The new Wadax Studio Player is based on technology from professional equipment and aimed at maximizing sound quality.
The Wadax Studio Player is a music player that plays ‘everything’. It combines a DAC, streamer, and SACD player in a single enclosure, including the proprietary Hi-Resolution Hybrid Volume Control. According to the Dutch importer Reference Sounds, “the actual digital-to-analog conversion is identical to the surpassing WADAX Atlantis Reference DAC. Its modular design makes the Studio Player a lifelong device that evolves with technological advancements within WADAX and beyond.”
‘Impressive Work of Art’
Michael from Reference Sounds further states, “The Studio Player is an impressive work of art. Its two-tone chassis features a silky matte silver, curved top and bottom plate that boldly contrasts against the black base chassis, resembling an oyster guarding its pearl. It protects more than 4,500 discrete components spread across 40 individual circuit boards from the outside world.” The device is completely balanced and built in a dual-mono style, with separate and isolated digital and analog signal processing for left and right channels. The power supply has been optimized to an extreme, with an ultra-low ripple of 0.5 microvolts as a result. Five different DC rails followed by 30 independent local regulation circuits provide each circuit with the appropriate power supply.
Feed Forward Error Correction
“A significant part of WADAX’s ability to deliver music with unprecedented authenticity lies in its unique, self-developed Feed Forward Error Correction technology,” says Reference Sounds. Since 2004, WADAX has focused on analyzing this distortion. From this analysis, they developed a unique algorithm that can effectively and in real-time correct or reduce errors introduced during conversion. Simplified, this special algorithm in the WADAX MusIC Processor maps the non-linearities introduced by the circuit. It then introduces an inverted variant of this error, which cancels it out with the final output signal. In reality, this requires significant computing power to perform minimal but crucial feed-forward corrections on the DAC errors under load.
The WADAX Studio Player plays CDs and Super Audio CDs from a solid internal drive. A nomination for Roon is also in the pipeline, adding even greater versatility on the streaming side. The Studio Player is the start of a new line. Later this year, an optional separate power unit and an optional external clock will also be available. The Studio Player is priced at €39,990.
Dutch Audio Event
Reference Sounds also announces that at the upcoming Dutch Audio Event (October 5 and 6), they will bring the Studio DAC there. So if you want to experience this new piece… be there!