CD Player/Transport Reviews

The Wadia 850 was auditioned in a system featuring primarily Thiel CS6 loudspeakers driven by a pair of Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks. I also used B&W Silver Signatures driven by a Pass Labs Aleph 3. Comparison digital sources were a Mark Levinson No.30.5 HDCD D/A processor driven by a Mark Levinson No.31.5 transport via an Illuminati AES/EBU cable, and Balanced Audio Technology VK-D5 and Mark Levinson No.39 CD players. Line preamplifier (when used) was a Mark Levinson No.380S.

The interconnects used were all balanced: Madrigal CZ Gel-1 and AudioTruth Diamond. Speaker cable with the Thiels was MIT CV-770 (with short extenders to make up for the fact that MIT spades are incompatible with Levinson binding posts). All source components and preamps were plugged into a Power Wedge 116 Mk.II, itself plugged into a dedicated AC circuit and fitted with the Power Enhancer option.—John Atkinson