All the way up the Naim hierarchy to a CDS 555, now long gone.
Bought a Chord Qute for an introduction to digital about 7 years ago
Upgraded to Auralic Vega with Aurender N100, then Aries and Vega G2
Auditoned Bartok, but bought Rossini + clock
Occasionally use an old Pioneer stable platter player through its digital output to the Rossini if I want to spin a disc (not often).
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Ayre to Berkeley Audio. Then a few upgrades of the Berkeley and then added a dCS Network Bridge, which was interim to the Vivaldi Upsampler, Vivaldi DAC, and finally the Vivaldi Clock. Now awaiting the APEX DAC upgrade.
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I feel very fortunate to have gone straight from a McIntosh C2500 to Rossini. I did not have a path of gradual improvements but instead had a very dramatic step up. I have an appreciation for the qualities of a high end DAC after a decade with the C2500.
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Before DCS I had the Audio Reaserch CD 6 and Luca Natali proposed me to level up.
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For me quite a few cd players over the years, from sony, micromega and naim.
Then a few naim streamers up to the nds and double 555 power supplies, was going to go nd555, but after hearing one, i didn’t think the difference was worth the cost, so tried the dcs range and decided that the rossini range suited me best and the rest as they say is history
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Ok I must chime in on the DAC evolution
Aurrender
Schiit-Bit Frost then Yiggy
Lab 12 Reference tube DAC
Bartok with Rossini clock
(Rossini DAC Future buy!)
Remember no solution without Evolution!
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Naim ndac
P S Audio Direct Stream (it wud go now)
Naim NDX2 (will stay)
Just ordered dCS Rossini Apex
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Would you like to comment on Yggy vs Bartok?
Before the dCS move, I used to have a Metronome C8 based on AKM chips. It was a 2 chassis DAC with an external PSU and outputs where you can select AOP or tubes. I used to run the Metronome with a dCS network bridge and a Rossini click.
i was very happy with and the transition to dCS started by the ambition to remove some boxes and I tested the Rossini. Finally I moved to a Vivaldi and…kept boxes 
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I had the Yggy for a while. It was decent but I thought overall was pretty sterile sounding. Also, now that I’ve had dCS for a while I will only buy DACs that are Roon endpoints and use ethernet as the primary data transmission methodology. A good 1 box solution is so much better.
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Not sure if this question was for me
But willing to give my opinion
Yiggy was better than than it’s other
Less expensive brothers
But did not come close to DCS Bartok
DCS was like when i added the Shunyata
Everest and Omega power cord
It will open up the music you thought you
Knew with clarity and depth
Power source and speakers may not have to be replaced as the sound is opened up and the
Instruments are revealed!
And that’s only with the Bartok wish I had listened to my dealer and got the Rossini
It’s now my next to do list!
(Anyone moving up to Vivaldi have one for sale?)
“Listen to what you enjoy and enjoy what you hear!”
Best Martin
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Going back 20 years, I had a Meridian 568, followed more recently by the Meridian 818v3, which I still have driving my Meridian 7200SE speakers. Meridian makes great speakers, however mine have been overtaken somewhat by their new 8000XE’s.
For headphone use, I started with my Meridian, moved on to the Chord TT2 followed by the dCS Bartok and, most recently, the dCS Rossini APEX. This is a fantastic setup 
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@jandersonhill that’s a strong path. What are the notable improvements over the TT2? I have the Bartok and a Chord Mojo 2, both are very good in their categories.
@andrewt Used with the M Scaler, the TT2 was actually slightly more detailed, but didn’t manage the richness or harmonics available with the Bartok. I tried the Dave first and found it even more detailed, but a tad too clinical.
Having moved to the Rossini APEX, I think the detail likely exceeds the two Chords without any downsides, other than a higher price point. I agree with you the different units don’t compete head on and are all very good for the market categories they are aimed at.
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That’s encouraging to hear. The APEX might be in my future, waiting to move back in after a remodel to make that call.
Linn Klimax DS/1 purchased in 2011 to front my Naim 500 system. Upgraded to /2 and then /3 Katalyst.
Bartok purchased on introduction for my headphone system. I was so impressed that a Rossini was purchased almost 3 years ago. The Linn was demoted to the headphone system.
APEX has now ensured the Rossini will firmly remain in the 2 channel system. The Linn, performing headphone duties, may be upgraded to Organik.
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I currently use the Bartok in a headphone system, but with an external amp (Ferrum Oor/Hypsos). The rest of my two channel system is in storage, but the Bartok would serve both the two channel and headphone systems.
I can see a master clock in your future! The difference with it is immense
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1999 - Copland CDA266
2006 - Naim CDX2
2008 - EMM Labs DCC2 SE/CDSD SE (early Black Label, and I DIY replaced the CD mechanism to Stream Unlimited as per the later version)
2015 - dCS Puccini + U-Clock
2016 - dCS Puccini + U-Clock & Naim NDX1
2019 - dCS Bartok + Puccini + U-Clock (feeding both)
2020 - dCS Bartok + Rossini Clock
2022 - dCS Rossini DAC + Rossini Clock, and Rossini DAC APEX-ed this year
If I have jogged my memory correctly
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Pretty sure it was:
2004-2010: Ayre cx7
2010-2021: dCS Puccini w U clock
2021- : COVID traveling and no DAC!
2022+ : dCS Rossini