Wadia 381, Information & Operation Manual

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6
Optimizing the Output Level
Best performance is obtained when operating the Wadia Volume Control near the top of its range. If needed, the
maximum output level of your Wadia 381/381i CD Player can be adjusted to match the overall sensitivity of your
system so that the critical listening will take place with the volume control operating near the top of its range.
The maximum output level of the Wadia 381/381i CD Player is adjustable by means of a set of internal switches.
The Wadia 381/381i CD Player is factory set to accommodate the most common range of system sensitivity. If
you find that your typical volume level during critical listening is below 65 on the volume display, it will be
advantageous to use a different setting. To change the output level, consult your dealer.
Connecting to Other Digital Sources (Wadia 381i CD Player only)
The Wadia 381i CD Player is equipped with digital inputs which can accept digital signals from any of the
established digital formats. (Input 1: Glass-fiber optical, Input 2: Coaxial with BNC connector, Input 3: Plastic-optical
TOSLINK, Input 4: AES/EBU with XLR connector)
The Wadia 381i CD Player digital inputs will decode any word length up to 24-bit, and any of the standard digital
audio sampling frequencies up to 96kHz.
Choosing a Digital Cable (Wadia 381i CD Player only)
While the Wadia 381i CD Player supports all currently accepted transmission formats for digital audio, we
recommend using a high quality glass-fiber cable such as the one available from Wadia. Wadia Digital was
the first company to use glass fiber-optic data transmission in digital audio. We have continually improved this
format and believe that it offers the best, most consistent performance of all the available options.
Based on our experience, here is a list of digital interface methods in descending order of performance:
1 Glass optical (as implemented by Wadia)
2 AES/EBU using XLR connector
3 Coaxial cable using BNC connector
4 Coaxial cable using RCA connector
5 TOSLINK plastic-optical cable
The quality of any of these transmission methods depends on the quality of the cable and the sophistication of
the transmitter and receiver. For example, a high quality coaxial cable can outperform a low quality AES/EBU
cable. A high quality AES/EBU cable will outperform a poorly implemented glass optical system.
If you are using a coaxial cable we recommend that you have the cable terminated with a BNC connector. This
will provide higher performance than an RCA connector. Your Wadia 381i CD Player comes with an RCA/BNC
adapter that can be used for experimentation between different types of coaxial cable.
Again, we highly recommend that you take advantage of your dealer’s experience and, most importantly,
trust your ears.
All XLR-type inputs and outputs on the Wadia 381/381i CD Player, both digital and analog, use the standard
audio pin configuration:
Pin 1 - Ground
Pin 2 - Positive signal
Pin 3 - Negative signal
381/381i CD Player