What two people know, a pig knows. People are inherently weak. 
very true.
I’ll say more. I believe that the dealer should be on the customer’s side. This is the right thing to do. The customer brings money to the dealer. If this relationship becomes one of trust, then both benefit. In turn, a relationship of trust can only be built on honesty and mutual assistance. So what did the dealer do wrong when he warned his buyer about this situation? The question seems to me to be rhetorical. Distributors should use their heads before doing anything.
Well the dealers know about the price increase etc as they had a zoom call yesterday from dcs, but the new range topper wasn’t mentioned
Thats one way for a dealer to loose a brand agency (among other more egregious reasons than just a price leak). I’ve stuck with dCS for nearly 20 years, while going through at least 4 dealers that I can remember 
Imho still a very one sided view.
In the end, it’s my guess that all will work out for dCS, so many people now interested in the Apex products, new or upgrade, always better that a brand is dicussed, positive or negative.
Question for the community - there doesn’t seem to be a referenced to a Bartok with headphone amp in the price list posted above.
Theoretically, could the real-estate where the headphone amp transformer is located in the non-headphone amp Bartok be used for a future hardware upgrade e.g. second transformer to support the powering of analog output stage or similar?
Well you could do all sorts of things give the extra space. But whether or not dCS will is unknown.
Bear in mind that one of the big issues currently is shortage of circuit components. Once this shortage is resolved Bartok with headphone amp might reappear.
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Unless I imagined it I think part of the new approach (in the US at least, sans dCS America) was to sell the Bartok with headphone amp — and only this model — via different channels.
A couple of examples:
As far as I know these places didn’t sell dCS products until recently.
I’ll not keep my opinion on this to myself. I think it’s bonkers. Why remove routes to purchase (Bartok with headphone amp via the old channels, as well as the non-HP model and upgrade paths to the rest of the range), and to relationships with salespeople that could be nurtured? Or, indeed, already friendly and fruitful!
It might not be true, of course, in which case I’ll sit back down
If this is the case this is a little problematic for me - I’ve just reserved a Bartok w/ HA with my new dealer a few weeks back thinking it was the best long term investment. Brand & dealer service and support was a huge factor in my decision. If Bartok HA focus is being shifted from traditional dealers to online channels, I’d rather change my order to the Bartok sans headphone amp. Perhaps it is a matter of principal, but I prefer to stay away from products that are being driven into online channels. Who will give you better support if something goes wrong? Someone who picks up the phone or a website.
Agreed, but keep the emphasis on the “if” for now! My post needs some salt liberally applied
Since the Bartok headphone version was always meant to be a head-fi product, it is available within the head-fi distribution channel. Only this version of the Bartok is (and will ever be) available in the head-fi space. All other products – the Bartok Streamer (sans headphone features), the Rossini series, the Vivaldi series – will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively within our existing and trusted two-channel network of dealers.
John Giolas (dCS head of Advertising and Promotion)
From: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/breaking-news-from-dcs….34028/post-765825
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That I can understand, but if the new pricing model means that traditional dealers will be no longer selling / supporting the Bartok w/ HA, I’d prefer to change to the sans HA Bartok
Ughhhhhhh. Thanks, Erno. Shame my memory was good this time. I think this is a mistake. I hope I’m wrong, or that if dCS find out it’s misguided that they change course a bit. Smells of a company thinking its product range/internal structure is how its customers will interact with them.
For a sample size of one (me), they’re wrong.
Out of interest, how would this approach have affected your dCS purchases? You started at the Bartok with headphone amp, added a Clock, then went for a Rossini. This might have happened rather differently with this new approach.
I (would only) have bought it (Bartók HDAC) through my dealer.
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I called my dealer here in Toronto Canada and she told me with confidence she will continue to sell and support Bartok w/ HA. If she is happy I am happy.
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I hope the same is true in the US.
The head-fi world is a completely different terrain than the traditional hifi world. I think it is a matter of age. Traditional hifi dealers live from often a life long relationship with their customers. The head-fi world caters to on-line people, that come and go.
If the Bartók HDAC is available in both locales, then dCS are tapping into a new, additional clientele.
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This needs clarification. John Giolas’ letter dates from December 2021 and significantly predates the new price list and thus has nothing to do with it. It does not say anywhere that Bartok HPA is exclusively available from the head-fi market vendors rather that HPA is the only dCS product that will be. It doesn’t preclude traditional dealers from selling it too.
Either way this seems only to be a N.American issue, no ?
If the Bartok with HA was dropped we’ll hear about it at some point and the rationale for it. Could be any number of reasons, if it’s true. Lack of demand, chip shortages forcing prioritization of products, not a good experience selling through online headphone dealers…
I wonder what would happen with Expanse?