Which dCS box should be on 1st base - Vivaldi Clock or Vivaldi Transport with Rossini Apex DAC

Long time lurker & my first post here. I’m looking for sound advice - coming from a 10 year ownership of a dCS Paganini 4 stack & just recently moved to a Rossini APEX DAC w/no clock and using my Paganini Transport. I’d like to sell the Paganini Transport and move up the dCS ladder with a Vivaldi Transport & Clock. A Vivaldi APEX DAC replacement of the Rossini APEX DAC is not an option. So, the question is, which should I consider first thru my dealer – a used Vivaldi Clock or used Vivaldi Transport or option 2 - a new Rossini Transport w/used Vivaldi clock? Thanks

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Clock or transport?

It depends upon how important silver discs are to you. The margin of the Vivaldi transport over the Paganini is very large. You could also consider at less cost the Rossini CD/SACD transport if you can find a used one ( they seem no longer to make this). It is also vastly superior to Paganini. However Vivaldi transport is a little better than the Rossini transport. However this may be less apparent when not directly comparing but using on a day to day basis.One thing to bear in mind is that the transport mechanism in Vivaldi is no longer made. dCS has a stock of spares but these will eventually be exhausted.

If silver disc is a secondary medium for you and you mainly use CD rips and downloads and/or stream music from Qobuz or Tidal then the clock alone may be a more logical choice.

Of he two although the clock alone with the DAC will have a more subtle effect to many listeners than better transport if the use of silver discs is sufficient enough to justify the large cost involved. However with both a dCS DAC and transport the clock has more importance as both boxes need to be synchronised which is what the clock does.

My own view is you need to try for clock as well if you get the transport as this and DAC are designed to be synchronised.

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I would say Vivaldi clock only if you plan to buy the Vivaldi Dac and Upsampler in the future.

Otherwise stay with Rossini line of product. You bought the Rossini Apex Dac because you liked it, I guess. So why would you mix with Vivaldi line ?

I know you are not the only one with this idea in mind, even some Bartok owners want to add a Vivaldi clock !!

An alternative: sell your Rossini and buy Vivaldi gear…then you stop thinking improving the sound quality and you enjoy playing music…unless you want to add a reference clock to the Vivaldi clock…you will find some good advices on that matter too :joy:

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dCS still makes Rossini Transport. I jut bought one in June 22. Got it within 3 weeks of placing the order.

Regards,
Sourav

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I have one too!

However the current Rossini page on the dCS website omits the Rossini Transport from the collection so that is either an error or it is no longer manufactured.

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Appreciate the input everyone – I’m still contemplating which route to take. I’m in the US and prices going up 1 February.

I went with Rossini transport + Rossini Apex dac last year as I always found tranport + dac produces better tangible sound quality improvement than clock + dac.

With transport and dac u can also have 1 master clock (in dac) controlling across sources.

Also please note that the Clock wud not provide any benefit (apart from the benefit u get from separating clock in a separate enclosure with temp control) for spdif sources.

On the other hand transport has other benefits. Transport can help u off loading upsampling load to the transport while dac is doing only d to a conversion. U can anyway also play SACDs.

So given the choice between clock and transport (if u can afford only one at a time) I thought better to invest in transport which though more pricey but roi is much more too.

Regards,
Sourav

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It was the same when I ordered for Rossini Transport in May 22.

When I checked in forum @Phil from dCS confirmed that it is very much in production. Qs on dCS Rossini Transport

But things may have changed by now.

Regards,
Sourav

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Many thanks Sourav :+1:

yes, it can be scrolled to:

So I can now underline my point to Robert. The Rossini CD/SACD Transport is fabulous. I had the chance of a new one or an ex-demo Vivaldi Transport a couple of years ago and have never regretted my choice of the Rossini which, in my case, is used with the other three Vivaldi boxes.

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Thanks to everyone - I’ve made my mind up and focused on obtaining a Rossini CD/SACD Transport and eventually a matching Rossini clock. I’ve come to this over the fact the Rossini is new in the lineup whereas the Vivaldi Transport is 10 years + and dCS has obtained a couple hundred NEO transports to cover repairs. The Rossini has the DM, is in production, and replacement mechanisms will be easier to obtain than NEO’s in the years ahead as like my Paganini stack, I kept it for 10 years. In the near future with a full matching Rossini line up & just forget external input clocks ($6-7K alone) & enjoy.

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Congratulations on the decision made !!! I know it is not something easy to arrive at.

After I got the duo I primarily have listened to only this combo in last 7 months for majority of my listening time. Even stopped listening that often to my other favorite source Rega P10 with Apheta 3.

But both of them would need considerable burn in time. For me it was around 4 months of every day listening on average 1 hr/day.

Regards,
Sourav