Well…there are two kinds of companies…the one who think that their customer base is not important, there are so many people on earth…and the companies who think that their customers is their asset, they build their future growing carefully on their existing customers…Once the dCS ceo compared his company to Patek Philip…ask Patek Philip what they do with their existing customers…And we all wish dCS to live as long as Patek Philip…
I am confident dCS shall take care if their existing customer base…may be the prices shall raise a lot, but may be the upgrade to Apex shall be very attractive and moderately priced 
It’s interesting that the price increase also affects Bartok, but Bartok doesn’t have an Apex and I doubt he’ll get a hardware upgrade. But even if we assume that Bartok will receive firmware 2.0, as his higher brothers once did, then looking at the new prices, it will no longer be free software)) A very interesting story.
Ah, Patek Philip… don’t they practically pick you as a buyer vs you pick a Patek Philip? I’m more of a Nomos Glashutte type (I have only the one analog watch).
Reminds me of a recent Freakinomics episode about the art market. Art has for the most part become inaccessible to mere mortals. It’s become an asset class for investment (and money laundering) purposes. It’s changing (the pandemic helped to democratize buying art), but in the past dealers chose (and courted) buyers.
By Art, here we’re talking about artists people would recognize. Obviously, there’s a lot of lower case art out there too (that’s the stuff I buy, often directly from the artists).
Back on point, whether or not I’m in dCS’s customer base, I love my Bartok (with headphone amp) but plan to stop there. Were I to go up, I’d take a look at the DAC market in total. If I’m spending that much money, I’d better be sure I’m getting something I’ll love and that fits within the context of my system.
Dutch DCS dealer, not the distributor
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That is what I underlined, they take care so much of their customer base that the more Patek you bought the more chance they sell you some limited series watches…Hopefully you still don’t need buying a Bartok and a Rossini before dCS allow you to buy a Vivaldi
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I think we need to consider here the ongoing cost of development. Unlike DACs that use standard chips, effectively everything in a dCS DAC has a cost unique to dCS. More importantly, given the architecture, there is the ability to improve the platform via software alone, which is a double edge sword as dCS has to put substantial effort in such development. Someone using an ESS chip does not need to embark in such costly work.
I bought my Rossini in 2017. Since then I have gotten some useful software enhancements - all for free - one of which made it sound remarkably better (the v2 upgrade). Think about the years of work from the dCS team, the supporting network, and the care they take of their customers.
I don’t know how you all expect dCS to have “communicated better” frankly. If anything the issue was the leak that Apex versions were coming out.
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The Apex leak is not really a bad thing, at least dCS can see how a part of its customer base reacts to a 25% price increase…they shall couple that with their selling results in the next months and may be adapt their commercial strategy for the next time…that may lead to another 25% increase 
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Let’s hope we don’t have to buy Bartok and Rossini before buying Vivaldi. By the way, a clock might also be one of the prerequisites. When I ordered from the dealer he told me: “You do realise you’re buying a Ferrari, don’t you?”. I only smiled in reply. I call this behaviour puffed up cheeks. The truth is, it would be boring to live without it. When I think back on it, it makes me smile, like good music.
I’m quite happy with the idea of a hardware upgrade, if it’s going to be a significant step forward. Although such a price increase is more suitable for a completely new product.
In the case of Bartok, I still hope to get a free upgrade to 2.0, as you did for Rossini. For this reason, it is because of the long support and possible improvements in the future that I chose my dCS.
But will new customers pay for this free update by purchasing Bartok 2.0 at the new price? The surcharge for the conditional Apex is OK, but what is the surcharge for the clock, upsampler, Bartok without this Apex?
It would be interesting to figure out what we are paying for, for dCS expenses or for new hardware functionality.
My concern would be whether or not the Rossini and Apex will coexist and what that might mean for software updates. I purchase the Rossini and Clock less than a year ago. I was coming from a similarly constructed FPGA DAC that had run its course and the FPGA could no longer be updated. I was assured by my dealer and the North America Sales Manager that no replacement was being contemplated and the Rossini had much life left in it. If the current Rossini will not have the benefit of future software updates without the Apex hardware update then I have spent a lot of money to be in the same position as a year ago with my old DAC.
Honestly, thats the risk you run with any purchase, especially the purchase of a product that is not new by a long shot (Rossini). I bought my Rossini 5 years ago and it was not new then. A company cannot support products forever.
Having said this, the current platform will at least be present in Bartok, hence I very much doubt updates will stop for the current Rossini and Vivaldi - it is not a lot of work to test updates on this other (essentially identical in terms of software) platforms.
As for what Apex is going to be, I will take a guess… Why not?
Hardware changes:
1- Improvement in the analog output stage; and/or
2- New Ring DAC with higher sample rate, bit depth, or a combination.
Software changes:
3- Implementation of this newly developed volume control algorythm I have heard about lately (forget what it’s called, used in the Lumin products and some other places)
4- Network card software will be fully revamped with current Roon, Airplay, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect
What will not change:
5- No changes to power supplies
6- No changes to clocks
7- No hardware changes to network cards (inside Bartok/Rossini/Upsampler)
Fun stuff…
So at least in the US, the upgrade path for Rossini is that it will have to be shipped to Goodwins or Goodwyn’s (not sure of the spelling, got this info over the phone), and for $8,600 they will replace the ring dac and analog section to Apex. Rear plate will also say Apex. Then return the unit back to the owner. So there are definite hardware changes, though the extent of the changes will likely be known once dCS officially announce Apex.
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Wow! So I was not that off with the above???
You were right on seemingly.
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So if this were a car, we’d essentially be looking at an LCI in BMW parlance. I avoided using the word facelift since the case remains the same. Since I’m happy with my Rossini, my likely path is to sit this one out and wait for the true next generation, at which time I’ll move up the line to whatever will occupy Vivaldi’s spot.
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I appreciate it when products have long lives. Just right now I’m listening to a CD on my Resolution Audio Cantata that I purchased around 2010 (it’s my only CD player). The Cantata has been updated at least 3 times, at least twice with hardware and one or more with firmware. Last year it received DSD capability. Hardware updates were turned around in a matter of days. For the 2.0 to 3.0 update I did pay the retail cost differential, but all other updates were minimal cost.
I’m fine if hardware updates can be made several years into a product lifecycle, and it’s fair to ask the consumer to pay the cost difference (or whatever the update package costs). But if someone buys a device 30 days prior to the update release there ought to be minimal cost updates grandfathered in. That, to me, is taking care of your customer base.
Another benefit of updating hardware is the reuse of the container device. Box remains the same, just the innards change. Less waste. Naturally, at some point, there’s a full remodel, new box and all.
FYI the Resolution Audio gear comes in wooden crates, so shipping is never an issue. Both DAC and amp have had several rounds trips with zero issues and crates still look good as new.
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I hope you are wrong about some of this at least. I was hoping for a cost closer to $5000 but so be it. The part I really hope you are wrong about is sending the unit back to England. I would guess without any real information that the largest market for dCS is the US and that a NA contractor or service center would be set up to handle the upgrade service. When I ordered the Rossini I was initially told a four week delivery date. I took delivery at the end of the ninth week. In these times I do not trust any manufacturers ETA and do not relish being without my DAC for an extended period.
I agree with that
PS: Take it back - don’t agree since it looks like they will provide an upgrade path just for the price difference.
Funny, I had a Resolution Audio Cantata myself since 2010 and finally sold it last year after I had gotten into dCS. Phenomenal sound, though atrocious app to control it. Mosaic was for me a visit to the spa in comparison.
dCS has service in the US. Surely not a trip to the UK will be required.