I had originally settled on a Rossini+Clock after evaluating that combo [and the impressive Bartok] recently. The AudiophileStyle review of the EMM DV2 briefly gave me a combo case of buyer’s remorse and FOMO. But that didn’t last long, though it did lead to reevaluation of my goals, and how they dovetail with the likely dCS product development time frames. So today, I revised my order to a Vivaldi DAC+Upsampler. No doubt the Clock will join the stack soon enough, but this is a good enough start for now.
3 Likes
Congratulations. You will be very happy with your choice. IMHO dCS and MSB are the leaders in this category. I could happily live with either but have no reason to move from my Vivaldi DAC, Upsampler and Clock.
1 Like
Thanks Jim. Yeah, MSB S2 in my headphone rig and Vivaldi in my speaker system—life was already good; audio now even more so.
Congratulations. You won’t regret it, that I can guarantee. I did it round the other way Vivaldi DAC and clock first, Upsampler now ordered and awaiting delivery. I have also ordered the Rossini transport to replace my existing Paganini as silver disc is no longer my primary source and the price difference for the Vivaldi transport was difficult to justify in my particular case.
1 Like
Congrats back! Yeah, I couldn’t go without streaming, and I didn’t want to start with the Bridge, knowing I would just want to trade it in for the Upsampler almost as soon as everything arrived. The Clock won’t be far behind though.
Well done. I started like you and the clock did not wait so much to join 
1 Like
I own a Rossini and have auditioned the Rossini external clock and I’m not sure I would pass a blindfold test when it comes to SQ improvement. Perhaps its due to the dCS external clock design reasons mentioned in this blog.
I’ve found that there are ‘sweet spot’ products in many manufacturer’s product lines and IMHO the Rossini is that product for dCS. The way dCS incorporated the network streamer in the Rossini so you’re not forced to purchase a Vivaldi upsampler to stream is ample proof for me, not to mention the overall cost of a Vivaldi and upsampler compared to a Rossini.
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade but with the rapid improvements in digital front-ends it’s inevitable that today’s Vivaldi and Rossini components will be replaced by superior dCS models within 3 - 5 years. If you have the disposable cash to purchase the very best dCS has to offer, more power to you.
1 Like
I think that’s a pragmatic viewpoint and is not raining on anyone’s parade (certainly not mine; I’m a one-man parade 
). I think it’s true that digital technology will continue to evolve along a rapid-advance-plateau-rapid-advance sort of timeline. Vivaldi is already 8 years old and there is bound to be a new “Composer“ within the next 2-3 years. I also agree Rossini is the current sweet spot and best value for the money. But Vivaldi still sounds better. If I want what sounds like the best to me—while presenting a bit differently from the MSB Select I already own—Vivaldi makes sense for me now. And with generous trade-in/up policies, I’ll be able to (if I want to) upgrade to the next great thing with minimal economic downside. Or just enjoy Vivaldi for the rest of my life. My dealer and I discussed this very issue: am I better riding out the Rossini product cycle and then upgrading, or going ahead and investing in Vivaldi now and upgrading on a likely shorter horizon? Turns out the economics aren’t all that different. But one big difference is I get to enjoy Vivaldi now.
1 Like
One thing that I’ll point out here is that we have a long-standing history of taking care of our customers when they decide to upgrade or when we release a new product. Scarlatti owners were given very favorable terms to upgrade to Vivaldi as were Puccini and Paganini customers to Rossini. We also regularly see customers move up the line within a short period of time. In all cases we make every effort to ensure that the customer’s investment is protected as much as possible.
9 Likes
Well Andrew that was one off the reasons i have just got myself a rossini and clock, that and it sounds amazing.
I can’t see myself ever venturing away from DCS, but i can see myself enjoying future updates when they come.
2 Likes
Thanks @Andrew That’s a big part of the assessment I made when choosing to invest in Vivaldi.
1 Like
And I will add in support; that is why I am in my 21st year as a dCS customer.
3 Likes
Thanks for that enthusiasm Pete. dCS customer loyalty was a significant factor in my decision. In this day and age, when loyalty cannot be commanded in an incredibly competitive marketplace, that speaks volumes. It’s a bit amusing for me, because I am a very loyal MSB customer and thoroughly love and enjoy that DAC. But I wanted to have more than one style in the house, and I already had good experience with the FPGA approach. I am very much looking forward to the addition of the Vivaldi.
My Vivaldi DAC and Upsampler just arrived at my dealer—less than four weeks from my order date. Unfortunately, I am en route home from an overseas trip and will have to go through 14 days of quarantine and, even if I didn’t, my dealer is in Berkeley and is covered as of today by the Bay Area non-essential business closures order. Won’t be hearing the new gear until after April 7.
Sympathy from me. You will love the DAC and Upsampler when you get it.
My Upsampler arrived last Thursday and it is quite a big advance on its predecessor, a Network Bridge. However one thing that was immediately obvious was what a great value the NB is at , what ,circa one fifth of the price, yet having a large percentage of the Vivaldi Upsampler’s performance ? NB: I am not too interested in the upsampling option, rather in the network player . Andrew says that the Vivaldi finds more detail in comparison. However that is a very reserved judgement IMO once the Vivaldi has had the opportunity to burn in.
Compared to me your 14 day quarantine is pretty bearable. My government over here in the UK has just asked that, from this weekend, I self isolate for 3 months!!
1 Like
Agreed the NB is a relative bargain for its value. And while I am likewise more interested in the Upsampler for its network capabilities, I am also interested in its upsampling. More to come no doubt, but in the meantime, stay safe over there.
Curious as to the manufacturing status of my Bartok/headphone amp (not that it is important considering what is going on).
My dealer is in NY and I placed my order on 2/18. At the time I was told 2-4 weeks for Silver and 4-6 weeks for Black. I ordered Black.
I wonder if the DCS factory is open and working or is/will be shut? Curious about Naim and Linn as well.
They were certainly fully functional on Friday. However as the UK goes into a form of lockdown I don’t know what arrangements they may be making . Even if they are able to continue production there are now external factors that are likely to affect their supply chain.
Flights from the UK to the USA have been banned by your President from today so that indicates that the usual distribution route to the USA has been cut until the order is rescinded. I am unaware of freight flights being exempt although in any case it is possible that this kind of product is usually sent in the hold of a normal flight.
Here in the UK dealers have been quoting customers a 12 week delivery period from order placement. However it may be that dCS prioritise exports. My recent order took 10 weeks until my dealer received the pieces.
I’m fairly certain the ban does not apply to freight, but as this pre-UK-inclusion article discusses, the potential impact on freight shipments is still enormous, or as Lloyd’s put it, “savage.” And it’s not just the US ban that is affecting industrial production; it’s also the significant slowdown in global production and delivery coming out of China, and the worldwide effect on shipping. The WSJ described the coronavirus impact on Chines production as “brutal.”
Our production facilities are open and our team is working hard to ensure that orders are fulfilled in a timely manner. We’re taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of our factory team and this includes clearing out all non-production staff from the facility. Our sales, operations, and engineering teams are all working from home for the time being.
To date there have been no issues with getting shipments out the door and delivered to customers worldwide. The current travel bans don’t apply to freight or flight crews so goods are still moving freely.
4 Likes