A Wadia 170iTransport for Your i-Thoughts

We have our first qualifying entry for Hifi Unlimited's Wadia 170iTransport competition. If you've not submitted your entry, hurry! There are only 3 more qualifying spaces for that chance to win the grand prize. The following is from Y.W.Wong:


Wadia? For me, an unforgettable name and a formidable machine.

More than 10 years ago, I heard Wadia's CD player for the first time. Wow, its superb analytical power, its huge dynamic range, I thought at that time it was the best in the world.... but....later I heard comments from some people that the sound was mechanical! The sound was metallic! It did not have musicality!.....

Today, I listen to Wadia again, their latest models.... Wow, the superb resolution is still there! Excellent transparency! Ultra-wide bandwidth! Huge dynamic range! And last but not least very very good musicality! The metallic and mechanical sound is totally gone.

I think in the same price range, I dare not say it is the best in the world, but I believe they aren't many worthy competitors at all!

A lot of people say that hifi requires fine tuning by the designers to sound good, but I believe advanced technology is the pre-requisite and source for good sound. Like Wadia, though CD is a limiting format, but its advanced technology can still dig up all the details and present them as music to the listener.

When I think back the advances in CD players in the last few years, CD sound has improved in leaps and bounds, many players can sound pretty good now. However, compared to Wadia, there is still a gap. That is Wadia for me!

==================================
Rules and Regulations of the Wadia Competition:


Grand Prize! Wadia 170i Transport. Picture shown with iPod attached. The iPod or iPhone to use is your choice, and is sold separately. By the way, you'll also need to connect the Wadia 170i Transport to your high end rig via a dedicated DAC.


Dear readers,

Hifi-Unlimited is proud to announce our first ever reader's participation event. The event's grand prize, which is a unit of the latest and coolest Wadia 170i Transport, worth RM$1480.00, is generously sponsored by CMY Audio & Visual, the new distributors of Wadia in Malaysia.

What does the Wadia 170i Transport do? Well, do you want the "cool" factor of the iPod or the iPhone, and marrying the convenience of portable music to the sound quality of your high end audio system?

The Wadia 170i Transport is a highly acclaimed and award winning device, to connect your Apple iPod or iPhone to your high end hifi system via a dedicated DAC of your choice. I've heard recently, in a friend's system, where his high end hifi rig was sourced by loss less music files from his iPhone, attached to a Wadia 170i Tranport, via a high end DAC, and came away pretty impressed by the sonic results. To this pair of ears, the sound quality of the iPhone & Wadia 170i Transport combo is clearly superior to any CPU based music server I've came across so far.

So you asked, "what do I have to do to win the Wadia 170i Transport?" Simple, just e-mail Odiosleuth your most positive thoughts, up lifting emotions and out of this world experiences with Wadia products and services past and present. You may even tell us your wish list feature on future Wadia products. Otherwise, any other constructive Wadia related topics can be considered for the event.

Terms and conditions of HiFi-Unlimited reader's participation event:

1) This event is open only to our Malaysian readers with MYKAD registered postal/home address. No proof of purchase or past Wadia ownership required.

2) All e-mails to Odiosleuth must contain the following information, MYKAD No., Tel No., and Postal/Home address. Failure to include these 3 important information will result in your e-mail being disqualified. We will not publish your contact no. or address on line. They are strictly for winner's identity verification only.

3) Your e-mail contents must not exceed 300 words.

4) You may send as many e-mail entries as you wish, should you think it'll increase your chances of winning, however, repeated sending of the same e-mail contents will not count after the first one received, and the subsequent e-mails will be considered null and void. In other words, DO NOT SPAM!

5) Readers may start sending e-mail entries to Odiosleuth@gmail.com, starting 1st till 27th March 2010. Any e-mails received past the deadline of 12.00pm, 27th March 2010 will not be eligible for the event.

6) The HiFi-Unlimited editorial team will select, based on what they feel is subjectively the best e-mail of the week representing the Wadia theme, (i.e. 08th, 15th, 22nd & 29th March 2010) for publication on this blog site to qualify for the final selection by CMY Audio & Visual to win the grand prize.

7) The grand prize winner will be notified by e-mail, and our announcements here at HiFi-Unlimited in the month of April 2010.

8) All immediate families of the HiFi-Unlimited editorial team, and employees of CMY Audio & Visual are prohibited from participation of this event, except for the grand prize giving ceremony.

9) All weekly qualifying selections by the HiFi-Unlimited editorial team and grand prize winner selection by CMY Audio & Visual are final. No further correspondence over the matter will be entertained.

10) Should you have further questions about this reader's participation event, please ask in the comments section below. We will try to clear your doubts. And lastly, Good Luck!

So what are you waiting for? Put your i thoughts to e-mail, and we may just reward your effort with a Wadia 170i Transport!

Finally, a special thanks to our generous event sponsor, CMY Audio & Visual.

End Of Days For Tubes and Solid State Class A?

Nature vs Hifi?

I just read that some countries are considering a bill to outlaw the sale of any audio equipment that consumes more than 1W of electricity at idle, come year 2012. That's just 2 years away if the tree huggers get their way!

That means no more inefficient solid state class A or tube amps! Does that also means the coming of an end for hi-fidelity at large? Would we be listening to music via iPods, music servers, connected to class D amps driving our speakers(with non wood based material for a box!) as hifi in the future? Will advancing class D amps be able to sound as good as tubes or solid state class A designs by then?

I am not against tree huggers or any sort of green movement, but I feel hifi being at best, representing 5% of consumer electronics market should at least be exempted from green laws for now? Shoudn't they greenies go after the more extravagantly polluting SUV or 2 seater high performance sports cars first?

By the way, just to state my personal stand on environmental issues, that I would favour any green policies that are implemented in the most practical manner, like:
1) I do not order sharks fin soup(or any other endangered animal species) when dining out.
2) I plant as many greens as possible in my own garden.
3) I do support the 3R activities of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
4) I would like to use hybrid mode of transport, if only they are more affordable in Malaysia.
5) I work for an environmentally responsible corporation.
6) I help spread the green living practice, where possible.

But this bill to outlaw the sale of audio equipment consuming more than 1W at idle? I must procrastinate, at least until class D or PWM amps can sound like tubes or solid state class A. Environmentally friendly hifi? Another day perhaps? What do you think?

I Have A Date With Acoustic Heaven

Long time no blog!

Sorry, guys, I have been so busy with work that I only got to resume my paparazzi role lately when I heard that the Pop Pop man is up to something exciting with his line-up of pretty singers, guitarists and pianists and .... AKG microphones....

Two years ago, they had a breath-taking and tear-jerking (I really mean it. I saw many ladies weeping after the concert) mini-concert at Evelyn Hii's famous No Black Tie, the only bona-fide jazz club in Malaysia. Ever since, a string of unfortunate events have made them unable to continue their momentum for a while.

Recently reformed, they are now even better and are ready to take on the world again. I was told they aim for DFP (Dewan Philharmonik Petronas), then Esplanade then Star Hall in HK. Ambitious people, indeed.

I am, of course, talking about the 2 Virgins and 1 Gay.... opps... I mean, 2 Voices and 1 Guitar, the local trio featuring the petite Winnie Ho, the Astro Champ, our own guitar maestro, Roger Wang, and the mysterious new "V", reputed to be the best Vocalist in Malaysia.

Currently recording their sophomore album, slated to be out before the KLIAV in July 24th, 2V1G is calling a mini-concert together with their label mate and highly-anticipated jazz duo, JZ8.

The long-awaited JZ8, featuring jazz painist Tay Cher Siang and Vocalist Lydia Chew, is also going to release their debut album next month. I have heard the demo and I can tell you that, it is gonna break the record in sales and bring fame to Malaysia!

According to the Pop Pop man, the double-bill mini concert is going to be "a night of exquisite, soul-soothing and heartfelt acoustic music, played in the most intimate setting". Hmm... you can trust him on that.

Here's the details:

Date: 17th July 2010 (Saturday)
Venue: Bentley Music Auditorium (Mutiara Damansara)
Time: 9pm-11pm
Ticket Price: RM60-Rm80 (not fixed yet)
Capacity: 400 pax (free seating, first come first served)
Reservation: poppopmusic@yahoo.com or sms 012-2083790

I am going to treat all my staff in my company to this rare opportunity to watch the two fantastic acts competing with each other!

I was also told Roger Wang will be using the custom made Stage III Concepts guitar cable that Luis Fuente (the boss of Stage III) made specially for him.... can imagine how gorgeous the guitar tone will be!

I guess after the intensity of World Cup in June, what better way to relax and chill with this intimate and heartwarming double-bill mini-concert.

King of Resolution - Wadia 381 CD Player

We all know from Big E's last post that he was mighty impressed with the Wadia 381 cd player. I was equally impressed too when the Wadia came over to stay in my system for a week.


The Wadia distinguished itself from all the other players that had come through my system, and I do mean all. The 381 was the highest resolution cdp among the lot. I was totally bowled over by the details dug up by the 381 from the cd medium. Please listen to the Wadia 381, it will impress on you in no uncertain terms that red book is a high resolution format.

With its high resolution, imaging from the 381 was wide open, the soundscape was clean, there was no grittiness or roughness. Image separation was again the best that I have heard, the excellent separation was not just in the left-right dimension, but also front-back. Each instrument, each voice was presented in its own space without any smearing effect. Compared to the Wadia 381, I have to say every other cd player I have heard in my system could sound slightly lumpy, fuzzy and congealed.


I found that with the 381 I derived musical enjoyment differently from the past. The enjoyment came from me listening 'into' the music, rather that letting the music washed over me. Listening into the music, the 381 always without fail captivated me with the musical information it portrayed. I gained insight into how the instruments were played, how the singing was done. The feeling was uncanny.

With piano music, I could heard better than ever how the keys were struck, even had a sense of the hammer hitting the string. With vocal, the singer's phrasing, control and breathing was ever more apparent. It was an enjoyable experience totally in a different direction from my past experience.


Yes, the Wadia 381 pulled in the different direction than my past cd listening experience. Many would think that cd was better with a sound that is slightly warm and smooth, or probably one would use the subjective term 'musical'. However, the Wadia 381 proved that music enjoyment could be had also by upping the resolution, laying bare all the details in the music making, letting the music making process speak for itself. This was, in no uncertain term, excellent music too.

The Wadia 381 was also dynamic, in both the macro and micro sense. Its frequency ranges were balanced, it did not have the 'bass is the only supreme being' mentality, I'd say that its midrange was even slightly lush.

Its build was the most solid of all players that came through my place - battleship build indeed. Its 26kg weight and the chunky macho industrial design inspired confidence. It also had a whole host of features - selection of decoding algorithms, volume control, balance control, phase inversion, balanced and single ended output. The only thing lacking was a digital output, but I wouldn't miss it.

I understand now why the savvy Mr. John Yew of CMY, Wadia's distributor, brought in the Wadia while they are already representing the also excellent Metronome. The 2 marques represent 2 schools of cd music thoughts. Metronome is beautiful and organic. Wadia is highly resolved and clear. Both are valid musically, both are enjoyable.

It is like 2 girls. One is so beautiful that your legs buckled at the sight of her. The other whose company is so enjoyable that you'd just love to be by her side at all time and talk to her from night till dawn (which one is Metronome, which one is Wadia is up to you to assign).

If you don't fall for one, you will fall for the other.

The Wadia 381 CD Player is listed for RM29,500.
Wadia is represented by CMY Audio & Visual, contact John, Ph: 03-21439206

Announcement! A Wadia For Your i-Thoughts.

Grand Prize! Wadia 170i Transport. Picture shown with iPod attached. The iPod or iPhone to use is your choice, and is sold separately. By the way, you'll also need to connect the Wadia 170i Transport to your high end rig via a dedicated DAC.


Dear readers,

Hifi-Unlimited is proud to announce our first ever reader's participation event. The event's grand prize, which is a unit of the latest and coolest Wadia 170i Transport, worth RM$1480.00, is generously sponsored by CMY Audio & Visual, the new distributors of Wadia in Malaysia.

What does the Wadia 170i Transport do? Well, do you want the "cool" factor of the iPod or the iPhone, and marrying the convenience of portable music to the sound quality of your high end audio system?

The Wadia 170i Transport is a highly acclaimed and award winning device, to connect your Apple iPod or iPhone to your high end hifi system via a dedicated DAC of your choice. I've heard recently, in a friend's system, where his high end hifi rig was sourced by loss less music files from his iPhone, attached to a Wadia 170i Tranport, via a high end DAC, and came away pretty impressed by the sonic results. To this pair of ears, the sound quality of the iPhone & Wadia 170i Transport combo is clearly superior to any CPU based music server I've came across so far.

So you asked, "what do I have to do to win the Wadia 170i Transport?" Simple, just e-mail Odiosleuth your most positive thoughts, up lifting emotions and out of this world experiences with Wadia products and services past and present. You may even tell us your wish list feature on future Wadia products. Otherwise, any other constructive Wadia related topics can be considered for the event.

Terms and conditions of HiFi-Unlimited reader's participation event:

1) This event is open only to our Malaysian readers with MYKAD registered postal/home address. No proof of purchase or past Wadia ownership required.

2) All e-mails to Odiosleuth must contain the following information, MYKAD No., Tel No., and Postal/Home address. Failure to include these 3 important information will result in your e-mail being disqualified. We will not publish your contact no. or address on line. They are strictly for winner's identity verification only.

3) Your e-mail contents must not exceed 300 words.

4) You may send as many e-mail entries as you wish, should you think it'll increase your chances of winning, however, repeated sending of the same e-mail contents will not count after the first one received, and the subsequent e-mails will be considered null and void. In other words, DO NOT SPAM!

5) Readers may start sending e-mail entries to Odiosleuth@gmail.com, starting 1st till 27th March 2010. Any e-mails received past the deadline of 12.00pm, 27th March 2010 will not be eligible for the event.

6) The HiFi-Unlimited editorial team will select, based on what they feel is subjectively the best e-mail of the week representing the Wadia theme, (i.e. 08th, 15th, 22nd & 29th March 2010) for publication on this blog site to qualify for the final selection by CMY Audio & Visual to win the grand prize.

7) The grand prize winner will be notified by e-mail, and our announcements here at HiFi-Unlimited in the month of April 2010.

8) All immediate families of the HiFi-Unlimited editorial team, and employees of CMY Audio & Visual are prohibited from participation of this event, except for the grand prize giving ceremony.

9) All weekly qualifying selections by the HiFi-Unlimited editorial team and grand prize winner selection by CMY Audio & Visual are final. No further correspondence over the matter will be entertained.

10) Should you have further questions about this reader's participation event, please ask in the comments section below. We will try to clear your doubts. And lastly, Good Luck!

So what are you waiting for? Put your i thoughts to e-mail, and we may just reward your effort with a Wadia 170i Transport!

Finally, a special thanks to our generous event sponsor, CMY Audio & Visual.