Wadia 381 User manual

381/381i CD Player
Information & Operation Manual

381/381i CD Player

381/381i CD Player
2
Information & Operation Manual
Table of Contents
Preliminaries
Wadia Digital – A Bri f History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Installati n and Set-up
Unpacking...........................................................................4
Acc ssori s .........................................................................4
Installing th Tip-To s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Conn cting to Your Syst m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Conn cting to AC Pow r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Conn cting Dir ctly to a Pow r Amplifi r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using with a Pr amplifi r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Optimizing th Output L v l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Conn cting Digital Sourc s (Wad a 381 CD Player only) ..................................6
Choosing a Digital Cabl (Wad a 381 CD Player only) .....................................6
Fr qu ntly Ask d Qu stions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
General Operati n
Front Pan l Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Display F atur s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Display Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DiscFormats ........................................................................10
R mot Control Op ration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Playback Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Th ory of Op ration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
M nu Scr n Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
DigitalAlgorithms ....................................................................17
Appendices
Troubl shooting .....................................................................18
UsingDataDiscs ....................................................................18
Softwar Lic ns Agr m nt .........................................................18
Environm ntalCar ..................................................................18
T chnicalSp cifications..............................................................19
Saf tyPr cautions ..................................................................20

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3
Thank You
All of us at Wadia would lik to off r thanks and congratulations to you for purchasing th Wadia 381/381i CD
Play r. W sinc r ly b li v that your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r will bring you many y ars of musical pl asur
and satisfaction.
Whil v ry n w own r is anxious to b gin list ning, w ncourag you to tak a f w minut s to r ad this manual
and familiariz yours lf with th full capabiliti s of th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r.
If you are n a hurry to beg n l sten ng, please read the sect ons of th s manual where the symbol at
r ght s shown.
Wadia Digital – A Brief History
Wadia Digital, found d in 1988, is on of th original compani s d dicat d to high p rformanc digital audio
r production. Wadia was form d by a t am of ngin rs from th Minn apolis bas d 3M Corporation (Minn sota
Mining and Manufacturing) who shar d many y ars of xp ri nc in advanc d digital t l communications
r s arch and d v lopm nt. In th arly 1980’s, th s ngin rs b cam intrigu d by th m rging compact disc
t chnology. Disappoint d with th sound quality of arly CD play rs, th y xamin d th workings and d signs of
th s arly compon nts and found th m to b unsophisticat d wh n compar d with th t chnology availabl in
oth r ar as of digital d sign. In r spons , th y found d Wadia Digital – a company bas d on th philosophy of
applying advanc d t chnology to improv th p rformanc of digital audio compon nts. Wadia’s first product, th
Wadia 2000 D coding Comput r, was an absolut br akthrough in digital audio. For many disc rning list n rs, it
prov d that Digital Audio was a musically r sponsiv , volving, and ngaging format.
Building on a tradition of xc ll nc , Wadia continu s to d v lop innovativ t chnology; r fining, list ning,
ngin ring, and improving along th way. Sinc th Wadia 2000, n w g n rations of industry-l ading d signs
hav b n introduc d and mbrac d by list n rs around th world. Each st p of th way, Wadia has consist ntly
rais d th standard for p rformanc of Digital Audio playback.
H r is a bri f list of th t chnological innovations th Wadia ngin rs hav pion r d ov r th past 20 y ars:
• DigiMast r™ pat nt d algorithm (filt r optimiz d for r producing music)
• ClockLink™ propri tary jitt r r duction t chnology
• SwiftCurr nt™ curr nt to voltag conv rsion t chnology
• First outboard Digital-to-Analog conv rt r
• First to apply glass fib r-optics to hom audio
• First to r cogniz jitt r as a sourc of audibl distortion
• First to p rf ct digital volum control
• First high- nd CD play r comp titiv with xp nsiv s parat s
• First company to provid bit p rf ct digital audio output from th iPod
Although Wadia’s digital xp rtis and track r cord xc d thos of any audio company, t chnology alon do s
not guarant musical p rformanc . Wadia d signs ar born of a d licat balanc of t chnology shap d by a
passion for music.
Wadia is proud to introduc th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r, a br akthrough in sonic p rformanc and valu , and
a strong stat m nt of our y ars of d dication to music.

4
Installati n and Set-up
Unpac ing
Us car in unpacking your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r. Insp ct it for any shipping damag and call your d al r
imm diat ly if any is found.
Do not plug your Wad a 381/381 CD Player nto an AC outlet f you f nd sh pp ng damage.
W advis saving all packing mat rials so that th unit can b asily and saf ly shipp d if th n d aris s.
Accessories
Provid d with th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r ar th following acc ssori s:
• AC pow r cord
• Four tip-to s with thr ad d studs
• Four st l coast rs
• RCA/BNC adapt r (only ncluded w th 381 CD Player)
• R mot Control
• Two typ AAA batt ri s
Do not t p the un t onto the back panel. Th s can damage nput and/or output connectors.
Installing the Tip-Toes
With th unit still position d on its sid , scr w on of th tip-to s into th bottom of ach corn r post.
Position th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r wh r you would lik it to r sid in your syst m. W r comm nd choosing
a solid, non-r sonant, l v l surfac for b st p rformanc . If this surfac is susc ptibl to damag , plac on of
th st l coast rs und r ach tip-to .
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381/381i CD Player

5
Connecting to Your System
Check to make sure your Wad a 381/381 CD Player has been manufactured for operat on at your AC
l ne Voltage. Attempt ng to use the Player at any voltage other than the spec f ed on the rear of the
un t may damage the un t. Damage caused by mproper operat on s not covered by warranty. If the
voltage spec f ed s d fferent from your AC voltage, contact your Wad a dealer.
Connecting to AC Power
Th b st p rformanc is obtain d wh n th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is plugg d dir ctly into th wall with th
pow r cord provid d. Th Wadia has pow r conditioning, surg suppr ssion and an xtr m ly sophisticat d
ov rall prot ction sch m . It should not b n c ssary to us surg prot ctors pow r condition rs or aft rmark t
pow r cords, som of which may d grad th sonic p rformanc . If you wish to xp rim nt with any of th s
d vic s, work clos ly with your local d al r – and most of all, t ust you own ea s.
Connecting Directly to a Power Amplifier
Avoid allowing static shocks to b appli d to th inputs or outputs. To pr v nt static shocks, touch any ground d
surfac , such as th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r chassis, b for conn cting or r moving a cabl . It is unlik ly
that a static shock will damag th unit, but it may caus th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r circuitry to “lock-up”
(s Troubl Shooting: Lock-Up in th App ndic s).
Inputs and outputs can b saf ly conn ct d to th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r
1. B for th unit is pow r d up
2. Wh n th unit is in R lay-Mut mod
W strongly r comm nd that you us your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r conn ct d dir ctly to your pow r amplifi r.
Ev n if you purchas d your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r with th int ntion of conn cting it to your pr amplifi r,
w sugg st that you try dir ct conn ction to your amplifi r. Many list n rs ar surpris d by th improv m nt in
p rformanc ov r v n th most xp nsiv pr amplifi rs.
To conn ct your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r to a pow r amplifi r, nsur that your pow r amplifi r is turn d off
th n conn ct your analog int rconn cts from th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r analog outputs to th amplifi r’s inputs.
Using with a Preamplifier
Whil th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r was d sign d to b us d without a pr amplifi r, no compromis s w r
mad in its d sign that will pr v nt xc ll nt op ration in a conv ntional syst m with a pr amplifi r.
Wh n using a pr amplifi r, s t th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r volum control to its maximum l v l.
CHECK
VOLTAGE
HERE
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6
Optimizing the Output Level
B st p rformanc is obtain d wh n op rating th Wadia Volum Control n ar th top of its rang . If n d d, th
maximum output l v l of your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r can b adjust d to match th ov rall s nsitivity of your
syst m so that th critical list ning will tak plac with th volum control op rating n ar th top of its rang .
Th maximum output l v l of th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is adjustabl by m ans of a s t of int rnal switch s.
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is factory s t to accommodat th most common rang of syst m s nsitivity. If
you find that your typical volum l v l during critical list ning is b low 65 on th volum display, it will b
advantag ous to us a diff r nt s tting. To chang th output l v l, consult your d al r.
Connecting to Other Digital Sources (Wadia 381i CD Player only)
Th Wadia 381i CD Play r is quipp d with digital inputs which can acc pt digital signals from any of th
stablish d digital formats. (Input 1: Glass-fib r optical, Input 2: Coaxial with BNC conn ctor, Input 3: Plastic-optical
TOSLINK, Input 4: AES/EBU with XLR conn ctor)
Th Wadia 381i CD Play r digital inputs will d cod any word l ngth up to 24-bit, and any of th standard digital
audio sampling fr qu nci s up to 96kHz.
Choosing a Digital Cable (Wadia 381i CD Player only)
Whil th Wadia 381i CD Play r supports all curr ntly acc pt d transmission formats for digital audio, w
r comm nd using a high quality glass-fib r cabl such as th on availabl from Wadia. Wadia Digital was
th first company to us glass fib r-optic data transmission in digital audio. W hav continually improv d this
format and b li v that it off rs th b st, most consist nt p rformanc of all th availabl options.
Bas d on our xp ri nc , h r is a list of digital int rfac m thods in d sc nding ord r of p rformanc :
1 Glass optical (as mplemented by Wad a)
2 AES/EBU using XLR conn ctor
3 Coaxial cabl using BNC conn ctor
4 Coaxial cabl using RCA conn ctor
5 TOSLINK plastic-optical cabl
Th quality of any of th s transmission m thods d p nds on th quality of th cabl and th sophistication of
th transmitt r and r c iv r. For xampl , a high quality coaxial cabl can outp rform a low quality AES/EBU
cabl . A high quality AES/EBU cabl will outp rform a poorly impl m nt d glass optical syst m.
If you ar using a coaxial cabl w r comm nd that you hav th cabl t rminat d with a BNC conn ctor. This
will provid high r p rformanc than an RCA conn ctor. Your Wadia 381i CD Play r com s with an RCA/BNC
adapt r that can b us d for xp rim ntation b tw n diff r nt typ s of coaxial cabl .
Again, w highly r comm nd that you tak advantag of your d al r’s xp ri nc and, most importantly,
t ust you ea s.
All XLR-typ inputs and outputs on th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r, both digital and analog, us th standard
audio pin configuration:
Pin 1 - Ground
Pin 2 - Positiv signal
Pin 3 - N gativ signal
381/381i CD Player

7
Frequently As ed Questions
Should I use a Balanced or Unbalanced connect on?
If your amplifi r has a tru balanc d input, w r comm nd you us th balanc d analog output from your Wadia
381/381i CD Play r. All things b ing qual, prop rly impl m nt d balanc d (also call d diff r ntial) circuitry
sounds b tt r than unbalanc d circuitry. Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is a tru balanc d d sign. It g n rat s
th inv rt d signal in th digital domain and all subs qu nt proc ssing is don in balanc d mod . Your Wadia
381/381i CD Play r is d sign d to maintain many of th advantag s of tru balanc d d sign wh n using th
unbalanc d outputs. In addition, th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r output stag is capabl of driving both typ s of
outputs simultan ously.
Why should I bypass the Preampl f er?
A pr amplifi r is unn c ssary wh n using your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r. Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r provid s
all th n c ssary control functions of a pr amp whil th signal is still in th digital domain. This avoids th
sonic d gradation caus d by analog circuitry, switch s, and wir . Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r output stag
can driv any pow r amplifi r and any int rconn cts, v n at v ry long l ngths.
Does the Wad a Volume Control comprom se resolut on?
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r us s th lat st g n ration of Wadia’s propri tary digital volum control. Th volum
l v l can b vari d in th digital domain by m ans of math matical manipulation of th signal, liminating th
distortion and nois that ar in vitabl with v n th b st analog volum controls. Whil conv ntional thinking
indicat s that r ducing th volum digitally can sacrific low l v l r solution, Wadia has cr at d an innovativ
solution. Wadia’s pat nt d digital filt ring algorithm produc s a 24 bit output rath r than th 16 bits stor d on
th CD. This high-r solution signal is th n us d in th computations which in turn r duc th volum l v l. This
n w signal is f d dir ctly to th DAC chips. Through this innovativ m thod, th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r
maintains high r solution v n at th low st volum control s ttings.
Can I bypass the Wad a Volume Control?
B caus th Digital Volum control do s not includ any analog circuitry, th r is non to b bypass d. Ev n th
math matical program st p that p rforms th Digital Volum Control calculation is an int gral part of th Wadia
DigiMast r filt r algorithm and th r for cannot b bypass d. If you do not n d th Wadia Volum Control, s t
it to its maximum l v l of 100 on th display.
What about Analog Sources?
In ord r to fully r aliz th pot ntial of this typ of syst m, Wadia has a rang of Analog-to-Digital conv rt rs.
Now it is possibl to us analog sourc s, such as a tun r, tap d ck, or v n a turntabl (in conjunction with a
suitabl phono stag ) in your syst m without using a conv ntional analog pr amplifi r. Consult your d al r for
mor information on th Wadia Analog-to-Digital products.
Should I leave the Wad a 381/381 CD Player w th the power on?
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is d sign d to b l ft with th pow r on with no harm or w ar to th unit. All
motors and las r circuitry turn off wh n th unit stops playing. If d sir d, th front display can b turn d off
(s Turning off th Display und r R mot Op ration). L aving th pow r on allows th circuitry to r main in
th rmally stabl , which provid s b tt r p rformanc and long r lif . Car ful list n rs will notic that th sound
of th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r will improv st adily aft r th unit is pow r d up. A n w unit will und rgo mor
dramatic chang s wh n pow r is appli d for th first tim . If you turn off your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r for
mor than an hour, you will find that th unit will und rgo similar, but l ss dramatic improv m nt onc pow r
is r appli d.

8
General Operati n
Using th switch locat d dir ctly abov th AC pow r input, turn th switch to th ON position.
Front Panel Controls
Th front pan l of th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r f atur s basic controls that allow you to op rat basic functions
without using th R mot Control.
Pr vious Track
This button will caus th unit
to mov to th pr vious track
and b gin playing.
Op n/Clos /Stop
If th draw r is op n, pushing this
button will CLOSE th draw r.
If th CD is playing, pushing this
button will STOP playing.
If th unit is not playing, pushing
this button will OPEN th draw r.
Example:
To open the d awe while the unit
is playing, push the button once to
stop and once mo e to open.
Volum Down
D cr as s th volum by 1/2 dB.
Play/N xt Track
This button will caus th unit
to advanc to th n xt track
and b gin playing.
Volum Up
Incr as th volum by 1/2 dB.
381/381i CD Player

9
Display Features
Display Functions
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r f atur s a larg display scr n. Th top s ction shows th status of th transport.
Th bottom of th display indicat s pr amp functions, as d scrib d b low.
Turn-On Scr n
This scr n is display d ach tim th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is pow r d-up. Aft r fiv s conds, th display
will chang to th Input scr n with int rnal transport s l ct d, th n chang again to th Volum scr n with
th volum s t to Z ro. (The sc een on the 381i CD Playe will ead “381i CD Playe ”)
Input Scr n
Th Input scr n shows which input is curr ntly s l ct d. It also indicat s wh th r ClockLink is ngag d and th
sampling fr qu ncy. If th r is no signal conn ct d to th s l ct d input, th display will r ad, “No Data.”
T r a c k T i m e C D
0 1 0 2 : 5 6
L 1 0 0 L e v e l 1 0 0 R
Track Tim Playback Options Format
Transport FunctionsVolum
381 CD Player

381/381i CD Player
10
Status Scr n
Th Status scr n indicat s wh th r th status is Phas Normal or Inv rt d, and wh th r th CD was r cord d
using digital high fr qu ncy mphasis.
Volum Scr n
Th Volum scr n shows th right and l ft chann l volum l v l. If th output is mut d, th display will indicat
this by showing, “MUTE.”
During normal list ning, th display will show th d fault scr n
Changing B tw n Display Scr ns
Anytim a button is pr ss d, th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r display automatically switch s to th appropriat
scr n to display th chang . For xampl , pr ssing th balanc controls on th r mot control will switch th
381/381i CD Play r display to th Balanc scr n. Aft r fiv s conds, th display will r turn to th Volum scr n.
Also, pr ssing th nt r button will caus th display to chang to th n xt scr n. R p at dly pr ssing th
nt r button will caus th display to continu to chang to succ ssiv scr ns (s th M nu Scr n Map
on pag 16).
Disc Formats
Th 381/381i CD Play r will not only play CD's r cord d in th R d Book CD standard (including CD-R and CD-RW),
but it also can play discs r cord d in s v ral of th oth r popular formats: MP3, FLAC and WMA. Th 381/381i
CD Play r will display th fil format in th upp r right hand corn r of th display pan l. If a disc with multipl
formats (hybrid disc) is ins rt d, th n th 381/381i CD Play r will display HYBD.
Wh n you first load a MP3, FLAC or WMA ncod d disc you will s th total track count along with a disc
tim of “00:00”. Wh n th 381/381i CD Play r is playing data discs, th us r may skip tracks front and back
with dir ct track acc ss, using th numb r pad on th r mot , availabl up to track 999. In addition, th tim
display options b com non-op rational, th 381/381i CD Play r will only display th tim play d on th track,
not th tim r maining for th track or th whol disc.
T r a c k T i m e C D
01 02:56
L 1 0 0 L e v e l 1 0 0 R

11
Remote Control Operation
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r r mot control r quir s two typ -AAA batt ri s, which you will find in th
acc ssori s kit. To install th batt ri s, r mov th batt ry cov r on th back of th r mot by sliding it towards
th bottom of th r mot . Ins rt th batt ri s as indicat d on th batt ry hold rs.
Adjusting th Volum
Wh n v r th volum control buttons ar pr ss d, th volum for both chann ls will b incr as d or d cr as d
by an incr m nt of 1 on th display scr n. Th rang of th volum control is from 1 to 100, with ach st p
r pr s nting 0.5 dB chang in volum .
Adjusting th Balanc
R lativ volum of ach chann l can b adjust d via th balanc control buttons on th r mot . Pr ssing on
of th balanc buttons incr as s th volum on that chann l r lativ to th oth r by an incr m nt of 0.2 on th
display. This corr sponds to a 0.1dB chang . Th n xt tim th button is pr ss d th opposit chann l is d cr as d.
This way th ov rall volum l v l (th sum of th two chann ls) r mains constant within 0.1 dB.
Program* / Transport Tim Mod
R p at / Singl Track R p at
Dir ct
0
Draw r Op n/Clos / S arch Back
Paus / Play
Stop / Track Back / Track Forward
Display On/Off
Balanc L ft/Right
Ent r
Mod
Input
+ 10** / Phas Inv rt
S arch Forward / Mut
Volum Up/Down
* Not Act ve
** Use before select ng any track
greater than n ne (see page 12)

S l cting an Input
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r has four digital inputs, plus th int rnal driv . Any of th inputs can b s l ct d
from th r mot control by pr ssing th input button. Each tim th input button is pr ss d, th n xt input is
s l ct d. For xampl , if you ar list ning to int rnal driv and you pr ss th input s l ct, Input 1 will b s l ct d,
pr ss it again, and Input 2 will b s l ct d and so on. Aft r Input 4, th list will b gin again with th int rnal driv .
Wh n v r you s l ct a n w input, th display will switch to th Input Scr n.
Inv rting Absolut Phas
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r has th ability to inv rt absolut phas in th digital domain. Pr ssing th Phas
Inv rt button on th r mot control will caus th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r to inv rt phas ; pr ssing it
again will switch th phas back to normal. If th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is in Phas Inv rt mod , this will
b indicat d on th Input Scr n of th display.
Turning Display On/Off
By pr ssing th Display On or Off button, th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r display can b turn d off compl t ly.
Mut Mod s
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r has two mut mod s that ar automatically impl m nt d und r diff r nt circumstanc s.
DSP-Softwar Mut
Wh n th Mut button is pr ss d on th r mot control, th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r’s DSP ngin transmits
a str am of z ro signal l v l sampl s to th DAC s ction, which r sults in z ro output.
Output-R lay Mut
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r has mut r lay conn ct d b tw n th positiv and n gativ outputs. Wh n
this r lay is ngag d, it conn cts th positiv output to th n gativ output, r ducing th output to z ro. This
r lay, which produc s an audibl click wh n it ngag s or dis ngag s, is not in th music signal path. Th
mut r lay is ngag d:
• Wh n th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r d t cts AC input l v l b low its minimum op rating rang .
• Each tim th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r pow r switch is turn d on.
• Wh n th volum control is s t to z ro AND th mut button on th r mot control is pr ss d. Wh n
th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r is in ith r Mut Mod , th Volum Scr n will indicat this by displaying
th word, “MUTE.”
+10: Us b for s l cting any track gr at r than 9. For xampl ; to s l ct track 23 you should first pr ss th +10
button and th n pr ss th 2 button and th n th 3 button.
Note: D rect track access us ng the number pad on the remote s ava lable up to track 999.
12
381/381i CD Player

13
TRACK BACK/FORWARD : Pr ssing th s buttons allows acc ss to th pr vious or n xt track on a CD.
SEARCH BACK/FORWARD : Pr ssing th s buttons allows fast r v rs or fast forward acc ss through
a track. Pr ssing th PLAY button to r sum s normal playback.
STOP : Pr ssing this button whil a CD is playing stops PLAY.
PAUSE : Pr ssing this button, whil a CD is playing, susp nds PLAY. Pr ssing th PLAY button will r sum
play at th point wh r th paus button was pr ss d.
PLAY : Aft r a CD has b n load d, pr ssing this button plays th CD b ginning with th first track
Playbac Options
TIME : This button switch s b tw n th various tim mod s on th display. B for play, th total tim on
th CD is shown. Onc a CD starts to play th laps d tim of that track will b shown. Pr ssing th button on
th r mot control onc will caus th display to indicat th r maining tim in that track (r main). Pr ssing this
button on th r mot control again will caus th display to indicat th total tim laps d for th ntir CD.
Pr ssing th button anoth r tim will caus th display to show th total tim r maining for th ntir CD. Finally,
pr ssing th button again will cycl back to th original d fault s tting.
Note: When the 381/381 CD Player s play ng MP3, FLAC, or WMA encoded d scs the t me d splay opt ons
become non-operat onal. The 381/381 CD Player w ll only d splay the t me played on the track.
REPEAT : Pr ssing this button will caus th ntir CD to r p at continuously. Pr ssing this button a s cond
tim will tak th transport out of th r p at mod .
SINGLE REPEAT : Pr ssing this button will r p at a singl track continuously. Pr ssing th singl r p at
button a s cond tim will tak th transport out of singl r p at mod .

14
381/381i CD Player
Theory of Operation
Using ClockLink with an Ext rnal Proc ssor
ClockLink liminat s jitt r add d wh n th clock signal is r cov r d from th digital data str am. In a
non-ClockLink syst m, jitt r is add d wh n th clock signal is mb dd d in th data str am and transmitt d
to th DAC. Wh n th clock signal is r cov r d from th data str am (as shown b low), and us d to clock
th DAC output, this jitt r d grad s th sonic p rformanc .
With ClockLink, th clock is not r cov r d from th data. Inst ad, th mast r clock is locat d at th DAC. This
clock signal is transmitt d to th transport to k p it synchroniz d with th DAC. B caus th r cov r d clock is
ignor d, any jitt r on that signal do s not aff ct th sonic p rformanc .
Th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r with its digital inputs and outputs can b us d with a digital signal proc ssor
such as a digital qualiz r. Digital proc ssors allow th signal to b modifi d without adding analog nois and
distortion. How v r, digital proc ssors can add jitt r, as shown b low, causing notic abl sonic d gradation.
Using ClockLink with an xt rnal proc ssor, th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r ignor s th incoming clock and
us s th mast r oscillator at th DAC. As a r sult, jitt r add d by th xt rnal digital proc ssor do s not aff ct
sonic p rformanc .
Transport DAC
Data to DAC
CD Player with ClockLink
Clock to Transport
Clock to Transport
Transport DAC
Data and Clock to DAC
Conventional CD Player
Jitter Added
Transport
Digital
Processor
DAC
Data and Clock to DAC
Conventional CD Player with an External Digital Processor
Jitter Added
Digital
Output
Digital
Input
Transport
Digital
Processor
DAC
Data to DAC
CD Player with ClockLink with an External Digital Processor
Digital
Output
Digital
Input

15
Configuring Digital Inputs for ClockLink (Wad a 381 CD Player Only)
To utiliz ClockLink with an xt rnal proc ssor, th Wadia 381i CD Play r digital inputs must b configur d for
ClockLink as d scrib d b low.
Us th Ent r button to scroll through th display m nus until you r ach th configuration m nu for th input
you wish to configur . Shown b low is th configuration m nu for Input 1:
Us th Volum Up or Volum Down button to chang to ClockLink ON. Pr ss th Mut button to sav
th configuration.
Note: Us ng ClockL nk w th a source other than the nternal transport w ll result n unpred ctable,
degraded performance.
ClockLink should only b us d wh n using an xt rnal proc ssor which is b ing f d by th 381i CD Play r int rnal
transport. For all oth r applications, inputs should b configur d with ClockLink OFF.
Th Wadia 381i CD Play r has s v ral f atur s to pr v nt ClockLink from b ing ngag d wh n it should not
b . First, wh n v r th input signal is oth r than 44.1 kHz sampling fr qu ncy, th Wadia 381i CD Play r will
automatically r v rt to r cov r d clock mod . S cond, if th int rnal transport is not running, th Wadia 381i
CD Play r will r v rt to r cov r d clock mod .
Note: All nputs on the Wad a 381 CD Player are factory conf gured for ClockL nk OFF.
ClockLink Status Indication
Wh n th Wadia 381i CD Play r is op rating in ClockLink mod , th Input scr n will indicat as shown b low:
Ev n if an input is configur d for ClockLink, th Status scr n will only indicat ClockLink if it is curr ntly
ngag d. For xampl , if an input is configur d for ClockLink, and th Wadia 381i CD Play r’s int rnal transport
is turn d off, th n th display will not indicat ClockLink.
!
!

16
381/381i CD Player
T r a c k T i m e C D
01 02:56
L 1 0 0 L e v e l 1 0 0 R
Status Screen
Input Screen
Balance Screen
Operati n Screens C nfigurati n Screens
Volume Screen
Y+Enter
Mute
Mute
Mute
Mute
Mute
N+Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Enter
Menu Screen Map

17
Digital Algorithms
In th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r th r ar thr us r-s l ctabl digital algorithms that can b us d to optimiz
th sonic p rformanc bas d on syst m matching and p rsonal musical prioriti s.
Th thr algorithms in th 381/381i CD Play r all upsampl to 32x th input rat (at 24 bit/1.4112 MHz DAC
sampl rat ), but diff r in th ir tim and fr qu ncy domain charact ristics. Th y ar :
Algorithm A Digimast r v2.5. Wadia’s classic tim -domain int rpolation algorithm d liv rs a robust sound
with xtraordinary imag Focus and r -cr ation of r cord d spac .
Algorithm B Provid s a mor xt nd d top nd than Algorithm A, with sup rior tim -domain p rformanc
compar d to conv ntional CD filt rs.
Algorithm C R tains th high fr qu ncy xt nsion and sup rior d tail r solution of Algorithm B, but with a
mor r lax d pr s ntation ov rall.
Th s l ct d algorithm is us d for 44.1 kHz (CD) and 48 kHz sourc s, ith r from th int rnal transport or any of
th four digital inputs. For 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sourc s, Digimast r v2.5 is always us d as it provid s th b st
p rformanc at high-sampl rat s.
W ncourag you to b com familiar with th uniqu sonic p rformanc of ach of th s algorithms and njoy
th on that brings you optimum musical pl asur .
S l cting an Algorithm
To chang th digital proc ssing algorithm, pr ss th Ent r button on th r mot control r p at dly to bring up
this configuration scr n:
Th s l ct d algorithm is shown on th s cond lin of th display. Us th Up and Down Volum buttons to
scroll to th d sir d algorithm, th n ith r pr ss th Mut button or th Ent r button to navigat to th ‘Sav
Chang s?’ scr n and choos ‘Y s’. Th display will indicat ‘CONFIGURATION STORED’ and th output of
th 381/381i CD Play r will mut for 5-10 s conds whil th s l ct d algorithm is download d to th two
DSP comput rs.
P rforming an Algorithm Comparison
Wh n comparing proc ssing algorithms it is important to adjust th volum to comp nsat for th diff r nt
gains of th algorithms. Without this adjustm nt th on which is loud r will usually sound b tt r in a short-t rm
A/B comparison.
In th 381/381i CD Play r, algorithm A is approximat ly 1db high r output l v l than B and C (which ar within
0.1 db of ach oth r). To comp nsat for this high r output l v l, incr as th indicat d volum s tting by 2
units for algorithms B and C wh n comparing th m to A.

18
Appendices
TroubleShooting: Lock-up
If th Wadia 381/381i CD Play r xp ri nc s a pow rful static shock or sudd n AC surg , it is possibl to
“lock-up” th comput r circuitry. A lock d-up comput r may r sult in rratic display, no output, and no r spons
to r mot commands.
If your Wadia 381/381i CD Play r should lock-up, unplug th AC cord. Wait at l ast 30 s conds b for r plugging
in th unit. If th unit still do s not op rat normally, contact your d al r.
Using Data Discs
W hav notic d wh n making FLAC discs for th 381/381i CD Play r with Microsoft Vista, you n d to us
a third party CD burning program (i : Easy CD Cr ator, M dia Monk y). If you us Vista’s CD burning softwar ,
th CD is not prop rly clos d so th 381/381i CD Play r cannot r ad th fil s. W hav not xp ri nc d any
issu s with Windows XP making FLAC data CD’s. W hav also found no issu s with a MAC OSX making th
burn. Th 381/381i CD Play r will acc pt FLAC fil s up to 24/96 sampl rat s.
Software License Agreement
IMPORTANT! THIS AGREEMENT SETS FORTH TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE DigiMast r SOFTWARE.
Th DigiMast r softwar is copyright d and pat nt d. It is th prop rty of Wadia Digital.
Titl to Lic ns d Softwar is not transf rr d to th custom r. Th custom r is grant d a non xclusiv lic ns to
us th Lic ns d Softwar only on this Wadia 381/381i CD Play r.
At Wadia’s sol Discr tion, Wadia may provid custom r with updat s of th Lic ns d Softwar . Wadia r tains
th right to provid th Lic ns d Softwar updat s for a f . Th custom r may r fus to acc pt such Lic ns d
Softwar updat s.
Environmental Care
Wadia mak s v ry ffort to b an nvironm ntally cons rvativ company. W appr ciat it if our custom rs
join our fforts. Pl as dispos of batt ri s in a mann r that is nvironm ntally r sponsibl .
381/381i CD Player

19
Technical Specifications
D coding Softwar 3 us r s l ctabl upsampling algorithms including DigiMast r v2.5
Digital Proc ssing Capability 1 - 24 Bits
Digital R solution 21 Bits
Compatibl Formats R d Book CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, FLAC (up to 24/96) and WMA (will not
play WMA lossless)
Analog Outputs On pair of Balanc d (XLR); On pair of Unbalanc d (RCA). Both can b
us d simultan ously
Digital Outputs 1 - Glass Fib r-Optic (ST), 1 - AES/EBU (XLR), 1 - SP/DIF (BNC),
(Wad a 381 only) 1 - Plastic Optical (Toslink)
Digital Inputs 1 - Glass Fib r-Optic (ST), 1 - AES/EBU (XLR), 1 - SP/DIF (BNC),
(Wad a 381 only) 1 - Plastic Optical (Toslink)
Output Imp danc 51 ohms
Pow r Consumption 58 watts
W ight 55 lb. (25kg) Unit its lf; 62 lb. (28kg) Shipping W ight
Dim nsions 17˝ Wid , 16.5˝ D p, 7˝ High (including spik d f t)