Vivaldi dac (plus OEM transport) or rossini player?

Hello, I have the chance to buy a non apex vivaldi DAC or a non apex rossini player for around the same price. Both are v2.0.
I currently use a meridian 808v6 and tend to listen to a lot of CDs . For streaming I use an Aurender N20.
So my questions -

  1. if i connect an ordinary but well made cd transport to the vivaldi DAC, will it sound better than the rossini player for CD replay?
  2. will either dcs unit’s streaming capability better the aurender n20?
    Due to wife pressure, I would like to keep the box count minimum.
    Thank you

I can’t answer all your questions but I tested an Aurender N10 (!) with USB out to a Rossini/Clock vs Rossini’s build in ethernet/streaming (upnp and roon).
For me, the build in streaming wins hands down.

Your current system consists of a Meridian (CD transport / DAC / preamp with analog inputs) and an Aurender (streamer / local music storage).

The Rossini player is a CD transport, streamer, upsampler, DAC and volume control all in one box.
No analog preamp inputs, no local music storage.

The Vivaldi is just a DAC; no CD transport, no streamer, no upsampler.
Also no analog preamp inputs, no local music storage.

In order to get the same functionality in a Vivaldi system as with the Rossini player, you’d need an additional CD transport (e.g. your Meridian) and a Vivaldi upsampler, which covers both streaming and upsampling functionality. Still no local music storage.

There are a few things you can only sort out by listening:

  1. CD: Rossini player vs Meridian 808v6 used as a transport (if possible) + Vivaldi DAC
  2. Streaming: Rossini player vs Aurender N20.

Basically you could replace your Meridian 808v6 (CD transport / DAC / preamp) and your Aurender N20 with the Rossini player. You’d lose some of the Meridian’s preamp functionality (analog inputs) and the Aurender’s local music storage functionality, which could be added with an NAS (e.g. QNAP HS-264).

What do you guys believe is a fair price to replace a mint condition Rossini Transport/Rossini Dac/Rossini Clock with a new or mint condition 4-box Vivaldi system? Thanks. F.

I’ll attempt an answer, although I expect you’ll find me frustratingly vague. First, I suggest you do some research: look on the internet to find what second hand and ex-dem prices are. That way
you’ll have a reasonable idea of what you could get by selling privately, and what would have to pay by buying privately. Other things being equal, you’d expect a dealer to offer less given that they’d expect to make money on a trade in (and may have to add tax). In the UK ex-dem prices on audio equipment generally seem to be 20% less than new, after a year with the dealer. In my experience the roughly 20% would apply to easy to sell popular items (inc. dCS), but the discounts can be much higher for less popular ‘niche’ items that the dealer really wants to get rid of.

For the amounts of money required to purchase Vivaldi, the prices of most (all?) new consumer products are negotiable to some degree I think. For audio equipment the ‘to some degree’ will depend on what is customary in the part of the world you live in, the dealer/distributor, and your relationship with the dealer. Has negotiation been worthwhile for me? Yes, definitely, and I expect that goes for many/most Forum members. However, I won’t say more, because it doesn’t really help anyone to make statements along the lines of “dealer X will sell product Y for discount Z”. Individual circumstances are too particular, and it would undermine relationships with dealers.

So my general advice (and I’m really not an expert) would be: do your research so that you can evaluate any offer made to you, and take your time. Don’t appear to be in a hurry to buy.

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Thanks Simon. The dealer has made me an offer but I believe that it is too high, considering my trade-in. I’ll think about it and in the meantime I’ll do the Apex upgrade to my Rossini :wink: I’m in no hurry!