Well thats the question, i guess only i can really answer it.
But is it a slippery slope i am about to try and climb, as the dac will mean, clock and streamer.
I said i would never entertain the vivaldi, due to its box count, size, etc.
Yes i would have to sell my rossini player and clock and have to also mess about with my rack.
But would a standalone vivaldi be better than what i have ? As for sure it will be a while before i would be adding say the clock next, i do have a melco N10, that i could use to stream from, but obviously even once i have added the vivaldi clock, i still wouldnât have the up sampling.
I donât know if i really want to try it, as that might be fatal, also the other thing slightly on my mind is the vivaldi replacement, i guess that might not be far away? As i get the feeling it might be soon, as quite a few dealers have there x demo vivaldi stacks up for sale, once again i donât know if thats anything to go by.
This one is a private sale, not advertised right now, but if i donât want it, it will be soon, he has the full MSB on order, he has sold his vivaldi clock already and never had the streamer.
I have read obviously a few threads on it all, but my main question is, vivaldi dac on itâs own V what i have, which one has the better sound quality, how close are they lightly to be???
Cheers in advance
Ps anyone looking for a rossini player and clock lol
Yes Vivaldi DAC is better then Rossini but Rossini is also a network player and you already have Rossini clock. Rossini clock is compatible with Vivaldi but IMO Vivaldi clock is a major part of Vivaldi sound.
Given the absence of any network player with Vivaldi DAC alone a Network Bridge could have served albeit not quite as good as Vivaldi Upsampler. However NB is no more.
The Melco option is fine insofar as it goes but streaming from it is only via USB which is another big compromise.
So, if you need to sell Rossini to fund the purchase I would not do it unless I had the additional means to buy the clock and upsampler . Sorry but Vivaldi is a big commitment - I speak from experience.
When the replacement happens there will be a lot of 3 or 4 box Vivaldi systems available âpre-lovedâ. Maybe more 3 than 4 if there is no disc player.
The Vivaldi alone is way better than the Rossini. I have a Vivaldi and Network Bridge, it is really a pleasure to use and to listen to.
You will need to buy som cables too, two AES/ebu of good quality,
But it worths it. You can live without the clock, but you should order a NB quickly as dCS just announced they stop building itâŚ
So in worst case youâll buy a product that needs a network bridge (which is end-of-life), a clock, that must be better then the one you have, to have a DAC that may be replaced soon?
Looking at it all, i think if i do anything, it will be wait and see how things progress.
I certainly dont want to buy a network bridge.
Plus it looks like a bare vivaldi over what i have, isnât really going to be an improvement, over the limitations i will have to run with.
Maybe the next vivaldi might be a box less, which if it is, will really be what i would want, dont want the transport, plus as others have said and even i think a slight hint from a dealer, right now may not be good timing.
Plus living with the feeling that i need this and that, and that they will have to wait till later on in the year and then next year to full get it all, also isnât great.
So maybe this dac isnât ight for me at the moment, even if its a bit cheaper than others i have seen for sale.
I guess many audiophiles on earth would like to be in such a worst case
Should the Vivaldi Dac being replaced tomorrow morning it does not change the fact that it is way better than a Rossini + clockâŚ
These are very personal decisions. I will add another factor in: where you are in life. In my 60s, I tend to perceive my opportunities for enjoyment of certain activities differently from earlier times. I faced all these same considerations when I decided to get Vivaldi rather than Rossini last year. I knew Vivaldi would reach EOL much sooner than Rossini. But I also knew that whatever replaces Vivaldi would interest me whether I bought Rossini or Vivaldi. I also had confidence and trust in my dealer that Iâd be treated fairly no matter which one I bought. Going with Vivaldi meant I was able to enjoy superb SQ right away while having confidence that an upgrade path, should I want it, will likely be available. Truthfully, for me, at this stage, I really canât imagine wanting it. Upgrade-itis is such a thief of joy in this hobby.
Buying used probably also means you wonât get the same sort of trade-in treatment/credit from a dealer that the person who bought new will. Something to consider. Did you buy your Rossini new from a dealer? If so, waiting fo trade it in for whatever comes next might be economically more sound than selling it, buying a used Vivaldi, and then flipping that when the successor comes out.
If youâre enjoying Rossini, and your time horizon is not immediate, Iâd consider waiting to see what bursts out over this next year. I expect a lot of products from a lot of makers as the world gets back into the swing of things.
As usual Greg, your post was well reasoned and cogently expressed. I found myself shaking my head in agreement with your logic and also relating to your experiences.
Whether I agree, disagree, or am ambivalent about the subject matter of your posts, I always find them enjoyable and thought provoking and I thank you for your participation. And no, Iâm not a relative or acquaintance of Gregâs
Such kind words. Thank you so much. I feel fortunate to be part of this community, easily the best audio(phile) community that I have encountered on the net. I learn so much here from smart, thoughtful, and genteel people. And I am thankful for it.
A while before submitting my post, I visited the Audiogon website. Iâve been a member of that forum for well over 2-decades. Over that time, genteel conversations there and in general, have become less and less so. My supposition for that gradual change, is attributed to the growth of social media and the subsequent coursing of on-line conversations. Snarky one liner gotchaâs and trolling objectivism have permeated audio forums. Why posters seem to want to âsaveâ people from themselves by dissing manufacturers and other posterâs subjective conclusions in a subjective hobby, is beyond me. Hence, I heartily concur that the dCS community is one of âbestâ and I hope it remains so.
I guess that if the dCS community is one of the âbestâ it is because it is a very small community and that people âknowâ each other. Knowing each other is not the appropriate word, but post after post it is no longer anonymous.
There is also the feeling that it is precious, and we have to pay attention to keep it alive as it is. Here I think mostly to the interactions with dCS staff themselves, we are very lucky about that.
Should the community become 300.000 people with tons of agressive comments, obviously dCS staff would not enter the fight.
I am often (kindly) kidding dCS because they compare themselves to Patek Philippe, but there is one difference here, Patek is not on social networks, they donât talk with their users as dCS do. Every forum member is responsible for keeping that spirit as long time as we can, may be decadesâŚI will never be agressive unless dCS name the Vivaldi replacement âGary Glitterâ
Iâve already owned a GG DAC. However it was a Golden Gate not a âGary Glitterâ Seriously though ChrisK, you make good points and I appreciate having access to dCS personnel and also to dCS owners. I enjoy reading about other dCS ownerâs experiences with their dCS products and as well as with their audio related experiences in general. In fact, the latter governs the frequency of my popping-in to see whatâs going on and is the reason for my visiting other audio forums.
Ha! Thatâs like asking the College of Cardinals if Jesus lived.
Before you decide, hear the Vivaldi in your own system and hear other brands in your system. A good dealer will understand how important it is to keep all the other variables constant as you experiment with DACs. Unlike speakers or turntables, itâs easy to ship a demo unit, and your investment will only be a few hundred $ for shipping.
Seriously though ChrisK, you make good points and I appreciate having access to dCS personnel and also to dCS owners. I enjoy reading about other dCS ownerâs experiences with their dCS products and as well as with their audio related experiences in general. In fact, the latter governs the frequency of my popping-in to see whatâs going on and is the reason for my visiting other audio forums.