Ferrum has officially unveiled the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2, the latest evolution of its acclaimed DAC and preamplifier platform. Building on the success of the original EISA award-winning WANDLA and the first GoldenSound Edition, this new Gen 2 version delivers substantial upgrades to three of its most distinctive sonic tools: Impact+, Tube Mode, and Spatial Enhancement.
The Goal: Finding Your Personal Sweet Spot
Whether you want tighter, more authoritative bass, the warm glow of classic valve amplification, or a more expansive and three-dimensional soundstage, the new GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 is designed to help every listener dial in their ideal sonic character with greater finesse and flexibility than ever before.
Impact+: Seven Bass Profiles for Precise Low-Frequency Control
One of the most significant upgrades comes to Impact+, Ferrum’s advanced low-frequency enhancement system.
In the previous GoldenSound Edition, Impact+ combined a bass shelf with an additional peak for a more powerful and realistic low end. The Gen 2 version expands this concept dramatically by introducing seven distinct sound profiles:
- Reference
- Ref+
- Smooth
- Kick+
- DD-Comp
- DD-Comp+
- Sub-Bass
Each profile offers a unique blend of bass shaping and dynamic behaviour, allowing users to tailor the low-end response to suit different headphones, loudspeakers, or musical genres.
Once a profile is selected, users can fine-tune the overall Impact+ intensity from 10% to 130%. All adjustments are performed with 64-bit internal precision, ensuring smooth, artefact-free results that remain faithful to the source material.
Tube Mode: Five Classic Valve Models in a Modern DAC
Tube Mode has also been completely redesigned. Previously focused on adding subtle second-harmonic warmth, the new version models the actual sonic signatures of five legendary valve types:
- EL34
- KT88
- 300B
- 2A3
- 7062
These models capture the distinctive tonal personalities associated with some of the most revered tube amplifiers in audio history. Listeners can now choose the valve character that best matches their taste and adjust its strength from a gentle 10% all the way up to a bold 200%.
This gives the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 the ability to deliver authentic valve-like sweetness and harmonic richness without the maintenance, heat, or inconsistency of traditional tube equipment.
Spatial Enhancement with New Transient Compensation
The third major upgrade concerns Spatial Enhancement, Ferrum’s technology for expanding perceived soundstage and improving three-dimensional imaging.
In addition to the existing loudspeaker and headphone-optimised modes, the Gen 2 introduces Transient Compensation (T-Comp). This new parameter specifically refines how the system handles high-frequency transients, resulting in a more natural sense of depth and precise instrument placement without the image-shifting side effects common in many crossfeed or spatial processors.
Users can independently enable or disable spatial processing, choose the appropriate output mode, and engage T-Comp for even finer control over the listening experience.
Core Strengths Remain Unchanged
While the GoldenSound features have been dramatically enhanced, the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 retains everything that made the original platform so highly regarded:
- The powerful SERCE DSP module
- Fully balanced architecture with proprietary amplification
- Optimised digital inputs and Dynamic Digital Filtering
- An intuitive, high-quality touchscreen interface
- Seamless integration via Ferrum Streaming Control Technology
When paired with Ferrum’s acclaimed HYPSOS hybrid power supply, the unit also benefits from advanced 4TSD voltage sensing for even greater performance.
Upgrade Path for Existing Owners
Ferrum has made the transition to Gen 2 as accessible as possible. Owners of the original WANDLA GoldenSound Edition and those who purchased the earlier GoldenSound Edition Converting Plugin can upgrade their units to the new Gen 2 feature set completely free of charge via a simple firmware download.
For standard WANDLA owners, Ferrum will soon release the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 Converting Plugin at a price of $595 / €595.
