Wadia 7
1992-at least 1996
Retail price 17.016 euro
Wadia’s third player (after the WT2000 and WT3200) and based on the Teac P-2S, the Wadia 7 is a legendary transport using the VRDS CMK-2 with KSS-151A laser, still sought after and fetching high prices, even if some critics say that it is outdated and not better than any Teac VRDS transport of the period. Still, I can’t resist including it here because it just looks like a million bucks. Crucially, the drawer mechanism operates smoothly too.
Separate power supply enclosure. The input voltage can be switched without the need to take off the cover.
Note the separate potentiometers for adjusting drawer open and close speeds
Wadia 861
1999-2006
Retail price 11.500 euro in 2004
Perhaps Wadia’s best known and most famous player, and as comparisons have shown, the VRDS transport really does have a large effect on the sound, even if it is basically a modified Sony mechanism. That said, the S7i still has that very characteristic Wadia sound, so it is not only the transport that matters. The 861 has a very characteristic sound that you may or may not like, but there’s no denying its room-filling soundstaging, its life-like acoustic rhythmically, and its nicely powerful bass. Its only caveat as far as I’m concerned is its rolled-off treble that can border on dryness if not nurtured with the right cables and setup. Also be aware that the player doesn’t sound right until after playing at least one or two CDs, even if it has been run in and is well-warmed up.
Wadia 861 CMK 3.2 VRDS mechanism
Wadia 861SE
2003-2006
Retail price 12.000 euro in 2010
Same player as the 861 but with a much-improved platter, motor assembly, and support bar. This was the final and best incarnation of the 861 model but I think that it wasn’t sold much and it can be extremely difficult to find secondhand.
In fact, I have never seen an 861SE on the second-hand market until I came across one that audio buddy JW purchased just yesterday on December 24th, 2021. I took the occasion to take the above and below pictures.
A brief listening session revealed that the 861SE model has tighter and speedier bass with better articulation and texture which also benefits the clarity in the midrange. Otherwise, the two players sound very similar. However, I should also note that JW’s 861 always sounded fuller and rounder than my own 861 which always sounded quite dry. So, we can’t rule out the effects of non-ideal calibrations or aging.
Wadia S7i
~2010-2013
Retail price 16.000 euro in 2012
Wadia seems to have recognized the inherent weak points in ROM mechanisms but, like Meridian, clearly also see advantages in them, and sought the best they could find. The transport of choice is a StreamUnlimited (made by or optimized by, this is unclear) drive, said to have super-accurate read-out. Wadia has never made their own transports or drawers, and that the 861 has a nice drawer is probably only because Teac provided one, but still, I can’t understand how they can include this thin plastic drawer in their range-topper. Even though the drawer has been fortified with metal guide bars, it is still a flappy and noisy affair and the transport is known for having bugs such as refusing to open after loading a CD unless the player is switched off and on again. By now it should be clear that the S7i was not included in this list for its transport virtues but more to make a point about how the high-end audio industry is dependent on third-party suppliers such as Sony and Philips. All that said, don’t get me wrong: the S7i is a very fine-sounding player and it even exhibits many of the Wadia-typical traits that I associated with the VRDS transports, such as big, solid bass and a lifelike timbre.
Wadia S7i StreamUnlimited mechanism
Wadia 971
2009-2014
Wadia’s last CD transport
A few years before Wadia went out of business, they issued the 971 CD transport as the successor to the 270. The 971 is supposed to be their non-plus-ultra, but not having heard it, I cannot comment on this, other than to say it is an architectural beauty. I’d like to have one for its looks alone. The CD mechanism used is the same StreamUnlimited model as used in the S7i.
More CD Mechanism Masterpieces
Accuphase
Burmester
Krell
Linn
Meridian
Marantz
Mark Levinson
Pioneer
Sony
Teac/Esoteric
Read Also
The almost Complete CDM range of CD Mechanisms
Inside Pics of classic Philips and Marantz CD players
Classic Philips and Marantz CD players compared
Marantz DAC and Transport List
Philips DAC and Transport List
Marantz timeline
Philips timeline
Wadia Digital Company Special
