Looks like it;
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Nothing for Bartok, nada, not any word Obviously Bartok is the poor brother of the dCS products line, although it is probably the best seller with big difference.
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It is a pity that Apex is not available for Bartok, there is no way to upgrade it to the head-amp version and there is no information about at least a new firmware version 2.0. However, Bartok also becomes more expensive.
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exactly … I’m looking for the word “Bartok” in the text 
but nothing…
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I have a friend interested in upgrading his Rossini Player to a Vivaldi One. No mention of that word either.
Response from DCS to a query on Facebook page says that Vivaldi One will also get the APEX upgrade.
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I think the Apex announcement is fabulous news for Bartok owners. The ‘retrofit approach’ means the market won’t be flooded with second hand Rossini’s that would otherwise compete with the entry level Bartok. Bartok remains a secure investment that will hold its value.
As for whats’ next for Bartok, I wouldn’t want to speculate, but I personally hope to see a 2.0 mapper at some point in the future.
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I have to admit that I am very pleased with this news. While I expect the upgrade price to be, ahem, not inconsequential, it’s a wonderful option to have. Upgradeability is a plus. I’ve been enjoying my Vivaldi for almost two years, and now it appears for many more years to come. I realize upgradeability is not a requisite to enjoyment, but it’s a component of peace of mind thet a company like dCS doesn’t “orphan” its customers. This is a very decisive response to all those questions about product life cycle.
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I will be curious to learn, as a Rossini owner, whether future software upgrades for the Apex model will also be compatible with the current model.
From the information released earlier today we know dCS have made “some major changes to the Ring DAC hardware. Reconfigured the Ring DAC circuit board and developed an all-new analogue output stage”.
As this information is being drip fed I’m hoping whatever is made available to the Apex going forward works for the older model. It will certainly affect customer decisions if it does not.
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I’m very excited about the news and look forward to getting the Apex upgrade to my Rossini. This
shows how much the company cares about its customers and continuing improvement of its product line.
Do you think Apex is a stopgap?
I’m wondering what its lifespan will be?
It will be interesting to see where the pricing comes out, especially with all the price increases we have seen in recent times.
I would be interested in an APEX version of the Bartok, but will be waiting to see where things land with the Rossini first
Certainly wish dCS would be more forthright and clear on this whole issue. I suspect the upgrade details have been decided upon so this piecemeal release is frustrating.
IMO
I was told (by a highly reputable source) that here in the States the APEX upgrade cost will be the exact same as the price increase coming to the Rossini. If true this seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Best
Gregg
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A price is reasonable if there is demand at that price.
Since we are talking about a substantial price increase, there will be demand at that price if the SQ increase is also substantial.
Personally, I hope it will be less than that difference, at least for recent customers.
We will see. And of course, listen.
A.
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The dealer I bought my Rossini from (JS Audio) looks to have an Apex Vivaldi already - their Instagram story showing a listening test.
My first post here… (be gentle, hehe). I have been lurking for a while… since I got my Vivaldi two months ago (I kinda had a feeling there would be price increases coming with a lot of brands out there responding to inflation, so decided to jump in with both feet so to say)… also, Miguel, I think you just made me sign up for instagram for the first time, so I could check out that post from js audio (unfortunately there doesn’t appear to be any sound). Also, I’m feeling very excited to see how the Apex performance could actually surpass the incredibly impressive original, less excited about the likelihood that i will have to send my dac in for the upgrade and wait for it to come back.
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Welcome and congrats!
I also wanted to know as I have traded my Bartok to a Rossini only in Jan this year! It’s big improvement but I would also want to know what kind of outlay it would be for existing user upgrade to Apex spec. I just don’t want something I have just purchased not so long ago feeling like obsolete model!