Wattson Audio Amplifiers, Streamers & More
Read Time: Approx. 21 min.
Where Swiss Engineering Meets Exceptional Pricing
In the vast sea of hi-fi brands, it's shocking that Wattson Audio has gone under my radar for so long. A Swiss company specializing in streamers, amplifiers, and network bridgepoints, Wattson Audio is one of the newest brands we're thrilled to carry at Moon Audio.
Wattson Audio represents a distinctive approach to high-end digital audio, where engineering precision meets musical passion. From their meticulous approach to power supply design and streaming to their commitment to simplified signal paths and low-profile components, Wattson Audio has established itself as a brand that refuses to compromise on technical excellence.
You might be wondering, "What sets Wattson Audio apart from everyone else?" For starters, it's their promise of pure power, pure sound, and reference-level components that don't cost a fortune.
The Wattson Audio Product Line
Madison LE Streamer (Lounge Edition)
For discerning audiophiles who demand flagship-level performance
Wattson Audio's flagship digital streamer and DAC, the Madison LE Streamer (Lounge Edition), delivers accuracy and musical fidelity in a compact form factor. This enhanced version takes the proven foundation of the original Madison Streamer and elevates it through improvements to the power supply, analog output stage, and internal capacitance. It's a full-featured component with a volume control, DAC, amplifier, and built-in streaming capabilities–what more could you want?
At its core, the Madison LE shares the same sophisticated streaming architecture as the standard Madison, utilizing Wattson Audio's proprietary streaming engine. Built around the highly capable Sitara Processor from Texas Instruments and an upgradable DSP-driven DAC, the Madison LE elevates fidelity and musicality for an emotional listening experience. The Madison LE maintains full compatibility with major streaming protocols, including Roon Ready, UPnP, AirPlay, Qobuz Connect, and Tidal Connect, while supporting hi-res playback formats, including native PCM and DSD. Additionally, the streamer supports S/PDIF digital sources with both RCA and TOSlink Optical Inputs.
The key improvements in the LE version center around power delivery and analog performance. Inside the Madison LE's chassis, the power supply capacitance is doubled and upgraded to premium capacitors, ensuring cleaner, more stable power. The external power supply has been upgraded with an AC input filter and greater stability paired with precision linear regulation. Ultra-low-noise voltage regulators are used to provide optimal power to every critical circuit section in the Madison LE, from clock generators to synchronization circuits and the analog stage. Upgraded critical capacitors between the DAC chips and the analog output stage have been placed to improve transparency.
Wattson's fully balanced differential design uses two pairs of op-amps per channel, optimizing the interface to the DAC chips and enhancing its ability to drive connected power amplifiers. The eerily silent noise floor and robust output stage of the Madison LE provide the control and authority needed to drive connected power amps, preamps, or integrated amps to peak performance.
Don't let the size of the Madison LE Streamer fool you–it packs a punch! With the main unit housed in identical solid-billet aluminum casework as the previous generation, the Madison LE Streamer delivers on its promise of structural integrity and acoustic isolation. Like the standard Madison, the LE version incorporates the sophisticated lossless LEEDH Processing volume control system that enables direct connection to power amplifiers without requiring a separate preamplifier. Reap the benefits of the Wattson Music App's fluid, intuitive user experience where you can stream your favorite services, adjust settings, and access your personal music library. Sit back and enjoy a musical experience rich in dynamic control, delicate nuance, and emotional engagement.
Madison Streamer
For audiophiles seeking streaming excellence with a built-in DAC and Volume Control
The Madison Streamer is Wattson Audio's first-generation streamer, combining musically accurate streaming with an upgradable DSP-driven DAC and digital volume control for the ultimate performance and sonic fidelity. Equipped with both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs, the Madison Streamer effortlessly integrates into your existing setup. Connect it directly to a power amplifier for a streamlined high-performance music system, or pair it with your favorite preamplifier or integrated amplifier for elevated performance.
The topology of the Madison Streamer is one you'd normally only find priced astronomically higher, making it a compelling option for audiophiles seeking high-end performance in a compact package. The foundation of the streamer centers around Wattson Audio's own, highly-regarded streaming engine that supports comprehensive streaming protocols including Roon Ready, UPnP, AirPlay, Qobuz Connect, and Tidal Connect.
The Madison Streamer employs a pair of high-performance op-amps per channel, forming a robust, space-efficient, and cost-effective analog output stage. Every circuit stage in the Madison benefits from the substantial onboard power supply filtering and reservoir capacitance, ensuring pristine signal integrity and consistent performance. The Madison Streamer delivers a seamless blend of technical accuracy and musicality, offering a listening experience that is as emotionally engaging and accurate.
Crafted to endure the ever-changing demands of your hi-fi system, the Madison Streamer is composed of high-precision machined casework milled from solid-billet aluminum. This approach guarantees structural integrity while optimizing electromagnetic shielding and mechanical damping. The Wattson Music App is the dedicated companion for the Madison Streamer, offering effortless access to your library and preferred streaming services. Within the app, you can easily control device playback and adjust advanced settings. The compact dimensions of the Wattson Audio Madison Streamer make it the ideal centerpiece for space-conscious audiophiles who never compromise on high performance.
Madison Amplifier
For discerning audiophiles seeking reference-level performance
The Wattson Audio Madison Amplifier is the result of a collaboration between Wattson engineers and CH Precision, redefining performance and musicality within its class. CH's expertise in ultra-linear amplification and circuit design ensures the Madison Amplifier inherits the sonic purity, speed, and control found in reference-level components. The Madison Amp is a versatile and adaptable component for evolving hi-fi systems as a true dual-mono low-feedback Class A/B design amplifier offering 50 watts of power into 8 Ohms. It delivers dynamics and control with authority, thanks to its fast, linear amplification circuitry and switchable modes.
At the core of the Madison Amplifier sits a strategically designed signal path that minimizes energy consumption and distortion while preserving harmonic integrity. The amp begins as a 50-watt-per-channel stereo design that easily transforms into bi-amplification or monophonic modes for seamless system upgrades. Bi-amplification mode routes the input signal to both output channels for vertical bi-amplification, enhancing dynamics, resolution, and control without added complexity. Monophonic mode converts the amplifier into a single channel, which improves current delivery and handling of complex loads while allowing placement near the loudspeaker. With a design this flexible, the Madison Amplifier delivers on its promise of lasting performance and effortless evolution.
Its power supply forms an unshakable foundation—an exceptionally robust, highly filtered, and tightly regulated architecture employing symmetrical DC converters. The fully symmetrical amplification stage, built from discrete components, maintains purity from input to output. The input stage accommodates both RCA and XLR inputs, and whether receiving an unbalanced RCA or fully-balanced XLR signal. The output stage employs a carefully selected pair of high-power bipolar transistors per channel, forming the crucial link between electrical precision and musical artistry.
The Madison Amplifier can drive a variety of headphones from 32 Ohms to 300 Ohms with ease. Extremely quiet with IEMs and compact, it's a great choice for those needing a component with a small footprint. Physical construction maintains Wattson's signature aesthetic, with solid-billet aluminum chassis providing excellent shielding and mechanical stability. Experience the transparency, texture, and tonal purity of the Madison Amplifier, where notes carry weight, presence, and emotional impact.
Emerson ANALOG Network Bridge Endpoint
For audiophiles who want to add streaming capabilities
The Wattson Audio Emerson ANALOG Network Bridge Endpoint is a single-box solution that connects your network directly to your amplifier, adding streaming capabilities to your hi-fi system. With an internal DAC, volume control, and support for Roon Ready, Qobuz, Tidal, UPnP, and more, the Emerson ANALOG delivers flawless music stream directly to your preamp or amplifier's line output.
At its core, the Emerson ANALOG uses its streaming engine, engineered around Texas Instruments' Sitara Processor, which is driven by Wattson's updatable software, supporting a growing range of network protocols for optimal audio data integrity and seamless hi-res audio format playback without transcoding. The Cyrus/Wolfson WM8742 DAC ensures exceptional performance and effortless DSD-to-PCM conversion. The technical architecture of the Emerson ANALOG maintains a "bit-perfect" data path, ensuring no sampling frequency conversion or data processing is applied, apart from volume control when used. Two ultra-low noise oscillators: one dedicated to base frequencies of 44.1 kHz and their multiples, and the other for 48 kHz-based sampling rates, work in a sophisticated clock design that optimizes the audio quality while minimizing jitter.
As with all Wattson Audio products, the Emerson ANALOG Network Bridge Endpoint is built using the highest-quality materials. Despite its compact size, this device houses sophisticated engineering that eliminates the need for multiple components, cables, and connections. By removing extra components and cables, potential sources of error and gain are eliminated, and complete control over every detail is gained. The Wattson Music App controls the Emerson ANALOG's functionality and settings. Enjoy access to your music library and favorite streaming services. Setup is remarkably straightforward, and the pure, streamlined performance of the Emerson ANALOG Network Bridge Endpoint is priceless.
Emerson DIGITAL Network Bridge Endpoint
For audiophiles who want to turn any DAC into a Streaming DAC
The Wattson Audio Emerson DIGITAL Network Bridge Endpoint turns any DAC into a streaming DAC or improves the performance of most streaming DACs. Unlike its analog counterpart, the Digital version outputs pristine digital signals via AES/EBU and S/PDIF connections, allowing you to leverage your existing high-quality DAC while adding comprehensive streaming capabilities.
The Emerson DIGITAL shares the same sophisticated streaming engine as the analog version, built around Wattson's streaming engine, engineered around the Sitara Processor from Texas Instruments. It maintains a "bit-perfect" device, from its RJ45 input to its AES/EBU and S/PDIF output, ensuring no degradation of the digital signal path. The internal architecture features the same dual-clock design with a pair of ultra-low noise oscillators, one dedicated to base frequencies of 44.1 kHz and their multiples, and the other for 48 kHz-based sampling rates. These oscillators are activated individually to minimize noise and jitter, while the clock signals are carefully distributed to reduce jitter throughout the digital signal path.
With a Roon Ready certification, the Emerson DIGITAL is a versatile partner for any DAC or digital component, whether to add streaming capability or elevate existing performance. Many vintage DACs, while lacking support for the highest resolution formats available today, possess distinctive sonic qualities that we just can't part with. Rather than forcing an upgrade that sacrifices these tonal qualities, the Emerson DIGITAL allows you to maintain your preferred DAC's sound signature while gaining access to modern streaming services, high-resolution file playback, and network audio protocols.
Physical construction maintains the same Swiss precision standards as the ANALOG model, featuring a distinctive, compact design, carved from solid billet aluminium and protected by powder coating. This unique design approach enhances the structural integrity and acoustic isolation, ensuring exceptional performance. The setup process is equally straightforward, and the component is easily controlled through the Wattson Music App. Access your entire personal music library, preferred streaming services, and control the device's volume and settings all within the app. For the audiophile who wants to transform their existing DAC into a world-class streaming solution, pick the Emerson DIGITAL Network Bridge Endpoint.
The Wattson Music App
The Wattson Music Controller app is the only application you need to control your new Wattson Audio products. Available as the Wattson Music Controller app for Apple iOS and the Wattson Remote app for Android, this application is optimized specifically for the Madison and Emerson product lines.
The Wattson Music App is the brain of the entire operation, intentionally designed for a seamless user experience. Access your music library, stream from various streaming services, and control the functionality of your component without leaving the comfort of your chair.
Intuitive UI
Effortless functionality and control begin the second you open the Wattson Music app. From the app's home screen, you can effortlessly browse a list of available devices, automatically detecting nearby ones for your convenience. Need to refresh the list? Simply pull down the screen or tap the "Scan" button for instant updates.
Music Sources and Streaming Integration
The Wattson Music app provides comprehensive access to multiple music sources. Once your device is detected and the connection is established, navigate through the following music sources: Tidal or Qobuz, radio stations offered by Airable, or your local UPnP/DLNA media servers. You'll have access to the full catalog and personal favorites on your Tidal and/or Qobuz account, making it easy to dive into curated playlists, discover new music, or search for the perfect track.
Wattson's digital models are Roon Ready, granting you access to the plethora of features Roon's software provides. Their digital products are also designed to work with Audirvāna, a platform capable of playing high-resolution music files on Mac and Windows. With integrated support for streaming services like Qobuz, TIDAL, and HRA, Wattson's Streamers integrate seamlessly with Audirvāna's‘ proprietary playback engine.
The Wattson Music app will automatically select the highest streaming quality supported by your subscription, with the option to adjust this setting through the menu beside the service name. With Wattson Music's Queue feature, you can plan an entire listening session, adding full albums, playlists, or individual tracks from your streaming service or media server.
Device Control and Settings Management
Wattson Music provides intuitive access to your device's settings, allowing you to adjust the volume, rename devices and inputs, or fine-tune correction settings for supported models like the Madison Streamers. The settings menu is also where you'll find information about the firmware version installed on your product, with a direct link to the update service webpage too.
The Wattson Advantage
What makes a company exceptional? Is it a quick delivery time or accommodating customer service? What about included accessories and sustainable packaging? Regardless of your answer, one thing that is for certain is that an exceptional company delivers on its promise of performance, reliability, and satisfaction. Wattson Audio is the perfect example of an exceptional company.
What sets Wattson Audio apart from other hi-fi manufacturers? Wattson Audio operates with precision, efficiency, and accessibility in mind. You don't have to be a millionaire to afford Wattson products. Likewise, you a background in engineering isn't required to understand how to set up and use your product. With the engineering ethos "to challenge the conventions of audio design and deliver products that embody the future of high-performance sound," Wattson Audio achieves what seems like the impossible: Reference-level products packed with the technology, performance, and sound quality of $20,000+ products, at a fraction of the price.
"A singular vision guides our engineering ethos: To challenge the conventions of audio design and deliver products that embody the future of high-performance sound."
Craftsmanship
What sets Wattson Audio apart from other hifi manufacturers isn't its curated product line or streaming technology, but its ethos of innovation. At its core, Wattson Audio is a company operating with an innovative mindset. A mindset to develop products that are practical and efficient–in their use of space, energy, and materials–while maintaining the kind of performance that audiophiles demand. Wattson Audio has set out to bridge the gap between aspiration and accessibility, offering authentic high-end sound at an attainable price point.
Every step of the design process is a critical one for Wattson Audio. Making products that are small in size but grandiose in performance and technical precision is not an easy task. From the housing materials to the layout of the internal circuit and every step in between, Wattson Audio takes a meticulous, mindful approach.
"Swiss Precision," as they call it, is truly the essence of Wattson Audio. Every component is designed and crafted in Switzerland, something that can't be said for every manufacturer on the market today. Local production bleeds life back into their community, an ethical and moral choice I respect and admire. This local production ensures that every detail meets the high performance and standards of Wattson Audio. Why? Because you would never slap your name on something you aren't proud of!
Using a design technique similar to the likes of dCS Audio and other high-end manufacturers, the housing of every Wattson Audio product starts as a solid aluminum billet, machined for structural integrity, perfect fit, and superior shielding against interference. The fewer pieces they have to jigsaw together, the better the technical precision. From there, a powder-coated finish is applied, adding resilience to the housing and a refined aesthetic that complements the simplicity of Wattson products.
The final assembly of Wattson products takes place in their Préverenges facility alongside their partner CH Precision's products. Not only do the pair collaborate on design, engineering, and technology, but they also share a space. Talk about the ultimate synergy.
Technology
The best way to learn the trick of the trade is to be elbows deep in it, and starting as design consultants for some of the most renowned names in audio isn't a bad place to begin. This opened Wattson Audio up to the world of innovation, new technologies, and formats, and what it takes to innovate.
The company's recent acquisition by CH Precision takes Wattson Audio's already technological edge and amplifies it. Together, the two companies are a force to be reckoned with.
Bridging Hardware & Software
ARM-based Ethernet Interface
Wattson Audio strives to find a balance between software and hardware in its products. Wattson network streamers leverage the company's advanced software, designed to optimize digital audio playback and DAC performance. The software, developed in-house, allows products like the Emerson and Madison Streamers to deliver performance that would be unattainable with off-the-shelf software and hardware.
Every Wattson Audio Streamer features the company's proprietary ARM-based Ethernet Interface, an innovative technology designed to ensure precision and timing accuracy. At the heart of its digital processing lies highly time-domain correct spline filtering, an approach exclusively found in Wattson and CH Precision products.
The Time Domain
Achieving bit-perfect playback is no easy task, and it demands a highly sophisticated approach to network interface software. Data undergoes quite a journey before it reaches our beloved ears as an audible sound. It must traverse the landscape of multiple software layers, managing network protocols, correcting transmission errors, buffering, file type analysis, decoding, stream shaping, and adapting to the hardware's requirements–just to name a few.
To ensure the flawless timing every manufacturer dreams of, Wattson Audio employs an asynchronous transmission mode. This approach eliminates the temporal fluctuations in computer-based environments by relying on the stable, precision clocks of the digital audio system to define signal cadence. Huh? In other words, instead of letting the computer control the timing, Wattson's timing domain says, "We'll handle this ourselves."
Industry-Leading Streaming Technology
The Madison and Emerson models are powered by Watton's proprietary streaming engine, engineered around the Texas Instruments Sitara Processor. The embedded software, central to the engine, manages an array of network communication protocols and ensures flawless decoding of audio systems. Every aspect of its design is optimized to maintain the integrity of audio data, guarantee reliable transmission, and provide seamless support for high-resolution file formats including PCM and DSD–without the need for transcoding.
Pristine Power
In high-end audio, pristine power isn't just important–it's everything. Power supplies have become one of the most integral parts of a component's success. Wattson Audio knows the quality of the power supply matters and has engineered the power architecture of their components with a focus on accuracy.
By employing an external power supply, Wattson isolates the mains voltage from the device's core electronics, minimizing potential interference. The incoming DC voltage is refined through an advanced series of common-mode and differential-mode filters that achieve clean, stable power delivery. Each critical circuit section is equipped with dedicated filtering and voltage regulation to eliminate any risk of unwanted interactions, allowing the individual components to perform at their best.
The Madison LE Streamer is a great example of this approach to power at work. The streamer uses ultra-low-noise voltage regulators that provide optimal power to every critical circuit section, from clock generators to synchronization circuits and the analog stage.
LEEDH-Processing: Pure Sound, Simplified Volume Control
Wattson Audio streamers use the company's LEEDH Processing Volume Control, built on a mathematical approach that virtually eliminates quantization errors while preserving the purity of the audio signal. This method allows for seamless adjustment of digital signal amplitude without introducing any degradation or coloration to the sound.
With LEEDH Processing, a direct path is created from the digital-to-analog converter to a power amplifier or active loudspeakers, eliminating the need for an analog preamplifier. By simplifying the signal path, listeners will enjoy the excellent clarity, dynamics, and precision of their Wattson Audio component.
Who is Wattson Audio?
They say one of the best ways to learn is to learn from others, and that's what Wattson Audio did, with humble beginnings as design consultants for prestigious, well-known brands in the audio world. Armed with experience and a passion to create advancements in digital and streaming technologies, Wattson Audio was born.
Wattson Audio is a Swiss high-end audio manufacturer renowned for its high-fidelity streaming solutions, combining advanced technology with audiophile tradition to create products designed and manufactured in Switzerland. From design to assembly, every detail of Wattson Audio products is done in house with care.
In 2024, Wattson Audio was acquired by CH Precision, a company with a like-minded focus on innovation in high-end audio. This partnership, Wattson Audio says, strengthens the company's ability to innovate, leveraging CH Precision's engineering expertise and resources to expand its reach while staying true to its ethos of delivering exceptional sound quality at an accessible price point. Together, both brands continue to push boundaries, offering complementary approaches that redefine the possibilities of high-end, modern audio technology.
Verdict
If there's anything you take away from this brand guide, let it be that reference-level components with affordable prices do exist. Your eyes didn't deceive you–this is not a hoax! As audiophiles, we often get caught in the allure of products with expensive price tags. Like having caviar taste with a McDonald's budget, we want what we can't have. Wattson Audio shows us that you can have it all, and some.
What's the catch? The catch is that there is no catch.
Wattson Audio isn't trying to pull a fast one on you, packing each component with low-grade tech–In fact, it's quite the opposite. While no component exceeds $10,000 in price, the value of these products is easily over $20,000. Wattson Audio has leveraged its years of expertise in design and partnership with CH Precision to deliver us products that internal componentry rival those of industry leaders like dCS Audio.
Through rigorous engineering discipline and an unwavering commitment to sonic purity, Wattson Audio has carved out a distinctive position in the high-end audio landscape. Their approach demonstrates that true innovation comes not from complexity, but from the intentional elimination of everything that stands between the listener and the music.
Wattson Audio continues to define what's possible in reference-level digital audio, consistently delivering on their promise of bringing listeners closer to the music they love.
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