Description: Three-box networked upsampling D/A processing system with volume control and remote. Vivaldi Apex DAC features dCS proprietary Ring DAC topology with a choice of 3MHz or 6MHz operation. Analog outputs: 1 pair balanced on XLR. Output levels: 0.2V, 0.6V, 2V, 6V RMS for full-scale input, set in the menu. Output impedance: 3 ohms. Minimum load: 600 ohms (10–100kohm recommended); 1 pair unbalanced on RCA. Output levels: 0.2V, 0.6V, 2V, 6V RMS for full-scale input, set in the menu. Output impedance: 52 ohms. Minimum load: 600 ohms (10–100k ohms recommended). Digital inputs: USB 2.0 on B-type connector, accepts 24/44.1–384kHz PCM, DSD64 & 128 in DoP; 4 AES3 inputs on 3-pin female XLR accept 24/32–192khz PCM & DSD64 in DoP; 2 Dual AES pairs accept 24/88.2–384kHz PCM, DSD64 & 128 in DoP; 2 S/PDIF on RCA accept 24/32–192kHz PCM & DSD64 in DoP; 1 S/PDIF on BNC accepts 24/32–192kHz PCM & DSD64 in DoP; 1 S/PDIF on TosLink accepts 24/32–96kHz PCM; 1 SDIF-2 interface on 2 BNC accepts 24/32–96kS/s PCM or SDIF-2 DSD (auto selected); this interface requires a compatible word clock input locked to the correct data rate. Three word clock Inputs on BNC accept standard Word Clock at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192kHz. Data rate can be the same as the clock rate or an exact multiple. One word clock output on BNC. With Sync Mode set to Master, a TTL-compatible 44.1kHz word clock is output. In Universal Master mode, a 38.4kHz word clock is output for use with the Vivaldi Upsampler. Residual noise: Better than –113dB, 20Hz–20kHz unweighted (6V setting). L/R crosstalk: <–115dB, 20–20kHz. Spurious responses: <–105dB, 20–20kHz. Filters, PCM: 4 give different trade-offs between image rejection and phase response. 2 extra filters at 44.1, 176.4, 192, 352.8, and 384kS/s. DSD: 4 progressively reduce out-of-audio band noise; Filter 5 has improved transient response.
Dimensions: 6" (151mm) H × 17.5" (444mm) W × 17.2" (435mm) D. Weight: 35.65lb (16.2kg), DAC.
Finish: Silver, black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: DAC: VDC9328; Upsampler Plus: VPP59070; Master Clock: VCK57721.
Price: DAC: $46,500; Upsampler Plus with Ethernet network port: $25,000; Master Clock: $19,500. Approximate number of dealers: 24. Warranty: three years parts and labor for original owner. dCS-installed Apex upgrade for owners of Vivaldi DACs and Vivaldi One: $9000.
Manufacturer: dCS (Data Conversion Systems), Ltd., Unit 1, Buckingway Business Park, Anderson Rd., Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4AE, England, UK. US distributor: Data Conversion Systems Americas, LLC, PNC Bank Bldg., 300 Delaware Ave., Suite 210, Wilmington, DE 19801, USA. Tel: (302) 473-9050. Web: dcsaudio.com.
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COMMENTS
Amazing review! As a follow up review at some time, can you compare connecting Vivaldi Apex directly to power amps vs through the preamp? Because after all that careful engineering went into a set of $90k boxes, I think many people will want to bypass the preamp. Does Vivaldi have an adjustable gain/impedance output? That will certainly help to connect directly to power amps from different brands.
I confess on this one. With Rossini and Vivaldi pre-Apex, there was no question that using the D'Agostino Momentum HD preamp enhanced color and moved the presentation closer to the real thing. But I did not do this with either Rossini Apex or Vivaldi Apex. Shall confer with Jim Austin. Beyond that, thank you for the strokes.
Thanks for the comment. In my limited experiences, the gain/impedance matching between the source and the power amps was critical. Obviously, a preamp from the same brand is usually the most optimal on this regard. I'm hoping the highend DAC manufacturers to start to incorporate adjustable gain/impedance so more people can connect directly. Again, thanks for a great review!
Duplicated posting removed. Stereophile.com seems prong to this issue, but there is no delete button.
John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile
John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile
Ring dac architecture.
Is a Ring Dac based around an R2R ladder architecture, as that's what it looks like from the photo
https://www.stereophile.com/images/323-DCS_08-600.jpg
Cheers George
Is a Ring Dac based around an R2R ladder architecture, as that's what it looks like from the photo?
IIRC, the Ring DAC is a 5-bit R-2R topology operated with massive oversampling.
John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile
Hello, John. I understand that the Ring DAC uses a 5-bit delta-sigma modulation for the noise shaping. It is superior to 1-bit delta-sigma modulation because 1-bit DSM scheme makes comparatively huge noise shaping. It is my understanding dCS doesn't use the term "delta-sigma modulation" because it is the terminology usually used for 1-bit modulation. That's how I understood by reading various sources, but I am not 100% certain on this, so could you kindly double check on this matter?
Thank you, Jason, for a wonderful, and concise, review of the Vivaldi Apex system, including how its performance differs from the Rossini one -- which, as a financially-constrained consumer, I especially appreciated.
Undoubtedly, Stereophile will be reviewing the new dCS Bartok Apex; hopefully, due to your familiarity and knowledge of dCS' more expensive units, you'll be chosen to review that component as well. For many Stereophile readers (myself included), the Bartok Apex's price puts it within a stretched range of prospectively affordable whereas the Rossini Apex -- particularly with its companion clock -- makes a purchase of that unit, well, aspirational; consequently, a comprehensive review of the Bartok Apex would be especially valuable to us.
I don't think I am alone in requesting that the Bartok Apex review not only identify its strengths but also contrast its performance with the Rossini Apex's and explain the engineering bases of their differences.
Many thanks for your, and Jim Austin's, consideration of this request. This is one of those times where I am not sure Stereophile's staff appreciate just how valuable your magazine's review will be.
Best regards,
Jonathan
Since Herb Reichert has been using a Bartók for a good year - maybe longer - he is the most appropriate person to review it.
I will do a Vivaldi Apex follow-up in which I will discuss the sound of its internal volume control vs. the sound with an external preamp in the Vivaldi's price range. But I no longer have the Rossini Apex in my system. Hence, if a Bartók were to come my way, it would be put against Vivaldi Apex. I'm not sure that makes sense. To be discussed internally....
Here we go again:
a review of a Bugatti WM16 Mistral
No one here is ever going to buy that car, and if so, you might wonder why? What need to be compensated? And it is of course so called "new and" bordering on certainty "wrong money".
"Recorded music has never sounded as full, rich, flowing, rewarding, and natural as with the Vivaldi Apex" the review says. Yes sure I believe that. But the question is how much more, better (in direct comparison to a 10.000 dac or 5.000 or 2,500 dac)? It's about fairness and proportion! That is of course subjective, but still.
I read on another website the direct comparison between the new Hegel P30A / HD30A (26,000 euros) and the Hegel H590 (11.000 euros and with streaming and dac) and what is the difference of a set that is more than 2x more expensive? "Not a huge amount, and only audible on some pieces of music". Huh? Really? Okay!
Btw in another older direct comparison between de Hegel H590 and the Hegel H390 the Hegel H590 sounded indeed better. Yeah!, this conclusion of the reviewer was to be expected, of course but the reviewer was also so fair to say "but only a tiny fraction".
Anyway I prefer to read a review and directly compare of 5 DACs in the price range 2,500 - 4,000. That will be useful to us (instead of we all here dreaming of a big castle in France).
The differences any reviewer can hear are directly related to equipment quality, set-up considerations, and room acoustics. The "little" one reviewer can hear could be far greater in another system.
In my reviews, I intentionally describe everything I use in the review, including cables, equipment supports, room treatment, and set-up considerations. The reasons are simple. Not only do I wish to ensure that equipment I compare is set up equally (as much as what I have in my possession allows), but I also want readers to know everything that contributes to the sound I hear. What you may not realize is that I am constantly upgrading my system and room in order to better be able to hear micro and macro differences.
Ultimately, it's a case of trying the product for yourself in your own system. My friend, Scott, just did this with four preamps in the $3000-$4000 range, two of which are current Herb Reichert favorites. Guess which two preamps came out on top? Okay, everyone is now wondering -- it was the Lab 12. But while it may be the best sounding preamp in Scott's system, with his speakers and his low-powered amp and his DAC in his room, it may not be the best sounding preamp for you in your room with our equipment.
Reviews are guideposts; they are not absolutes. There is no absolute sound.
I was so happy to see you bring up Roberta Flack. Her early albums are some of my all time references. They are not sonic showpieces, some of the tracks like 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' and 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' are extrodinarily complex and beatiful pieces. They showcase how expressive and dare I say how honest a system can be. Deep detailed sound stages with precise localizations, stand up bass and drums, subtle cymbal work, with such expressive musicianship. And high resolution files do bring out more.
I do find that the 50th Anniversary releases (such as the one you mentioned) while a bit cleaner with less tape his etc, also seem to simplify her voice a bit, and it also sounds like maybe they applied a bit of pitch correction to her voice, which she definitely does not need! For me the preferred version is the 24/192 version releasd by Acoustic Sounds in 2014 for First Take, and the 2012 HDTRacks version for Killing me Softly. But wonderful music regardless!
..but 44.1 redbook experience has an uncertain something especially when played from a cd transport.
In hi end audio "If you have no quite, you have no loud" That's space between the music.
Most streamed/downloaded stuff is compressed because of the release versions they use, which are the later compressed ones.
Pre 2000 versions were not compressed so much as post 2000 so you get more DR and more breathing space between the notes. Just check out the difference in DR on all the "Yellow Brick Road" releases
https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1/year/asc?artist=&album=Goodbye...
Compressed stuff should be binned, and the maniac that pushed "Wall of Sound" compression recording shot also, he was Phil Spector.
Cheers George
Have you listened to any new hi-rez recordings, George? Virtually all hi-rez classical recordings I review, with the exception of a few, exhibit a high dynamic range. Even on chamber music.
As for your rather dismissal of Phil Spector's achievement, here's another take: https://www.wbru.com/The-Wall-That-Wasn-t-Flat.
"Have you listened to any new hi-rez recordings, George?"
Yes some are not compressed especially the classical ones, but many/most other genres are compressed, and you (especially being a reviewer) need to pull your finger out, and to compare these to the non compressed version releases, like this, and stop being even slightly protective of compressed music.
https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/1/year/asc?artist=&album=Goodbye...
Cheers George
"For producer Phil Spector, the “final test was [always] to listen to the song in the car.”
This says it all!!! the only place compression works is in the car where the background noise is high!, or in the street with walkmans, ipods, iphones, and with background music, etc etc.
Not in the quite of your hi-end audio room.
Get with it Victor or join the lo-fi club, and start reviewing car stereos, ipods etc!
Cheers George
Very interesting review!!
Could you please give the evaluation, how much we will lose in sound quality in case removing Vivaldi Master Clock from the system.
And how much in case removing the Upsampler as well, just Vivaldi Apex DAC alone.
Can you compare these levels with EMM LAbs DV2 DAC?
According to the information I have from dCS, the Ring DAC is NOT an R2R DAC, since all 96 resistors (48 per channel) are of equal value (i.e. not a ladder).
In a conventional 5-bit R-2R ladder DAC, the resistors have the following values: R, 2xR, 4xR, 8xR, 16xR, and 32xR, ie, each resistor has a different value. I believe that what dCS is doing is using multiples of the same-value resistor rather than different value resistors and the "mapping" algorithm moves each resistor to a different place in the ladder for each sample. That way any errors in the actual value of each resistor are averaged out - ingenious!
John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile
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