Soon thereafter, I heard from Peter McGrath, Wilson Audio's director of sales, that he was blown away by the sound of his dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC—the flagship DAC from Data Conversion Systems (dCS) of Cambridge, England. Nor…
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The text, from Gary Bruestle, a speaker-positioning wizard at Definitive Audio in Seattle, left my mouth watering: "Have you heard the Apex version of a Rossini or Vivaldi yet? It's stunningly good. Addictive, even. ... I usually have a hard time relaxing and listening to music in the showroom, but the Rossini Apex DAC had me in its thrall for a few hours yesterday."
Since I ran out of power cables for additional components, I left the Rossini upsampling SACD/CD Transport ($26,5000) disconnected. Instead, I used a Roon Nucleus+ music server (powered by a Nordost QSource linear power supply) for file playback from a USB stick, Tidal, and Qobuz. Discs, files, and streams rely on the same Ring DAC and clocking technology for sound; I expected similar results.
For comparison, I chose the EMM Labs Reference DV2 Integrated DAC ($30,000), which I'd reviewed previously. When I compared the DV2 to a dCS Vivaldi DAC I then had on loan, I felt that their bass…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Upsampling Network D/A processor with volume control and remote control. Roon Ready and compatible with AirPlay, Spotify Connect, and UPnP. Streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, and internet radio. File playback of PCM, DSD, and MQA from NAS, external drive, or USB stick via dCS Mosaic Control app or other playback software. Automatic upsampling to DXD, DSD64, or DSD128. Filters: 6forPCM,4forDSD,1for MQA. Digital inputs: Network (Ethernet RJ45) accepts up to PCM 24/384 and DSD128 in DFF or DSF format; USB-B 2.0 accepts up to 24/384 and DSD128 in DoP…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: dCS Rossini DAC 2.0 and Clock; EMM Labs DV2 Integrated DAC; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS, Uptone Audio EtherRegen with AfterDark Giesemann Emperor Double Crown Master Clock, Small Green Computer Sonore Deluxe opticalModule, Linksys mesh router and Arris modem, all powered by HDPlex 300 linear power supplies; Roon Nucleus+ music server and Nordost QNET Ethernet Switch, both powered by Nordost QSource linear power supply; Apple 2017 iPad Pro and 2017 MacBook Pro laptop with 2.8GHz Intel i7, SSD, 16GB RAM.
Preamplifier: Dan D'Agostino…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the dCS Rossini Apex with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system, repeating some measurements with the higher-performance APx500. I performed the testing with the serial data and USB inputs then repeated some of them with JVS's preferred Network input, using Roon.
The AES3 and coaxial S/PDIF inputs accepted data sampled at all rates up to 192kHz. TosLink was restricted to 96kHz data. I didn't test the Rossini's dual-AES3 input, but as with earlier dCS processors, it will accept data sampled at rates up to 384kHz. Apple's AudioMIDI utility revealed…
I like to think that my musical tastes are pretty eclectic: jazz, pop, blues, Americana, metal, world music, ambient, prog rock, more. Operatic music and classical singing, though? Thanks, I'll pass.
There are exceptions. I find tear-tugging beauty in "Ebben? Ne Andrò Lontana" from Alfredo Catalani's La Wally, whether sung by Donij van Doorn or Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez (footnote 1). The German Lieder of Kurt Weill, as interpreted by soprano Teresa Stratas, produce gladness in my heart but confusion in my uncomprehending wife and children. Maybe it's because the often sarcastic,…
Like most tube amps, the LSA looks best without its protective cage, especially at night. There's something cool and comforting about seeing those fiery filaments out in the open. Besides, tube life may be extended when air can move freely around the hot glass. It's possible.
Cage or no cage, LSA warns that pets and tube amplifiers are as dicey a combination as gasoline and a match: "The glass envelope of the tube is warm enough to burn your inquiring pet's nose, and possibly cause a tube to explode," says the manual. That's a different kind of Exploding Kittens. But wait, there's more…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Tubed, Ultralinear class-AB integrated amplifier. Tube complement: four EL34s in matched pairs (6550s and KT88s also supported), two 12AU7s, one 12AX7. Inputs: 3 pair RCA. Outputs: 4 and 8 ohm speaker taps, two (stereo) subwoofer on RCA; ¼" headphone jack. Rated output power: 35Wpc into 8 ohms (15.44dBW). Frequency range: 20Hz–40kHz. S/N ratio: 90dB. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Power consumption: 23W.
Dimensions: 14.75" (375mm) W × 8.85" (225mm) H × 11.5" (292mm) D. Weight: 46lb (20.9kg).
Finish: Powdercoat black with silver faceplate.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: 16" MacBook Pro M1 Max running Roon 1.8 as remote. Roon ROCK (Lenovo ThinkCentre). Naim Uniti Atom, controlled with iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Bluesound Node 2i streamer, WiiM Mini streamer. Benchmark DAC3 B, RME ADI-2 DAC FS, Auralic Vega.
Preamplifiers: Benchmark HPA4, Topping Pre90.
Power amplifiers: Krell FPB 200c (recapped 2020), PrimaLuna EVO 400 integrated, Schiit Ragnarok, McIntosh HPA-100, Peachtree Nova 1500, NAD C 700.
Loudspeakers: Tekton Moab, MartinLogan Odyssey, Monitor Audio Bronze 100, LSA Signature 50.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed the measurements of the LSA VT-70 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. Although potentiometers on the top panel allow the bias currents for the output tubes to be adjusted, I understand that these currents are set by the manufacturer before the amplifier leaves the factory. Nevertheless, before I started the testing, I checked the tube bias with the front-panel meters after a 30-minute warm-up; with no signal and the volume control set to its minimum, the bias was very close to an indicated "100" for each tube.
The LSA VT-70 preserved…