Ferrum Audio continues to refine its flagship digital platform with the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2, a high-end DAC and preamplifier designed for listeners who want both uncompromising audio quality and the ability to shape their system’s sonic character. Building on the original WANDLA architecture, the new generation introduces expanded DSP tools that allow users to fine-tune the presentation of their music with impressive precision.
Rather than simply chasing technical specifications, Ferrum’s approach focuses on flexibility. The WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 is designed as a central control hub for modern digital audio systems—equally comfortable driving a reference headphone setup or serving as the heart of a high-end loudspeaker system.
Ferrum Audio’s Rapid Rise in the Hi-Fi World
Ferrum Audio, created by the Polish engineering company HEM Sp. z o.o., has quickly earned a strong reputation among audiophiles. In a relatively short time, the brand has introduced several standout components that combine compact form factors with serious engineering.
Products such as the Ferrum HYPSOS hybrid power supply and the Ferrum OOR headphone amplifier demonstrated the company’s philosophy early on: innovative circuitry, thoughtful design, and a focus on real-world sonic performance. With the launch of the WANDLA DAC platform, Ferrum expanded its portfolio into high-end digital conversion, adding preamplifier functionality and system integration to the mix.
The GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 represents the next evolution of that concept.
Reference-Class DAC Architecture
At the core of the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 is the highly regarded ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DAC, a converter widely used in reference-grade digital audio equipment. This chip allows the unit to process ultra-high-resolution formats, including PCM up to 32-bit / 768 kHz and DSD512, ensuring compatibility with virtually any modern high-resolution audio source.
Ferrum complements the DAC with its own SERCE DSP platform, which operates with 64-bit internal signal processing. This architecture forms the foundation for the device’s advanced sound-tuning features, enabling subtle adjustments without degrading the original recording’s integrity.
In practice, the WANDLA functions not only as a highly capable digital-to-analog converter but also as a precision tool for adapting sound reproduction to different systems, rooms, and listening preferences.
Impact+ – Tailoring Bass and Dynamics
One of the defining features of the GoldenSound Edition is Impact+, a DSP function designed to adjust perceived bass response and overall dynamics.
In the second generation, the system has been expanded to include multiple preset profiles. These range from neutral reference signatures to more energetic presentations that can enhance the perceived punch of certain speaker designs or headphone types. Users can also adjust the intensity of each profile on a scale ranging from 10 to 130 percent, allowing for very fine control over the final sonic balance.
The result is a level of flexibility rarely seen in traditional DACs—without relying on external equalizers or software processing.
Tube Mode – Warmth Without the Tubes
Another intriguing feature is Tube Mode, which digitally recreates the harmonic characteristics often associated with classic tube amplifiers.
In the Gen 2 version, Ferrum expands this concept significantly. The system can now simulate harmonic structures inspired by well-known tube types such as EL34, KT88, 300B, 2A3, and 7062. Harmonics up to the seventh order are taken into account, creating a subtle sense of warmth and texture that can be adjusted to the listener’s preference.
Importantly, this approach offers the sonic character of tube equipment without the typical drawbacks—no heat, no tube wear, and no maintenance.
Spatial Enhancement for a Wider Soundstage
The WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 also introduces improvements to its Spatial Enhancement processing.
Designed to improve stereo imaging and depth perception, the updated system now includes Transient Compensation, a feature that focuses on accurately rendering fast high-frequency transients. This helps preserve spatial cues and improve the realism of the soundstage.
Separate operating modes are available for both speaker listening and headphone playback, ensuring that the processing remains appropriate for the listening environment.
Extensive Connectivity for Modern Systems
Ferrum designed the WANDLA to integrate seamlessly into a wide variety of modern hi-fi setups.
Digital inputs include:
USB-C for high-resolution audio playback
I2S for compatible digital transports
AES/EBU professional digital connection
S/PDIF coaxial and optical inputs
A HDMI ARC input is also included, allowing the DAC to connect directly to a television. This makes it possible to integrate the WANDLA into a high-performance audio-video system while maintaining audiophile-grade sound quality.
On the analog side, the device offers both balanced XLR and RCA outputs, along with a RCA analog input. The internal volume control operates in the analog domain but can be bypassed if the WANDLA is used purely as a DAC.
Designed for the Ferrum Ecosystem
Like other Ferrum products, the WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 can be paired with the company’s external HYPSOS hybrid power supply.
Through Ferrum’s Power Link system, the two components communicate directly, allowing the HYPSOS to provide optimized power delivery. The system includes 4TSD voltage monitoring, which continuously checks and stabilizes the supply voltage to maintain optimal operating conditions.
Ferrum also introduces Streaming Control Technology, enabling compatible external network streamers to be controlled directly through the WANDLA interface.
Price and Availability
The Ferrum WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 is available now with a retail price of €3,295.
Owners of the previous GoldenSound Edition can upgrade to the new feature set through a firmware update, while other WANDLA users may gain access through a dedicated software expansion.
