Well technically showing a picture of what looks an awful lot like like the back of a Bartok with a headline that reads “The Next Generation” is indeed a qualifier!
Actually could very well be the back of a Rossini.
The post on headfi leaves no more doubt, apex upgrade for the bartok and bartok headphone.
Yes, I understand that. The point is that “Next Generation” does not mention Bartok at all - so it would seem to indicate that something more system-wide is changing. @Urbanluthier said the picture of a Bartok back would be enough to assume they were referring to the Bartok upgrade and my point was simply that it could well be a Rossini back.
Long story short, my expectation is there’s more than Bartok Apex coming next Tuesday.
Sometimes i wish we could have a forum teams or zoom call to chat about all speculation scenarios! The dialog would be so much fun!
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Interesting.
With the bartock now also getting the Apex treatment, and on the same software as the rossini. Then i would expect dCS to update the rossini with the vivaldi software, and give the vivaldi a new software package to fully exploit the Apex upgrade, and lift it further up the game.
As the bartock, and rossini are going to be far to close on sound going forward, unless they do this, as a second power supply is not going to make the difference.
So i am certainly looking forward to a new, and better bartock, as it got to bring new software for the vivaldi
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Looking at the Head-Fi screenshot, in addition to what looks like a real shot of what is likely to be featured on the DCS website next Tuesday—Bartok APEX is clearly indicated in the photo of the back of the unit.
Given the success of Bartok—I was told by a credible source that dCS sold 3X the internal forecast within the first year, so likely there are more Bartok customers out there than Rossini or Vivaldi. Therefore it makes financial sense for dCS to introduce Bartok Apex versions—I expect dCS margins are quite good in the case of the APEX upgrades given it’s a one board swap, so why not leverage the installed Bartok unit base? This assumes Bartok can support the APEX board, which seems to be the case. The key difference between Bartok and Rossini prior to APEX is that Rossini has double the power supply—one transformer each for the digital and analogue sections. Bartok only has the same (one) transformer for both digital and analogue. Bartok APEX would also further rationalize the product lines as I suspect the Lina DAC is essentially a Bartok DAC folded into Lina casework, so sonically likely close or perhaps even identical, but I don’t know this as a fact.
My guess—that’s all it is—is that it is too soon post APEX to introduce a new DCS flagship. Obviously it’s coming, but 2024 or so makes more sense to me. Maybe they double DSD rates via a free firmware release creating APEX 2.0 for Vivaldi then Rossini much as they previously did with mapping 2.0 prior to a new flagship into.
Regardless of what happens Tuesday, my hat is off to dCS—the website intro tease is great marketing which is obviously creating a buzz. Bet they do this routinely with new products moving forward.
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Tell your dealer he should ask for confidential information to someone else…Really, teasing for Bartok Apex ! Did you see Porsche teasing for a new car color ?
I am not saying Bartok Apex won’t show up, but the next gen can’t be just that…
Bartok APEX would make sense to further distinguish it from Lina. I’d be curious how successful the Lina is. The headphone amp does not have a great reputation.
I’ll be curious about the Bartok APEX upgrade price. I could be interested, but I was an early adopter and the cost of the upgrade as a % of the cost of the original unit could be hard to justify. In my view, it’s already a great DAC.
The Bartok is the only dCS DAC without a clock in the same line. That could also be a new addition on Feb 7. If the Lina can have a clock, why not the Bartok? Same straight casework as the Bartok. Nice.
I own a Bartok DAC with headphone amp and a Rossini Master Clock. I bought the clock for 2 reasons—I was aware of the improvements a dCS clock provides due to previously owning a Puccini Player and U-Clock. So I knew the Rossini clock would be a nice add, but also planned to upgrade to Rossini. I was just about to sell my Bartok and upgrade to a Rossini DAC when the Apex hit. If the intro is indeed Bartok APEX I will weigh an APEX upgrade for my Bartok versus buying a new Rossini DAC and adding an outboard headphone amp later. I do use and enjoy the headphone amp in the Bartok.
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The TAS advertisement of the Bartók APEX ‘leaked’ too early, BUT it was just about the Bartók APEX. I am beginning to believe that this is all that is coming next Tuesday. If a completely new line-up would be introduced, then the ads would also be there, and highlight it.
If so, The Next Generation is a marketing hype of sorts.
When I compared Bartok 2.0 and Rossini (non-Apex) 2.0 the differences weren’t small. The upgrade to Rossini was worthwhile. Apex widened the gap further of course, but whatever hardware changes exist between Bartok and Rossini made a tasty difference to my ears.
Would love a firmware change to take this Rossini Apex another step up 
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I agree Ermos, it’s a bit over the top if all that is introduced is Bartok APEX. But the tease is generating attention, but also risking a degree of ire from higher-level DCS customers that have invested in their highest-end offerings. In that case I suspect that dCS as a business concern assumes it’s good for Bartok owners, those considering a Bartok purchase, and that other dCS owners will get over disappointment soon enough.
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Sure hope you’re right Miguel. Otherwise, Tuesday will be a bit of a yawner.
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There may be further changes we don’t know about yet through the peek we’ve seen so far. For example, possibly the headphone amp has been improved. Who knows.
In any case, we must wait and see.
Well aware of the very significant advantages Rossini offers over Bartok, which is why I planned pre-APEX to upgrade to Rossini. I have ease into these things from a budgetary perspective—in the interest of preserving a great 42 year marriage with a woman that is not particularly into audio!
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Hee hee — totally get it, Lee. My beloved Meg sits even further down the “into audio” spectrum than your wife does by the sound of it.
(In fact, Meg’s generally sitting with some basic AirPods from way back when. Perfectly happy. And pointing at me with my silly 'phones and giggling occasionally 
)
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The ingenuity of an in-place upgrade such as APEX when it comes to getting approval (if even noticing) of one’s better half 
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I blew that. Wouldn’t shut up about “how much better this sounds!”
I realise my mistake now.
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Except there is that whole problem with the box being absent during the upgrade.