Premium Personal Audio Systems: A Comparative Analysis of the Wadax Atlantis Reference and ProAudioConsulting ULTRA MK-III REFERENCE
Premium Personal Audio Systems: A Comparative Analysis of the Wadax Atlantis Reference and ProAudioConsulting ULTRA MK-III REFERENCE
To break free from the endless cycle of swapping audio equipment in search of a subjective personal ideal, consumers must first be well-informed and adopt a highly selective approach before making a purchase.
Understanding High-End DAC Technology
In this article, we will conduct a comparative review of our new product line with other brands. There is always a top-tier product, often accompanied by a range of lower-tier models, that each company promotes. Through this brief example, we aim to demonstrate how buyers can learn to navigate the audio market and see through the “black curtains” of marketing.
Of course, some people will always believe what they read in articles where individuals c
criticize or claim to uncover the ‘truth’ about audio products. However, in most cases, these discussions are heavily influenced by sellers.
Naturally, potential buyers read these articles and listen to the opinions of friends or advisors, forming their own perceptions of the products. As manufacturers of audiophile-grade equipment, we often receive similar requests to conduct comparative analyses of “competing” products.
Let’s discuss our new reference line of DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters) and explore what sets them apart, in a positive sense, from other options on the market.
Modular Design in Ultra High-End Audio Technology
At the request of our audience, we’ve chosen to compare our products with the modular Wadax Atlantis Reference DAC, produced by a Spanish company. Using this example, we’ll explain how such devices work. There are two types of people: those who judge a book by its cover, and those who look under the hood. As you know, not all that glitters is gold, so it’s essential to learn how to look beneath the surface.
An article from a certain magazine (let’s call it “Stereo-Video”) describes the Wadax Atlantis Reference as a device with a futuristic design. Naturally, there are no complaints about the design as is often the case with many companies, the design is always impeccable. After all, it’s the manufacturer’s prerogative to present something extraordinary and stand out in the market.
The device, according to the manufacturer, is a benchmark product housed in a multi-segment chassis weighing 220.46 lbs (100 kilograms). Its design philosophy includes a dual-mono configuration.
The Reality Behind Patented High-End Audio Technology
Now, pay attention: If anyone has ever read our descriptions of the reference DAC line on our website or spoken with our engineers long before the article about this device was published, they will likely find the following quote eerily familiar:
“The Atlantis DAC features a dual-mono configuration, equipped with the musIC 2 chip, its patented technology is capable of directly correcting nonlinearities during decoding. To minimize power supply noise, real-time monitoring of the power supply output has been implemented…”
The issue here is not whether someone has managed to replicate or reinterpret our concept of how such a device should work, but rather that this description is simply a verbal account in a promotional article. What is this “patented technology”? By the way, we couldn’t find any patent for it. We even requested the patent from the manufacturer but received no response.
The article continues: “The ultra-precise Zepto timer design has virtually eliminated jitter before the signal even reaches the musIC 2 chip. The fully discrete analog output stage (comprising over 400 individual components) is designed to eliminate dynamic range loss and preserve musicality, as generated by the Atlantis DAC.”
Imagine… an output stage with 400 components?! To the average person, this immediately brings to mind a computer motherboard. The chassis itself is relatively small, a standard box with slots, just like those used for computer motherboards, which supposedly produce analog sound. And on these boards, they claim to have placed 400 individual components. In another similar article in English, it’s even stated that the DAC contains 5,000 components. What are those if not microchips? Where, then, is the claimed analog operation of the device?
A Deep Dive into High-End DACs
Now, let’s shift the focus to our own audio devices, which represent the pinnacle of luxury personal audio systems that we produce.
Let’s continue with the article: “The Atlantis DAC is designed as a fully modular product. All key functions from the power supply to the main DAC circuit are housed in modules. This allows for future upgrades. Additionally, the digital control software can be updated remotely without user intervention. To do this, the device must be connected to a router with internet access.”
How does this work? For an upgrade, do you simply remove the old board and insert a new one? The chassis weighs 218.26lbs (99 kilograms), cast like an engine block, and into it, they insert computer boards weighing 2.20 lbs (1 kilogram)?! And what about the software? It’s simple… If the control system of this computer “hardware” is programmed, it means the software always carries intentional corrections, formulated to process specific segments of the audio signal. In other words, it’s an endless sound processing loop, akin to a sound equalizer.
Let’s take a closer look at the internals:
Finding publicly available photos of the entire internal layout of this device is practically impossible; only fragments are available. Based on the photos we personally managed to find, it’s safe to say that this device is no different from any Chinese DAC with “donut-shaped” transformers. The only difference here is that the transformers aren’t “donut-shaped” but rather small and round. So, what’s inside? Computer motherboards. Yes, multi-layer boards and then cheap little wires on plastic connectors, with those “transformers” lying underneath. This simply doesn’t hold up to any reasonable scrutiny.
If someone tells us that this device can produce some kind of supernatural sound and they’re willing to pay £160,000 for it, we can only conclude that they have two options:
- Disregard all prior explanations simply purchase the device, bring it home, and allow your auditory perception to gradually adapt to its sound profile. Through continued listening, both cognitive and sensory processes will naturally acclimate, fostering a refined appreciation of the audio experience.
- Actually analyze the situation and draw the appropriate conclusions.
Our Approach to Luxury Personal Audio System
In any of our products, there’s a hardware unit responsible for receiving and processing the digital signal. We use two types of components for this:
- The most advanced audio chips available worldwide.
- Chips designed for other applications. Not all chips are used exclusively in the audio segment we’re discussing. There are other high-performance systems that require advanced computational capabilities. If we can acquire such components and adapt them for our purposes, we then work to extract sound from them. In other words, we engineered the device from the ground up, in contrast to the approach taken by the Spanish company, which assembled off-the-shelf components sourced from China without further refinement.
Next, the computational block must be corrected and powered by unique transformers that, when connected to the system, do not introduce any interference under feedback conditions. This is extremely complex and challenging segmenting the power supply, filtration, and so on but it’s possible! Once the signal transitions to the analog amplification stage, we generate massive operating voltages to produce a final output of just 4 volts or 9 volts of linear signal. These are unique boards with analog hardware, transmitting and receiving signals on conductors made of hand forged solid silver and gold.
Let us take a closer look at the patented technology of the Wadax Atlantis Reference DAC, which is said to directly address nonlinearities during the decoding process.
The same approach is fully realized in our DAC without the need for patents. It processes signals at their maximum sample rates without compression or recalculation, ensuring the integrity of the original audio. For example, a recording at 192 kHz remains precisely that, rather than being upsampled to 768 kHz PCM.
There are two approaches:
- The system simply stretches the signal like a rubber band, which is bad. This leads to high interference, noise, and unnatural sound reproduction, something many “computer-audiophiles” have grown accustomed to, mistakenly considering it unique or natural (due to the lack of better alternatives).
- Direct correction of nonlinearities during decoding, where the signal remains untouched and is decoded as true 192 kHz without distortion.
Additionally, our DAC, figuratively speaking, uses artificial intelligence based on analog components to automatically determine whether the original signal was recorded in-phase or out-of-phase in the studio. It then decides how to output the signal without loss. When elite audio equipment faces unavoidable contradictions in the form of accompanying distortions, our unique balanced circuit steps in to compensate and maintain integrity.
As for the final system, it’s a well-known fact at least to us that music is often listened to at low volume levels. The foundation of a low-frequency platform (around 20 Hz) must be inseparable from the musical recording; otherwise, everything falls apart. Many are familiar with the situation where turning up the volume turns music into a scream. Sound quality should not depend on volume levels, even if you’re sitting farther away and listening from the “third row.”
Final Thoughts: The Importance of Low-Frequency Platforms
It’s crucial to pay attention to the cluster of components hidden beneath the surface. Learn to recognize and distinguish analog parts designed to create a linear signal and deliver High-End sound from the infamous computer motherboards found in audio equipment, which can’t even deliver 0.5% of the sound quality promised by a £160,000 price tag.
To explore true premium personal audio and the design of a high-end DAC, watch our video on the ProAudioConsulting ULTRA MK-III REFERENCE.
