Wadax Studio Player

[Michaels HiFi]

There are YouTubers who have built very big channels selling the notion that a $500 component is every bit as capable as one costing many times more and that those who spend more are fools. To be fair, some of that goes on at the higher in too-you can get blacker backgrounds, inner detail, wider soundstage if you shell out 500 bucks to get your cables 2 inches off the floor (no hit on those who want to lift their cable, but it can be done for next to nothing).

This stuff works because there is always a booming market for telling people what they really, really want to believe and it has been forever thus. Fox News and MSNBC exist by manipulating their reporting to reinforce the preconceived notions of the target audience. Same stuff, different targets. Cheapaudioman has built a YouTube channel with nearly half a million subscribers using the same basic approach. It works.

Thus my view they are a much bigger threat to the hifi industry than the few expensive companies.

Also I'd like to add to your post CNN, Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, Apple News (per the recent expose showing 90% of their articles leaned one way.....

Many people lack the most basic critical thinking skills and would simply rather be told what to be outraged and a faux victim of. In this case it's the "evil greedy snake oil audio companies".

The funny part? No one is forcing anyone to actually BUY any of this stuff. It's not enough the victim-sheeple are outraged that these option exist, they are even more outraged that OTHERS choose to buy this stuff with our own money. LOL

 

[mep]

I’m curious, do you ever get a piece to review you really don’t want to or don’t care about and the entire review seems like a chore?

Yes, it has happened.

 

[Kramer64]

Thus my view they are a much bigger threat to the hifi industry than the few expensive companies.

Also I'd like to add to your post CNN, Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, Apple News (per the recent expose showing 90% of their articles leaned one way.....

Many people lack the most basic critical thinking skills and would simply rather be told what to be outraged and a faux victim of. In this case it's the "evil greedy snake oil audio companies".

The funny part? No one is forcing anyone to actually BUY any of this stuff. It's not enough the victim-sheeple are outraged that these option exist, they are even more outraged that OTHERS choose to buy this stuff with our own money. LOL

You point out one of the most annoying traits of many who pursue this hobby-the obsession about how other people choose to spend their money. Its certainly possible to build a system for a $1,000 and if someone takes joy from that and lacks the desire or means to spend more-good for them. Enjoy the music. If someone has the means and desire to buy a million dollar rig, why would anyone be bothered by that choice? This is supposed to be fun-its not a competitive sport. The snobs and reverse snobs are two sides of the same coin.

 

[Michaels HiFi]

You point out one of the most annoying traits of many who pursue this hobby-the obsession about how other people choose to spend their money. Its certainly possible to build a system for a $1,000 and if someone takes joy from that and lacks the desire or means to spend more-good for them. Enjoy the music. If someone has the means and desire to buy a million dollar rig, why would anyone be bothered by that choice? This is supposed to be fun-its not a competitive sport. The snobs and reverse snobs are two sides of the same coin.

I totally agree.

I'm always amazed at the people who get angry - yes angry - at people who decide to buy nice cables as an example.

Conversely I currently have listed as one of my best amps at any price is the $1800 type 45 mono blocks I own. And I have mono blocks here that are 50x that price as well.

I think it's simple - the "best" system is the one you enjoy and brings a smile to your face. It doesn't not matter if you are a bass head, measurement snob, or tubephile. So long as you are happy that is all that matters.

Having said that over the years the people I see with the most anger and animosity are the ones on the cheap end looking upwards. There are entire FB groups aimed at attacking people with nice systems. I've never seen a Facebook group focused on the reverse.

Sometimes one side is worse than the other and it's ok to call it out as such. Not everything needs to be right down the middle to be true.

 

[Randy Myers]

I totally agree.

I'm always amazed at the people who get angry - yes angry - at people who decide to buy nice cables as an example.

Conversely I currently have listed as one of my best amps at any price is the $1800 type 45 mono blocks I own. And I have mono blocks here that are 50x that price as well.

I think it's simple - the "best" system is the one you enjoy and brings a smile to your face. It doesn't not matter if you are a bass head, measurement snob, or tubephile. So long as you are happy that is all that matters.

Having said that over the years the people I see with the most anger and animosity are the ones on the cheap end looking upwards. There are entire FB groups aimed at attacking people with nice systems. I've never seen a Facebook group focused on the reverse.

Sometimes one side is worse than the other and it's ok to call it out as such. Not everything needs to be right down the middle to be true.

I certainly don't disagree. My main point was the future of our hobby and bringing others in. I am totally happy with my system. It certainly is not top end, but it is also a system to be proud of. Obviously jealousy is not a motivation for my posts. Maybe a bit selfish on my part because there are reasons to be concerned that our aging industry does definitely need new young blood to survive and to thrive.

 

[Mike]

Yes, it has happened.

I thought so. How do you even begin to motivate yourself to do a review?

 

[mep]

I thought so. How do you even begin to motivate yourself to do a review?

Thankfully those situations are very rare and you do the best you can to support the publication you write for.

 

[rangda]

My point is simply put, that $40k item could easily be priced at $10k and probably would still make the company money. But the company probably thinks this would hurt their reputation. Also, the other way of looking at it is that there is no justification for the $400k digital product.... NONE.

While I totally agree that prices are starting to get out of control in this hobby, especially with the boutique brands, I strongly doubt that Wadax could turn a profit on a 10k WSP. 10k list means dealer cost would be 5k maybe 6k tops. Being a European company presumably there is a US distributor to pay, let's be generous and say dealer cost would be 6k and the distributor takes 2k that leaves 4k for Wadax. $4000 wouldn't be profitable for the machining of the chassis, never mind all the electronics. Your "would still make the company money" price doesn't survive napkin math. It might have in 1996 but not in 2026.

Keep in mind there is non economy of scale with any of this gear, it's all sold in unit counts of hundreds, or even tens.

 

[rangda]

if you built this product for 6k? at what price should it be sold.

I'll bite.

Assuming the manufacturer => distributor.=> retailer model in this hobby probably around 42k. Let's round that to a highly suspicious 40k.

 

[Michaels HiFi]

While I totally agree that prices are starting to get out of control in this hobby, especially with the boutique brands, I strongly doubt that Wadax could turn a profit on a 10k WSP. 10k list means dealer cost would be 5k maybe 6k tops. Being a European company presumably there is a US distributor to pay, let's be generous and say dealer cost would be 6k and the distributor takes 2k that leaves 4k for Wadax. $4000 wouldn't be profitable for the machining of the chassis, never mind all the electronics. Your "would still make the company money" price doesn't survive napkin math. It might have in 1996 but not in 2026.

Keep in mind there is non economy of scale with any of this gear, it's all sold in unit counts of hundreds, or even tens.

You are using facts, logic and above all else reality. That will upset some people.

 

[Kramer64]

I don't know the answer. I do have an impression of companies that sell direct to consumers, without dealers or distributors. Theoretically, those companies should be able to deliver products at the same quality for significantly lower prices than companies who use dealers. In practice, I don't think that is the case .

 

[BendingWave]

I don't know the answer. I do have an impression of companies that sell direct to consumers, without dealers or distributors. Theoretically, those companies should be able to deliver products at the same quality for significantly lower prices than companies who use dealers. In practice, I don't think that is the case .

and yet they never do.

 

[BendingWave]

My client sent this to me today. He is the first to get the Power Supply for the studio player

As the first end user in the US to take delivery of the Wadax Studio Player, I am also now the first one to take delivery of the StudioPlayer power supply.

As I indicated, when I first listened to the SP when brought to my room and compared to my then reference, the CH 1.2, I thought the SP was the superior DAC. I was in no way ready to purchase the unit and just wanted to compare. To me, the difference was huge and the choice was easy. Better transparency, imaging and much more body and to my ears, a much more listenable and enjoyable DAC, which is saying a lot as the CH 1.2 was a spectacular DAC and in the same price range of the SP a very reasonable comparison.



Why some have looked to denigrate the WADAX, is beyond me, but as in so many cases, when something sets a standard, so many look to that standard to denigrate it and rationalize their own decisions. For me, I never get so attached to anything that I will rationalize why my decision is so much better than something else. From my perch, it is about enjoyment that has many variables way beyond the purpose of this letter.



Enter the Wadax SP Power Supply. As a former MSB owner, the benefit of a good/great power supply was not lost on me, which IMO, they kind of a set a trend of those benefits with their early DACs. Was I a little leery about spending the extra $ on this when the SP was giving me such enjoyment? Of course. However, from its first introduction into my system it was clear that the SP was reaching new heights. Even before appropriate “burn-in” the soundstage was now more expansive, the definition of the lower octaves more palpable and the transparency of my system eerily accurate; only to improve with time. I tend to listen in a relative “near field” environment and I noticed that with the power supply I needed to move my chair almost a foot further back to experience the full experience and enhancements the PS now brought to my system.



This is not a small enhancement to the WADAX but a quantum change. As good as the SP is on its own, this is such a huge change, that it is kind of tragedy that it has taken WADAX so long to bring it to market.



While the StudioPlayer on its own is not inexpensive, I think it compares very favorably with any other DAC in its price range. As I said earlier, to me, it was not a contest compared to an already excellent DAC, the CH 1.2, which I owned and paid for. Yes, there are some that will look at the PS for another 29K plus 6.5K for the Akasa cable and say that its now a very expensive system, but when compared to some of the most expensive DACs, including WADAX own Reference series you are getting something that really narrows the difference to that “Reference” range. Personally, I have never experienced anything like this combination.