For those of you interested in all the new gear presented at High End Munich 2024, including dCS, here is a preview photo report to enjoy:
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It appears Munich has been a ānon-eventā for dCS. Rumours of a new range topping unit, new software/mappers for existing units, etc. have failed to appear. Others in a similar space (ultra high end) such as MSB, Taiko, Wadax etc. have all presented new items.
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Nice, a dCS-VTL-WIlson pairing. No doubt itāll sound pretty good. 
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I really like my Rossini/TL 6.5 Series II combo. Happy to see similar in the wild.
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Hi Anup,
We decided to do a change from taking the top end kit out and showing that in our main room (F209) ā¦ we decided to put Lina DAC and Lina Clock on a VTL S200 and Wilson Audio Sabrina X / Dual Wilson Audio Lokiās to show that it really can handle being used in a good two-channel (rather than just headphone) setup.
We also had three setups of the Lina Clock and Lina Headphone Amp down in the headphones area - one set with a Lina DAC, one set with a Bartok and one with a Rossini which made it really easy for people to hear the difference between the various levels of DAC AND hear for themselves the difference between switching in and out the clock ā¦ I think we only had one person say they couldnāt hear a difference!
There were Bartok, Rossini and Vivaldi setups in the Audio Reference (our German Distributor) area too plus a number of other companies using our kit as usual (which is also nice).
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And here is another photo report of HEM 2024: no dCS, but this is just Part I:
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Hi Gregg,
For what we were looking to achieve this year at Munich I think we did exactly what we set out to do - I was down in the headphone area and I had some great feedback from a number of people who were able to work their way through the various ālevelsā of kit (as well as just find out more about dCS, our kit and how it works) and we had a lot of feedback regarding the Lina DAC up in the main room and how well it was working in what was a pretty revealing two channel setup.
(We even had one guy visit us again in the headphone area first thing in the morning on the Friday bringing us āGerman Fathers Day Cakeā for having made him and his two friends feel so welcome the previous afternoon which was nice ā¦ and it was gooooood cake too! 
)
Phil
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What was the winning combo in terms of best SQ?
Even without telling people the cost of the various setups the Rossini certainly seemed to easily get picked out as the ābestā sounding of the listening stations ā¦
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Thanks ā¦ I was afraid that would be your answer! 
(From a Bartok Apex HPA + Rossini Clock + ZƤhl HM1 owner looking for excuses to go to Rossini APEX and move the Bartok HPA to the holiday house).
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That I can fully confirm!
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Did you come in to see us over the show?
Unfortunately I was not there, but at home I have the Rossini APEX DAC ( + Clock) hooked to my Lina Amp, after having had the BartĆ³k, and I can assure that it is sounding best, by a fair margin.
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Interestingā¦even over the Vivaldi.
No Vivaldi in the dCS room.
ah- that makes sense then
I wonder if its absence is saying somethingš
Maybe, Philās statement could be interpreted a couple of different ways but if a new SOtA unit were really in the offing Munich would have been a good stage on which to reveal it. Then again, iirc dCS generally releases new models at exclusive events hosted by dealers.
I donāt think that anyone can draw any conclusions. I have being attending dCS demonstrations at audio shows for a quarter of a century. The last Munich show I attended ( 2017) also only demonstrated Rossini. A pity that I can no longer attend.
The postings above say that , depending on the room, Rossini or Lina were demonstrated. However DCS commonly show other units and internal displays as static items. I cannot see any mention of this but Iāll bet that the dCS rooms did not consist only of seating and a live demonstration. BTW, the 2017 Munich show above also showed Vivaldi One but soley as a static display.
As you say, dCS have commonly launched new products via their dealers and at their own events (invitation only). They can now do what they feel is most effective and try something different ,however that leaves us no wiser. Of course there is bound to be a new product eventually as staying in business demands this. However, maybe launching a new product at the same location and time as your competitors may not be considered optimal. Who knows ?
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I couldnāt agree more Pete; Launching/announcing a new product at High End Munich is about the worst things any Audio manufacturer can do. Itāll get lost in all the ānoiseā.
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Maybe true, but I doubt thatās the deciding factor here. dCS announcements make headlines even if itās not a slow news day, they have earned that status. I see zero risk that a new dCS flagship would get ālost in all the noiseā at Munich - unless you mean the literal noise from all the other rooms that is.
I suspect the main advantages dCS sees with launching at a smaller venue are 1. (the biggie) control of timing, not having to compromise to meet a fixed calendar date and 2. better control over parameters like the room and the number of attendees. Essentially optimizing quality not quantity.