850

About the 850

The Wadia 850 is a high-fidelity CD player designed to eliminate the need for a traditional preamplifier by allowing direct connection to a power amplifier via its built-in digital volume control. It features a 32x-oversampling DigiMaster decoding software operating with 24-bit precision and an effective digital resolution of 21 bits. The player offers adjustable maximum output level from 250mV to 4.4V RMS to optimize volume control action, with a default of 4.4V RMS. It uses a TEAC CMK4 transport mechanism with VRDS full-disc clamping and a conventional analog servo circuit. The DAC and analog circuitry are housed in a separate shielded compartment to minimize interference, and the master clock crystal is placed adjacent to the DACs to reduce jitter. The Wadia 850 is noted for its vibrant immediacy, realistic timbre especially in bass and lower mids, and a spatial perspective that places instruments slightly behind the loudspeaker plane. It weighs 42 lbs, measures 17" W x 7" H x 16" D, and consumes 25W of power. Optional digital input and output boards are available for additional cost. The unit was originally It was manufactured by Wadia Digital, a division of Audio Video Research, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI.