I can buy a Scarlatti DAC for a good price. But it is quite old - 2008 and software version 1.0
Will I be able to update it to 1.3 and connect it via dual AES to my Paganini transport in Vivaldi mode?
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Hi Mike . I think this is your first posting so welcome to the forum and I hope that you find it interesting and useful.
I am afraid that I cannot think of any easy way for you to update that Scarlatti DAC. As I am sure you are aware it comes from an era when updating was normally done by special CDRs .Although the Paganini transport has the ability to play these unfortunately the discs themselves are long gone. I don’t think that legacy updates are available for access via computer even if connectivity could be arranged.
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Hi, I’m also a Scarlatti owner, and I have the 1.3 dCS update disc complete with instructions. I must admit I was really pleased to find it just after a rummage through too many boxes!
You are welcome to it, hopefully you can pm me your address and I’ll get it posted to you.
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Martin, you saved me)
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You’re welcome - let me know where to post it.
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Apologies - I’ve just seen your Mail. I’ll get it posted.
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Mike, I got it posted today so hopefully you will have it this week coming.
I had to even fill out a customs form - thanks to brexit.
Please keep the disc and instructions safe as I will inevitably now have a Scarlatti problem that requires me to reload the software.
Hope you enjoy the significant upgrade - you will have ability to upsample to dxd -352 or 384 and drop the FireWire and instead use the DoP to run DSD over dual AES.
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Martin, thank you so much
I will keep it carefully, like a relic)
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Hi Mike!
I am in need of the Scarlatti update disc for an early version Scarlatti that I just acquired.
Can you make a copy of it?
Can you copy the disc files and send them over as a WeTransfer by chance?
Or would you be open to passing on the disc?
Thanks!
Hi Marshall and I see that you have not been here before so welcome.
So that you can ask for the right help I need to explain that there is not a single update disc for Scarlatti but several have been issued over the years. I am also assuming that you are talking about Scarlatti DAC and not the other units from the stack.
The first thing you need to do is look at the information menu to see what version of Scarlatti you have acquired. This will let you deduce what update disc or discs you need. The earliest Scarlatti software is v.1.00. this was followed by three successive updates; v. 1.10, v.1.20 and v.1.30. I regret that I do not know if you may need all three discs or if the final disc contains all updates.
AFAIK you cannot update using a disc, original or copy, unless you also have a dCS transport with the update facility. I imagine that you can update using the RS232 connector but you may need to seek advice from dCS on how to go about this. Try:
NB: I do not have any of these discs.
Thanks for the info!
I’ll email and see what Phil can offer me for updates.
It’s a 1.01, so it needs them all.
I’ll be OK to get old software on an old OS to hopefully update it via RS232. Otherwise, hopefully I can get discs and then find someone with a Player that I can use for the updates…
Anyone else with any experience updating a Scarlatti DAC without mailing it back to DCS?
Not so Pete, any (non-upsampling) CD Player or Transport with SPDIF output will do. The upgrade firmware is encoded into a normal redbook track1. Just select the appropriate input, put the DAC into upgrade mode, and play the Transport/disc.
Firmware updates on the Scarlatti took a long time, I used both my Scarlatti Transport and a Classe CDT-1 Transport to simultaneously upgrade the DAC and Clock.
Even the Vivaldi early firmware on disc were the same, any CD transport will do.
Marshall, you won’t need them all, just the last version for each of the Scarlatti components you own will do. Every version is a completely FPGA image.
I’m sure the dCS folks would be happy to get you the discs or ripped file. Mail support as Pete suggests.
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Thts is very helpful information kindly provided by @Anup which should make things easier for you.
Here is a link to the software history of Scarlatti DAC:
You will see that there is no update that improves sound quality per se but that features are added. These features may be relevant if you have other dCS components. If you only have the DAC you may not really require the disc for 1.30 as it is cbasically oncerned with a feature related to a dCS dual AES transport or if you have a DoP source ( though it will be good as it has the full system image), but if you cannot get this v.1.20 will also be useful to you.
Hi Mike - can you respond to the needs of a new Scarlatti owner below as per the spirit of my posting the dCS disc to you last year?
Mainly, I would love the extra filters at 44.1!
I love Filter 5 with 44.1kHz so good luck with your search.