Wattson Audio Madison LE Streamer

Wattson Audio Madison LE Streamer

Swiss Precision Meets Musical Purity

Wattson Audio's flagship digital streamer and DAC, the Madison LE Streamer, embodies Wattson's philosophy of purity and simplicity while pushing the boundaries of digital audio performance at its price point. At its core, Madison LE Streamer's advanced and upgradable DSP-driven digital circuitry elevates musical fidelity and musicality. Engineered and crafted entirely in Switzerland using premium materials, the Madison LE Streamer produces undeniable accuracy and musical beauty, offering a listening experience that’s as precise as it is emotionally resonant.

Designed with a singular focus on delivering extraordinary sound in its purest form, the Madison LE Streamer redefines expectations at its price point. Its eerily silent noise floor and robust output stage provide the control and authority needed to drive connected power amplifiers. The result is a musical experience rich in dynamic contrast, delicate nuance, and emotional engagement—hallmarks typically reserved for far larger and more expensive components. Faithful to Wattson Audio’s engineering ethos, the Madison LE Streamer prioritises superior musical performance above all else, embodying a rare synergy of craftsmanship and artistry.

Wattson Audio's Pinnacle of Precision and Performance

The Madison LE Streamer represents Wattson Audio’s definitive statement in digital audio playback and control. Its robust analogue stage is engineered to drive power amplifiers directly or with preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers. Supporting both streamed and S/PDIF digital sources, the Madison LE Streamer features a sophisticated DSP-driven DAC paired with balanced and single-ended outputs. Compact, simple, and superbly engineered, the Madison LE Streamer is the centrepiece of a streamlined yet high-performance digital audio system.

With the Lounge Edition, our goal was to elevate the original Madison Streamer to new sonic heights. We began by re-engineering the power architecture within the main chassis. By doubling the power supply capacitance and upgrading to premium-grade capacitors, we achieved a significant reduction in noise and improved voltage stability. These refinements provide a cleaner, more resilient electrical foundation—critical for unlocking greater dynamic nuance, tonal clarity, and musical realism.

Wattson's fully balanced differential design uses two pairs of op-amps per channel, optimising the interface to the DAC chips and enhancing its ability to drive connected power amplifiers. Additionally, we upgraded the critical coupling capacitors between the DAC chips and the analogue output stage, improving transparency. The result is not just a technical achievement but an elevation in the realism and emotional impact of the listening experience.

Cutting-Edge Technology Meets Swiss Precision

Wattson Audio's build quality embodies meticulous attention to detail, combining robust engineering with elegant design. Every component is crafted to exacting standards, using premium materials that ensure durability and optimal performance over time. 

The Madison LE continues our tradition of employing precision-machined casework from solid-billet aluminium. While far more expensive than other approaches, this strategy ensures long-term integrity and optimises electromagnetic shielding and mechanical damping. Wattson Audio products are designed to not only perform flawlessly but also inspire confidence and pride of ownership.

Stream From Your Favourite Services

At the heart of the Madison LE Streamer's network interface lies Wattson Audio’s renowned proprietary streaming engine. Built around the highly capable Sitara processor from Texas Instruments and powered by our own updatable software, this engine is a cornerstone of some of the most prestigious and high-performing audio products on the market. Designed to accommodate the growing array of network communication protocols, it has been meticulously refined and continuously updated since its inception. The result is uncompromising signal integrity, exceptional transmission reliability, and seamless support for Hi-Res audio formats, including native PCM and DSD playback, all while delivering a fluid, intuitive user experience.

In addition to its advanced streaming capabilities, the Madison LE Streamer offers a dedicated S/PDIF receiver with both 75Ω RCA and TOSLink optical inputs, ensuring seamless integration with legacy digital or AV sources. At the core of its digital architecture is Wattson Audio’s proprietary clocking system, featuring ultra-low-phase noise oscillators—one for 44.1kHz and its multiples, and another for 48kHz and its multiples—each independently filtered to minimize noise and jitter. A Shark DSP processor drives our sophisticated up-sampling and spline-filtering algorithm with a short-tail filter profile that delivers outstanding time-domain performance. Dual WM8742 DACs, independently processing left and right channels, further enhance channel separation and spatial accuracy, preserving the integrity of the musical experience.