dCS threatens with a 7-figure lawsuit over a review

[kemmler3D]

Response from dCS:

A response to recent claims regarding dCS

dCS has been made aware of two videos regarding recent communications between dCS and GoldenSound, which relate to a review of the dCS Bartók Headphone DAC. Having watched both videos we feel it is important to clarify a number of details and provide a response to some of the questions raised...

dcs.community

Torben

Kinda weird that they wrote 1500 words of explanation but couldn't find the space to identify exactly what was inaccurate about the Goldensound review, other than the speculation about DSP or whatever.

It would have helped their case (in my eyes) if they were able to say "Cameron said X, actually the truth is it's Y, here's the proof"... something like that. Instead it came across as extremely vague.

 

[Purité Audio]

Perhaps they will make a special ‘Goldensound’ version to apologise.
Keith

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Kinda weird that they wrote 1500 words of explanation but couldn't find the space to identify exactly what was inaccurate about the Goldensound review, other than the speculation about DSP or whatever.

It would have helped their case (in my eyes) if they were able to say "Cameron said X, actually the truth is it's Y, here's the proof"... something like that. Instead it came across as extremely vague.

Exactly, empty words without explanation.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I think those comments were actually in response to Jim Austin's review, not Herb's: https://www.stereophile.com/content/dcs-bartok-da-processorheadphone-amplifier

I remember those cutting comments because I find Jim Austin's reviews (and his commentary in general) to be a particularly insidious genre of nonsense; with his education, he should know better. Even now that he's big kahuna, the ridiculous footnotes he adds to others' articles just drive me to drink.

Sorry, you are correct. Herb Reichart's piece was a later addition.

 

[antcollinet]

Response from dCS:

A response to recent claims regarding dCS

dCS has been made aware of two videos regarding recent communications between dCS and GoldenSound, which relate to a review of the dCS Bartók Headphone DAC. Having watched both videos we feel it is important to clarify a number of details and provide a response to some of the questions raised...

dcs.community

Torben

So - are they threatening litigation, or not?

That statement does not clarify that point *at all*

 

[Human Bass]

Response from dCS:

A response to recent claims regarding dCS

dCS has been made aware of two videos regarding recent communications between dCS and GoldenSound, which relate to a review of the dCS Bartók Headphone DAC. Having watched both videos we feel it is important to clarify a number of details and provide a response to some of the questions raised...

dcs.community

Torben

Awful.

The company dude was clearly unprofessional with the whole "Im not your mommy or therapist".

Just the fact they are freaking out about a 2021 review makes them look like some bitter wife that always complain about some minor inccidente that happened long ago.

They dont realize people dont give a damn about the technical specs of the discussion of ultra sonic noise, dsp or whatever. It is all about how it was done.

 

[kemmler3D]

So - are they threatening litigation, or not?

That statement does not clarify that point *at all*

They did the exact same thing as Tekton, "We never used the word 'litigation'" as if dishonest semantic games would resolve the issue - And they also pointed out they haven't actually sued him yet, as if that makes them the good guys in this situation.

People just normally pay lawyers to send letters when they have no intention of suing anybody, nothing to see here, move along, comments closed.

 

[DearSX]

No matter what Golden Sound does at this point the damage is done. dSC's best response may be to send more samples of the DAC to people who can measurement them and present the findings. also they can measure things themselves and release the data.

 

[Ajax]

I have been purchasing HiFi and listening to music for 50 years +. The plus is actually more than I would like to admit. During that time I have witnessed sweeping statements by both manufacturers and distributors about how this particular piece of equipment is a game changer. Of course it never is.

Electronics is just that. I have not bothered to watch or listen to the claims made against DCS products, however, I do understand that you can purchase a state of the art front end system, including bit perfect streamer, DAC with SINAD well over 100 db and a transparent power amp producing 200 Watts + into 8 ohms for less than $2k. This makes DCS equipment ridiculously expensive.

I believe most, if not all, ASR members understand that to improve their in home music reproduction they need to focus on the quality of the recording, their speakers, their room's acoustics and the ability to measure and equalise any deficiency there in.

DCS don't produce any products in this arena and are no longer relevant and hence their irrational behaviour.

 

[Ismapics]

Fixed... I think?


JSmith

Sorry I always get that one wrong. I

YES!!! If we could do that, that would be great!!!

Yes and no, To be called a review it should follow the scientific method. Observe, describe, test, report assess and reccomend. You can splnkle in opinion which you can back up or refute with data Every other review with no measurements (Darko, Robinson, Hans, Audiophiliac, Z, Cheap man, States of Analog) are opinion pieces an editorial.

 

[Rja4000]

Response from dCS:

A response to recent claims regarding dCS

dCS has been made aware of two videos regarding recent communications between dCS and GoldenSound, which relate to a review of the dCS Bartók Headphone DAC. Having watched both videos we feel it is important to clarify a number of details and provide a response to some of the questions raised...

dcs.community

Torben

At least, that clearly closes the door to any legal litigation.

 

[mocenigo]

dCS should send their products to Amir for review. But that will of course never happen because dCS knows their products are insanely over-priced.

They have a problem, like Meitner. They have developed some technology many years ago and they are somehow forced to continue to use it, because it is the "proprietary Ring DAC" thing that sells. Even though it is not a different technology than what others are doing (delta-sigma modulation to 5 bits, then thermometer encoding with load balancing) they have to sell it a such, and write some babble to persuade the customer that they are still better (not!) and are unique (not even that!). If they started doing a ESS9028/ESS9038/9 based DAC they would lose their customer base. And their products are also expensive to manufacture in the small quantities they need, so they meaninglessly "upgrade" component quality further increasing their costs, on top or marketing and advertisement in magazines that agree not to speak ill (sounds like bribing but I am not claiming that of course), inventory, after sales services and so on.

The question is, if they wanted, would they be able to design something to match the Ideon Absolute DAC? Or a Topping D90* + A90 combo?

 

[mocenigo]

If a review is objectively and materially wrong, the VP of Marketing (if they are competent, this one seems not so much) can usually get an amendment to the review by dropping a friendly note with an explanation of what was wrong. I am speaking from direct experience here.

Pretty much all reviewers, even if they give a negative or mixed review, are not out to destroy anyone out of spite, and care about their credibility to some extent, so will make a correction if it's needed.

Only a grade-A doofus goes straight to legal threats, especially after the Tekton kerfuffle blew up in that guy's face. Even if you have a valid legal case (rare), the best case scenario is you look like a bully and hurt your own reputation more than the reviewer did.

If some magazines start to distance themselves from dCS and they go out of business, this would be a great thing.

 

[mocenigo]

Indeed, when a $9.95 DAC is (likely) virtually undistinguishable from $100.000 models..

.. in a context which is optimal for both.

Interesting times we're living!!

Indeed.

Peace.

And love. And kittens.

 

[akamatsu]

I don't think dCS should sue anyone. I think they, and everyone else, should just ignore these subjective reviewers and reviews. I made it through about two thirds of Cameron's review whilst fighting off nausea. He really is clueless. If you are going to go on YouTube and spew a bunch of nonsense, then someone may threaten to sue.

It seems the qualification for being a subjective reviewer is to have no technical background, and to attribute musical qualities to electronic circuits.

 

[Mart68]

Kinda weird that they wrote 1500 words of explanation but couldn't find the space to identify exactly what was inaccurate about the Goldensound review, other than the speculation about DSP or whatever.

It would have helped their case (in my eyes) if they were able to say "Cameron said X, actually the truth is it's Y, here's the proof"... something like that. Instead it came across as extremely vague.

The solicitor's letter did spell out the six inaccuracies, although Cameron did seem to show that all but one were false accusations. And he's corrected the one where he was wrong.

They could have kept it much shorter - 'We (that is, our VP Marketing) made a big mistake and we're backing down' would have been enough.

Note - although they now say litigation was never mentioned, the VP Marketing's e-mail to Taron, shown right at the start of the video in the o/p of this thread, does state 'Our attorneys are in the process of preparing a seven figure lawsuit'.

So that was a bluff? I wonder if the VP marketing plays poker? For his sake I hope not.

 

[kemmler3D]

Note - although they now say litigation was never mentioned, the VP Marketing's e-mail to Taron, shown right at the start of the video in the o/p of this thread, does state 'Our attorneys are in the process of preparing a seven figure lawsuit'.

Right, the same Tekton move of "we think our audience is too stupid to google the definition of "litigation""... not great.

 

[BrooklynNick]

Coping this from Head-Fi. Text is from the letter DCS sent. Clearly a threat to sue.

 

[kemmler3D]

At least, that clearly closes the door to any legal litigation.

I don't think so.

As discussed previously there is no pending litigation or lawsuit and since the letter was issued in May no escalation or further action has been taken on the dCS side as we have remained committed to correcting the inaccuracies and moving on.

They're 1) Flat-out lying about threatening litigation in the first place, per @BrooklynNick's screenshot above... and 2) actually not saying they won't sue in the future and 3) hoping we get confused by their repeating the fact that they haven't sued yet.

IMO they have more self-control and better grammar than Eric Alexander, but they might be equally shady.

 

[Blorg]

So - are they threatening litigation, or not?

That statement does not clarify that point *at all*

Schrödinger's litigation

GS posted this on Head-Fi, I believe the first is an email to him, the second one is an email to Headphones.com:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dcs-bartok.901647/post-18229558

Also, from Reddit, Lissimore is Andrew Lissimore, CEO of Headphones.com: