Ferrum release WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 to supercharge your hi-fi

Ferrum today announces the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2, the next evolution of its highly regarded DAC/PREAMP platform. Building upon the EISA award-winning WANDLA and the original GoldenSound Edition, the new Gen 2 version introduces significant upgrades to three of its most distinctive features: Impact+, Tube Mode and Spatial Enhancement.

Each of these technologies has been completely overhauled and refined with Ferrum Sweet Spot Tuning, giving listeners greater control over their sound while preserving the precision, transparency and musicality that define the WANDLA platform. The goal remains simple: helping listeners find their personal sweet spot.

Whether it is adding authority in the low frequencies, introducing the warmth of classic valve designs or enhancing the sense of space in a recording, the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 offers a deeper level of customisation while maintaining the performance expected from a high-end digital-to-analogue converter.

Impact+: tweak low-frequency sounds bit by bit

Impact+ is Ferrum’s advanced low-frequency enhancement system.

In the original GoldenSound Edition, Impact+ used a carefully tuned bass shelf combined with an additional peak to provide a more realistic and powerful sound signature. With GoldenSound Edition Gen 2, this concept has been expanded.

Users can now choose from seven distinct sound profiles: Reference, Ref+, Smooth, Kick+, DD-Comp, DD-Comp+, and Sub-Bass. Each profile offers a unique combination of bass shaping and dynamic response, allowing the sound to be tailored to different headphones and speakers.

Instead of a single fixed enhancement, listeners can now select the profile that best suits their system and then adjust the overall Impact+ level from 10% to 130%. This makes it possible to fine-tune the balance between subtle reinforcement and a more pronounced low-end response.

All processing is performed internally with 64-bit precision, ensuring that these adjustments remain smooth, controlled and faithful to the original recording. With Impact+ and Ferrum Sweet Spot Tuning, the low end becomes something that can be shaped with confidence and precision.

Tube Mode: want valve sound without the fuss?

The second major feature to receive a complete redesign is Tube Mode.

In the original GoldenSound Edition, Tube Mode introduced the musical sweetness associated with the second harmonic, subtly enriching the sound in a way reminiscent of valve amplification.

With GoldenSound Edition Gen 2, this idea has been expanded by modelling specific valves. Instead of simply adding a harmonic component, the new Tube Mode models the sound signatures of five classic valve types: EL34, KT88, 300B, 2A3 and 7062.

These models capture the tonal characteristics associated with some of the most respected valve designs in audio history. The result allows listeners to explore a range of sonic textures inspired by traditional valve equipment.

Listeners can also adjust the strength of the effect, with a variable range from 10% to 200%, making it possible to apply anything from a subtle hint of warmth to a stronger valve-inspired character.

With Tube Mode and Ferrum Sweet Spot Tuning, the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 offers a flexible way to experience classic valve tonality within a modern digital platform and offers music fans the options many recording studios offer artists.

Spatial Enhancement

The third upgraded feature is Spatial Enhancement, Ferrum’s technology designed to expand the soundstage and improve the three-dimensional presentation of music.

In its original form, Spatial Enhancement offered two dedicated modes, one optimised for loudspeakers and one for headphones.

GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 introduces a new option called Transient Compensation, or T-Comp. This addition fine-tunes the spatial processing algorithm to better handle high-frequency transients specifically.

The result is a more convincing sense of depth and positioning, creating a clearer three-dimensional soundstage without the imaging shifts often associated with traditional crossfeed systems.

Users can independently toggle the spatial processing, select their output mode for headphones or loudspeakers, and engage T-Comp to further refine the presentation.

The complete WANDLA experience

Alongside these new capabilities, WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 retains the features that have made the original platform so widely respected.

These include the SERCE DSP module, WANDLA’s balanced architecture, proprietary amplification, optimised digital inputs, finely tuned digital-to-analogue conversion and Dynamic Digital Filtering.

Ease of operation remains central to the design thanks to the intuitive touchscreen interface, while Ferrum Streaming Control Technology ensures seamless integration into modern digital audio systems.

When paired with Ferrum’s HYPSOS power supply, WANDLA also benefits from 4TSD voltage sensing capabilities, further optimising performance.

The Ferrum upgrade path explained

Ferrum has ensured that existing users can benefit from the new technology.

Owners of the original WANDLA GoldenSound Edition, as well as those who already purchased the GoldenSound Edition Converting Plugin, will be able to download a free firmware upgrade to transform their unit into the GoldenSound Edition Gen 2.

Shortly after the introduction of the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 DAC/PREAMP, Ferrum will also release the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 Converting Plugin, available to all WANDLA owners for $595 / €595.

PRICING: UK £3295, $3295, €3295

Available now at Advanced MP3

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Full specifications and gallery below

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Technical Specifications

DAC chip: ESS Sabre ES9038PRO

DAC resolution: 768 kHz / 32-bit, DSD512

Digital inputs:

USB Type-C (up to PCM 768 kHz / 32-bit, DSD512, DoP256)

I2S (up to PCM 768 kHz / 32-bit, DSD512, DoP256), PS Audio compatible

ARC (up to PCM 192 kHz / 24-bit), TV input with CEC

AES (up to PCM 192 kHz / 24-bit, DoP64)

Coaxial S/PDIF (up to PCM 192 kHz / 24-bit, DoP64)

Optical S/PDIF (up to PCM 96 kHz / 24-bit*)

Analogue inputs: RCA

Analogue input Vmax: 9.5 VRMS (2 – 3.5 VRMS recommended)

Analogue input impedance: 47 kΩ

Line outputs: balanced XLR, unbalanced RCA

Volume control: analogue with bypass option / digital for DAC operation only

Output level:
​• PRO: 8 VRMS balanced, 4 VRMS unbalanced (@ 0 dBFS / 1 kHz sine)
​• Red Book: 3.5 VRMS balanced, 1.75 VRMS unbalanced

Frequency response: 10 Hz – 200 kHz +/- 0.1 dB (analogue inputs)

DAC THD: -121 dB (0.00009 %)

THD+N: -118 dB unweighted

Analogue input THD: -123 dB @ 2 VRMS

Dynamic range (A-weighted): 127 dB analogue, 119 dB digital

Crosstalk: -120 dB at 1 kHz, better than -100 dB for 20 Hz – 20 kHz

Output impedance: 22 Ω unbalanced, 44 Ω balanced

Power consumption: 10 W idle, 15 W max

Power inputs (22-30 VDC):

​5.5/2.5 mm DC connector, centre positive
​Proprietary Ferrum Power Link (FPL) 4-pin DC connector

Power adapter: 100-240 VAC to 24 VDC

Remote control: included

Dimensions: 21.7 cm x 20.6 cm x 5 cm

Weight: 1.8 kg