Utterly realistic presentation, extraordinary bass grip

Ergonomics, tacky buttons and plastic remote, tiny LED display (but you forgive all of these completely when you start listening!)

This is the first CD player I have heard that sounds as musical as a good LP turntable (e.g. Pink Triangle) or a good FM tuner (e.g. Audiolab 8000T).

Every instrument sounds true to life. A singer sounds as if he/she is actually present. What more could you want?

The 830 demonstrates that standard 16 bit CDs can sound absolutely fantastic. This is extremely gratifying to me as most of my investment in my music library in in CDs (about 800, mostly classical). I now don't feel the need to rush out and buy SACD or DVD-Audio.

Quite a few of my CDs are of older and historic recordings; this player really does bring out the best in them. I have also created CD-Rs in my PC of precious recordings made on cassette of FM radio broadcasts, amazingly these sound better on the Wadia than replaying the original tapes!

If you're keen on bass, the 830 will reward you in buckets! I was amazed, playing a CD of 70's rock music, firstly by the solidity and degree of the bass output, and secondly by the grip and control that the player had, rebutting my previously held conviction that all recordings from that era would automatically have woolly and flappy bass. This quality is also apparent in a more subtle way in classical music too, on organ recordings naturally, and on piano repertoire (of which I am particularly fond) the instrument has a grandeur and presence which hugely adds to the listening pleasuure. Like some other reviewers I had been thinking that my speakers were the weak link in my system, the 830 emphatically proves otherwise!

My other components are:- Beard valve preamplifier, Albarry PP1 integrated amplifier (used now as a power amp), Audiolab 8000T tuner, ProAc 3 speakers (20 years old but still sound good to me, very uncoloured but also very involving).

The 830 is by far the most expensive piece of kit I've bought, but as a long term investment to realise the inherent quality of the CD collection, I'm absolutely delighted with it.

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None at this level

DETAIL! Amazing resolution, bass heft and slam are peerless, all balanced by a wonderful tonal purity. Excellent build quality, thoughtful upgradable design.

I hate the small remote, go for the upgraded version! Also the control buttons on the unti are very small and require some efort to use.

As a long-time audiophile, I have gone through lots of gear. Over time it occurs to me that a simple system of very high quality components is not only the most cost-effective, but also probably the best sounding as well. The 830 fits this bill exactly. It has most of the bells and whisles of the two higher priced Wadia players at a more reasonable price and in my system was the best sounding of the three. It allowed me to remove an excellent pre-amp to further simplify my system. Running this player straight into a Pass Aleph 3 makes for a fantastic $10-15K system. World-class.

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Audio Alchemy, Roksan, Mark Levinson, CAL

Sound, remote volume control

LED display a little tacky, mechanical hum (not audible from listening position)

I've beem a long time vinyl user (LP12 and Deltec/DPA pre-amp) for many years. I'd auditioned CD players on a few occaisions over the last decade but was not enthusiastic though I have ammassed many CDs that I play in the car or at my PC. At thend of last year I thought it was time to try again when, coincidentally, the Wadia 830 got a rave review in Stereophile.
I found a local dealer who had one and auditioned it. I did not go to the nth degree of hearing all competing players - I've reached a maturity now where I do worry about having the absolute best sound - but something I can just enjoy.

I compared the Wadia to a couple of cheaper options just to see if the price was warranted. I heard the new Adcom (HDCD and diferential burr-brown DACs) and the Bel Canto (upconverting Crystal DAC) + DVD player. The Wadia sounds dull in comparison to the latter two - I put it down to the unfamiliar dealer system (Ayre pre, ARC power & Wilson CUBs) but it wasn't when the Bel Canto & Adcom were played. However, the extra brightness of the other players both have a high frequency sheen, like an aura around instruments and voices and a very 2-D quality compared to the Wadia.
Though duller the Wadia sounds much more 3-D, solid and natural. Rythms are tighter and bass lines much more apparent. The Wadia has been in my system for several months now and I don't notice anything dull about the balance - it just seems natural. I can listen for hours to rock or chamber music. And I listen a lot more now that I did to vinyl (but CD is more convenient).
I bypassed my preamp and run straight into the power amps. I love the remote volume control (modifying the internal level setting was easy but check with your dealer if you're unsure). The 0.5dB steps are well chosen, just enough to give fine control.

Mine came as a package with 24bit/96kHz inputs, which I haven't used, and the expensive remote. The remote is nice, and solid, but I would not pay an extra $300 for it if it did not come with the player - a lot of the function buttons only work with the TEAC transports of the 850 & 860 players not the Pioneer transport in the 830. So there is no index access. Basic functions work fine and remote polarity (I hear no difference).

Sound is captavating with Correli sonatas or exciting with XTC's 'Peter Pumpkinhead'. Check out the ethereal beauty of 'Fox in the Snow' from Belle & Sebastian's 'If you're feeling sinister' album. I recently bought some MoFi CDs before they disappear forever - Frankie could be in our room singing 'Songs for Swinging Lovers' and 'Smells like teen spirit' just rocks (and has audiophile sound).

Enjoy, if you can find one. The 830 has been so poular Wadia reached the end of the production run.

ps. get those MoFi's now while you can, they sound so much more involving than the standard CD releases.

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Never owned a quality CD player before