The most common Mosaic questions concern how to play albums other than from the first track or how to see a full view album screen with large size artwork. However your two are new to me. You can always post a request in the dCS Products, Feature Requests threads. Unlike some forums, dCS staff actually read these and, if there is sufficient call, may add them in a future revision if it is feasible.
Which prompts the inevitable question - exactly how DO you play from other than Track 1 - beats me!
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This one of those things that become obvious once you are familiar with the app.
You need first to add the album to the Play Queue. When you select “Play” for an album this happens automatically. If you want to add an album to the Play Queue without first playing it then be aware that the blue “Play” rectangle is actually in two halves. If instead of tapping “Play” you just tap the chevron it will open three options, one of which is “Queue”.
Once you have queued the album you need to look at the very screen bottom. There is an icon for for opening Play Queue. This is the second from the left ( white horizontal lines with a triangle pointing at them). Tap this , Play Queue opens, look at the track that you want to play from. Far right are two horizontal lines. Tap this and you will see “Play from Here”.
So the first of those small icons at the screen bottom shows your service choices and your library for each choice. The second shows the selection in detail that you are to play.
If this sounds complex it isn’t and will become second nature once you have done it twice 
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Better than cassette Walkman days, but I never would have worked that out otherwise. Many thanks
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New question: My Ypsilon Phaethon amp has an unusual 31-step transformer attenuator volume control and the level increment between each is small but very obvious and often sees me adjust the volume dependent upon the track. Previously, my source was fixed output but, of course, the Bartók isn’t. The manual recommends setting the volume at 0.0db when connecting to a preamp (or integrated in my case). Is there any performance penalty in using the volume control for fine adjustments, rather than running fixed output?
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The use of all volume controls impose a degree of compromise to the sound quality. How much this is audible depends both on the design and the user’s sensitivity ( I have no way of gauging the latter).
When your dCS has the volume control set to 0.0dBfs this effectively puts it out of circuit. So it is more or less the same as a fixed output. So follow the instructions and use the pre-amp. Remember that to do this successfully you need to choose a correct line output voltage for the dCS. I would start ( and maybe stay) with 2V.
Of course you are free to compare this with finding an average setting on the Ypsilon volume control and using the dCS volume control for adjustment where the steps of 0.5dB may be preferable to you. I cannot predict which you may prefer for the reason in my opening paragraph.
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Thanks for that Pete.
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@Stilts99, not to move off-topic but I cannot let the opportunity pass without adding my 2-cents about your choice of integrated amplifier. I am a long time and completely happy owner of the Ypsilon Phaethon and have been beyond pleased with the pairing of my dcs Rossini APEX and the Phaethon. Something about having that tube in the pre-amp just makes everything played sound so right. It’s a shame that this integrated isn’t mentioned more in discussions of the world’s top integrated amplifiers, but I guess most simply have not heard it or been exposed to it.
Prior to the Phaethon purchase I demoed in-home the Constellation Argo, the Soulution 5 Series Integrated (I do not remember the model number), the Rowland Daemon and the Burmester 032, plus I have also owned a Gryphon Diablo 300, prior to that an Ayre AX5 Twenty. No integrated that I’ve heard in my home sounds better than the Ypsilon Phaethon. And paired with the Rossini the sound quality is absolutely the best that I can afford.
Congrats on the addition of the Bartok APEX, I can imagine the sound is wonderful. (Funny, when I bought my YG Acoustics Hailey loudspeakers the Wilson Benesch ACT One Evo was nearly the one acquired, it was my wife’s favorite.) Based on your equipment list I am certain you have a marvelous sounding system that you’ll enjoy long through retirement (when you get there).
Now on topic – I have tried both and greatly prefer running the Rossini through the Phaethon using its volume control. As always, your mileage may vary. Lastly, specifically as Pete mentions I have the output voltage set at 2V, and that seems to be the best voltage for the Phaethon.
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Thank you so much for your post; I could not agree with you more. If more people heard the Phaethon, or if the brand were more widely known then I think it would seriously and easily challenge the dominance of the more ‘popular’ high-end brands. I think one of its many virtues (quite aside from its stellar sound) is its sheer simplicity. No bells or whistles, no AV Bypass, no add-on/in modules, just a singular focus on sound. My audio history isn’t as rich as yours, but I knew that I wanted to get off the Naim Train (the constant high gain hiss and persistent ground hum was so infuriating - and the wiring!!!) and I had a long home demo with the Phaethon against a fully loaded CH Precision I1. Both were available ex-demo (though the Phaethon had barely been used) and at good prices. To be honest, I really wanted to like the CH - it was more expensive but seemed the perfect 1-box solution. As an amp it was really impressive, with a very good (albeit Android-only) control app; the inbuilt phono stage was neck and neck with my Rega Aura (and slightly quieter), and the streaming board was also very good, but I simply found that all the ‘wow’ moments came when I was listening to the Phaethon and, in the end and especially at this price point, it (should) just be about the music. I had also listened the the Diablo but, possibly due to the set-up, came away underwhelmed (though liked the aesthetic). you are also right about the WB’s. Luke Milnes sold them to me at a discount (they’d been made for a magazine review) and they are just so musical and the whole already seems like a match made in heaven.
Back on topic for me too… I am following your advice and using the Pheathon’s volume control and using the 2v output from the Bartók. Am already considering a Rossini Clock…! And I have just retired. Perfect.
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You make a very good, indirect point: I do wish the Phaethon had a built-in phono capability and then I could eliminate one more box without spending $25k for the Ypsilon Phono pre. But from a sound quality standpoint (which criteria is certainly more important) I can live without that feature. The Phaethon does marry so well with dcs – when my local dcs dealer brought the unit to my home for the install he had not heard the Ypsilon and could not believe the compatibility, the musicality, how well they sounded together.
One of the fun things I’ve done since purchase was to demo several different XLR interconnects between the dcs and the Phaethon to find the one that took the sound to right where I wanted it (revealing clarity but with mid-range refinement, bass control, sweet trebles, soundstage presentation, I guess I wanted it all). Some cables were average and then I found one that worked for me (I’d rather not get into brand/model, cables coupled with your system in your room should be listened to). But the careful in-home comparing was easy and fun. And the final addition of the Rossini clock really brought it all together. I wish you the best my friend.
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I had a similar experience as you had about unknown hifi gear sounding exceptional.
It is a french brand, two brothers, that’s it: Audiomat.
I bought the integrated Audiomat Solfege reference 20 after a comparision with Gryphon Diablo 300 and Pass Labs XP20/X600.5
I wanted to buy Pass Labs, as I red so many good things about the brand…But the Audiomat was so much better ! For a fraction of the price of the Pass ! Unbelievable, and disappointing…but the difference in sound quality was too big and I had to accept that this 2 people company was doing better than Pass and Gryphon…I bought the Audiomat, completely unknown brand which will be ended when these two brothers shall retire, I guess.
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I’m sure that Audiomat Solfege tubed, class A probably sounds sublime with dcs.
Enjoy your retirement, I am guessing you’ve earned it! Just one small suggestion. I would strongly urge you to consider a Vivaldi clock for what is quite a popular “mullet” stack (both Bartók/Vivaldi Clock and Rossini DAC/Vivaldi Clock) in this community. The Vivaldi will give you more flexibility (more outputs plus a reference input) for the future as well as by all accounts - I haven’t compared head-to-head with the Rossini Clock but others here have (@all2ofme) - a better sound.
Very expensive new of course but with a new flagship expected to overtake, if not replace, the Vivaldi in the not-too-distant future it is not unreasonable to expect a good flow of units onto the second hand market over the next few years. I bought mine for less than half of current list including a quick trip back to Swavesey for a check-up and recalibration. Even if it were replaced tomorrow I couldn’t be happier.
That seems like good advice but I’m not sure it will ever fall within my budget. I’m trying a Rossini clock (excellent price) now and I think that if I progress beyond this then a Rossini APEX would be my limit and (probably) the best vfm, working on the principle that when a Vivaldi replacement arrives, the domino effect will have current Rossini owners upgrading to used Vivaldi.
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I agree with your logic about the ripple-down effect of the anticipated new flagship. There should be a lot of used dCS at all levels hitting the market at keen prices as the BBLPC upgrade to the Schubert (just my guess) over the coming years!
I have heard Rossinis many times but never in systems I would describe as familiar so I can’t comment on the relative trade-offs or “optimum” upgrade path although many others here can.
What I know from my own experience is that the Bartók is very good indeed and (certainly pre-APEX at least) very good value. Used pre-APEX Bartóks for ca £9-10k are excellent value IMO. APEX Bartók otoh at £19k seems to have fallen victim to the “cost of listening crisis”.
What one can also say with certainty is that the Rossini offers a considerable cost advantage over the Vivaldi. This is based not just on the sticker price difference in the DACs themselves, but also the fact one doesn’t have to fork out for the separate Upsampler to gain access to streaming functionality.
Enjoy your system as you consider all these mouthwatering alternatives. It sounds like an absolute pearl. Please post pics in the “Showing off” thread!
My ‘open box’ APEX Bartók HA cost £16k, which I thought was a bargain, and the Rossini Clock just over £5k, so I’m happy. Against my better judgement I’ll post a photo (never dared to on the Naim forum as it is VERY judgemental), but please bear in mind that’s I have a very compromised room and an equally uncompromising wife (just buying the rack earned a VERY hard stare!).
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Haven’t been on the Naim Forum for aforementioned reasons but I think you’ll find the folks here are friendly and polite, and generally keep their judgments to themselves (I know I try to). And if we aren’t @Phil has us in detention writing out lines!
I don’t remember you from on there - you must have been well-behaved… 
…and if you get out of hand remember we’re here with the big sticks and vegetables…
Who said you could stop scrubbing the stonework at the dCS castle entrance - get back to your chores!
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I COULD post a photo of my setup at home but if I did you guys would go all Liam Neeson on me, you’d find me out at shows and events and stand there pointing at me like Nelson from the Simpsons going “har harrr”…
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