwaukee area. Just connect your itransport, computer, streaming audio source, or any other digital source and experience exceptional audiophile quality sound. This is probably the best headphone section ive heard in a dac preamp. Including original box, remote, usb driver and manual. Asynchronous usb aesebu bnc and rca coax analog outputs. The m330 media server gives you access to all your locally stored and internet based digital music in a single, easy to use device.
While wadia s digital expertise and track record exceed those of any audio company, technology alone does not guarantee an immersive and captivating musical performance. Wadia 121 decoding computer equipment, headphone arts. It was a deft little chameleon that faithfully passed through whatever qualitiestonal balance, timbre, imaging, spatial character, the overall feelwere present in the original recording, no more and no less that i could detect. Expensive power supply or not, the 121 is a serious dacor, as wadia calls it. The latter has superior resolution and transparency but the 121 counters with more drive and dynamic slam. The usb input accepts up to 32192 pcm as well as dsd 64128 and dxd 352. Wadia 121 decoding computer dac for sale online ebay. This combination of technical skill and understanding of musical enjoyment has allowed wadia to produce superior. It is designed to function as the control center for playback of digital audio sources. Sep 23, 2015 wadia innovations have shaped and defined digital audio processing and conversion for the high performance consumer electronics industry. Since the wadia 121 can operate as a stand alone dac i can always add another headphone amp to the mix to drive difficult to drive heaphones. Audio signals are processed using wadias digimaster up sampling and filtering technology. The wadia 121 may be the perfect upgrade for a highend home theater system, twochannel system, desktop system, or headphones.
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