Network Player Wadax Studio Player

A reference digital source in a single chassis: CD/SACD transport, streamer and DAC with musIC error correction

The WADAX Studio Player integrates a CD/SACD disc player, a network streamer and a digital-to-analogue converter into a single chassis. It is built around the same digital-to-analogue circuit as the Atlantis Reference DAC, with decoding handled by a dual-differential musIC 3 fixed-point core running a 128-bit feed-forward error correction process. Operation is via a 5-inch capacitive colour touchscreen with 800×480 resolution.

The musIC feed-forward technology works in the time domain: the error mechanisms of the specific DAC chip under load are mapped using Adaptive Delta Hilbert Mapping, after which the algorithm calculates the induced linear and non-linear error from the incoming signal. By feeding an inverse signal to the input, timing and phase errors are corrected in real time. The process requires a throughput of 12.8 GB/s and 128-bit internal resolution in order to generate even the smallest corrections.

The design is based on a fully balanced dual-mono architecture with complete physical and electrical separation of the left and right channels in both the digital and analogue domains. The digital circuits are time-aligned to within 100 ps, while power is handled by a distributed regulation topology with 30 local regulation stages and 5 stages of DC regulation, bringing total power-rail noise down to 0.5 µV over the 1 Hz–100 kHz band. The chassis comprises 620 specially machined parts and 14 different materials and alloys chosen to control resonances and drain vibration; the complete unit contains 40 separate printed circuit boards and more than 4,500 parts. Low noise and precise clocking contribute to the legibility of micro-detail, stable instrument placement and natural dynamics without the hardness typical of "digital sound".

Streaming requires no add-on software – the player is certified for Spotify, Tidal HiFi, Qobuz Connect, Audirvana, uPnP, and is Roon-Ready and MQA Certified, so it is controlled directly from the native app of the given service, with any device running it acting as the controller. The optical transport reads both Red Book (CD) and Scarlett Book (SACD) discs. The architecture is modular and upgradeable: the Atlantis Reference DAC modules are fully replaceable and the system can be expanded with the Studio PSU, Studio Clock and the Akasa DC Studio link cable. The Studio Clock, a True MasterClock, offers six configurable 75 Ω BNC outputs and, combined with the Studio Player, reduces total jitter to 20 fs.

Key features

• Decoding: Dual-differential musIC 3 with 128-bit error correction
• Architecture: Fully balanced dual-mono design with separated channels
• Power supply: 30 local regulation stages, rail noise of 0.5 µV
• Sources: CD and SACD transport, Roon-Ready, MQA Certified
• Expansion: Studio PSU, Studio Clock, jitter as low as 20 fs