How stupid do these people think that we are? We’re not the schmucks that they sell their DACs to . We are people that can actually use logic and reason 
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dCS threatens with a 7-figure lawsuit over a review
- Thread starter shuppatsu
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It just blows my mind that these brands have an easy way out and decide to dig themselves deeper anyway.
1) Throw your VP marketing under the bus, promise you're not suing anyone and mean it
2) Publish whatever corrections you think needed to be made along with the most sincere-sounding apology you can mange
3) walk away more or less unscathed
Instead they're looking even worse than when this debacle started. It's like they forgot that this is a business. The point is to sell DACs, not have some reviewer grovel at your feet, or whatever their ultimate game is here.
Also, heads up to one former audio VP of marketing to another: Threatening reviewers is the opposite of your job.
1) Throw your VP marketing under the bus, promise you're not suing anyone and mean it
2) Publish whatever corrections you think needed to be made along with the most sincere-sounding apology you can mange
3) walk away more or less unscathed
Instead they're looking even worse than when this debacle started. It's like they forgot that this is a business. The point is to sell DACs, not have some reviewer grovel at your feet, or whatever their ultimate game is here.
Also, heads up to one former audio VP of marketing to another: Threatening reviewers is the opposite of your job.
laughing out very loud.. They really seem to be jealeous of the Ferrum Wandla DAC that, although also quite expensive, is not that ludicrously overpriced as dCS products.
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Tell
Senior Member
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Yeah I don't get that review. Yes he has measurements on his website that shows performance is as good as any other modern DAC, ie transparent, so why all those subjective words and feelings in the Youtube review about it being "soft", "laidback" etc?
But I don't get dCS either, they're just behaving weird with no substance whatsoever. But I guess that's what happens when you build and sell overly expensive and totally irrelevant status symbols.
It is a classical example where the technolocial innovation overtakes those once at the forefront, Nokia knows this damn well.
Well, well.......that's new light shed on the situation.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
"We take great pride in the measured performance of our products and regularly submit our products for test, measurement and subjective listening tests worldwide. Genuine, independent measurement and subjective review of audio components by the media is an extremely important part of our industry and we will always be in support of this."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...
Torben
Ok, send some DACs and amps over to Amir, I think he will be happy to measure them and give also some personal evaluation without audiophool babble like GoldenSound.
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AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
Yes, the Ring DAC is no doubt more expensive to make than a chip-based solution, but there is no way that it can justify prices that can buy a new small car. I suggest somewhere around 10% of their current prices would be reasonable.
Yes, of course they could make an excellent chip-based DAC, but it would have to cost more than those made in China.
mhardy6647
Grand Contributor
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- Dec 12, 2019
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So funny you mention early adopters of... shall we say... esoteric DACs.
I bought this used and somewhat hotrodded (and with the HP amp disconnected) from a regional vacuum tube hifi guru in New England quite a few years ago now. Somewhere I should still have a bag full of opamps to roll into it.
shrimp_dude
Member
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Imaginary qualities, very tangible and real profit margins
I've been a member of GoldenSound's Discord channel since day one. I also followed his Telegram chat for a while, but it eventually became too cringe-y.
The issue with GoldenSound is that his passion often surpasses his knowledge in various fields of audio. This leads him to make hot takes and bold claims about audio products based on his subjective impressions, which he attributes to his exceptional hearing abilities.
Since he released his review, nearly everyone on Head-Fi and people in his discord group associates dCS with a soft sound. Let me explain why:
The problem with such statements is that many audiophiles are delusional; they lack a fundamental understanding of audio and are unwilling to learn anything that might challenge their beliefs. Instead, they gravitate towards confident individuals who make bold claims and have strong opinions. These audiophiles seek out someone to follow who reinforces their existing beliefs (such as "everything makes a difference," "DACs can make speakers sound more impactful," "DAC/amp synergy is very important," etc.).
GoldenSound fits this mold perfectly. He is confident, bold, and has strong opinions about what he hears, especially regarding DACs and amps. When he says dCS sounds soft, he creates a powerful confirmation bias among audiophiles, leading everyone to listen to dCS DACs to perceive the 'softness' he describes. He tries to back up his claims with explanations that might sound plausible only if we could hear -160dB distortion. But most audiophiles believe that everything makes a difference and this correlations between measurements and subjective claims make Golden appear as a grounded subjectivist person who isn't delusional.
One more thing: Hearing that 'softness' makes you feel like part of the 'cool kids club'; it suggests you have such exceptional ears that you can hear the 'softness' that other people who bought dCS DACs can't detect. You feel extraordinary. Considering all this, when GoldenSound says dCS DACs sound soft, they start sounding soft to everyone.
This isn't directly GoldenSound's fault, but it is a consequence of making bold subjective claims without having anything to back them up. I quit his Telegram chat after he said, "Ah, I know why dCS DACs sound so soft! They have high 3rd order distortion." That's pure nonsense. While listening to music at 85dB, -130dB third order distortion is at -45dB. -45dB is the loudness of the kitchen water pipelines in your neighbor's apartment two floors away.
But this is the price one can pay if you make such subjective claims without having anything to back up without a substance.
Is Golden the victim here? Definitely. People should be able to make their own subjective claims about audio products without being afraid of the consequences. You may disagree with me here. That's another debate.
Is dCs overreacting to the situation? Yes.
am I in Golden's side? Yes, because I do not think he has bad intentions.
However, the way I see it, this is another 'play stupid games, win stupid prizes' kind of situation. Good luck to him. One last note: He is not always negative dCs and I do not think he has an agenda against them. I think he tends to believe what his perception is telling him, too much.
The issue with GoldenSound is that his passion often surpasses his knowledge in various fields of audio. This leads him to make hot takes and bold claims about audio products based on his subjective impressions, which he attributes to his exceptional hearing abilities.
Since he released his review, nearly everyone on Head-Fi and people in his discord group associates dCS with a soft sound. Let me explain why:
The problem with such statements is that many audiophiles are delusional; they lack a fundamental understanding of audio and are unwilling to learn anything that might challenge their beliefs. Instead, they gravitate towards confident individuals who make bold claims and have strong opinions. These audiophiles seek out someone to follow who reinforces their existing beliefs (such as "everything makes a difference," "DACs can make speakers sound more impactful," "DAC/amp synergy is very important," etc.).
GoldenSound fits this mold perfectly. He is confident, bold, and has strong opinions about what he hears, especially regarding DACs and amps. When he says dCS sounds soft, he creates a powerful confirmation bias among audiophiles, leading everyone to listen to dCS DACs to perceive the 'softness' he describes. He tries to back up his claims with explanations that might sound plausible only if we could hear -160dB distortion. But most audiophiles believe that everything makes a difference and this correlations between measurements and subjective claims make Golden appear as a grounded subjectivist person who isn't delusional.
One more thing: Hearing that 'softness' makes you feel like part of the 'cool kids club'; it suggests you have such exceptional ears that you can hear the 'softness' that other people who bought dCS DACs can't detect. You feel extraordinary. Considering all this, when GoldenSound says dCS DACs sound soft, they start sounding soft to everyone.
This isn't directly GoldenSound's fault, but it is a consequence of making bold subjective claims without having anything to back them up. I quit his Telegram chat after he said, "Ah, I know why dCS DACs sound so soft! They have high 3rd order distortion." That's pure nonsense. While listening to music at 85dB, -130dB third order distortion is at -45dB. -45dB is the loudness of the kitchen water pipelines in your neighbor's apartment two floors away.
But this is the price one can pay if you make such subjective claims without having anything to back up without a substance.
Is Golden the victim here? Definitely. People should be able to make their own subjective claims about audio products without being afraid of the consequences. You may disagree with me here. That's another debate.
Is dCs overreacting to the situation? Yes.
am I in Golden's side? Yes, because I do not think he has bad intentions.
However, the way I see it, this is another 'play stupid games, win stupid prizes' kind of situation. Good luck to him. One last note: He is not always negative dCs and I do not think he has an agenda against them. I think he tends to believe what his perception is telling him, too much.
That's not a bad looking device. Does it work well? The Hong Kong sourced 24 bit DAC PCB with USB replaced the sound chip in my old ASUS motherboard and it sounded good.So funny you mention early adopters of... shall we say... esoteric DACs.
I bought this used and somewhat hotrodded (and with the HP amp disconnected) from a regional vacuum tube hifi guru in New England quite a few years ago now. Somewhere I should still have a bag full of opamps to roll into it.
I didn't see them close the door.
This is really extremely cringey. "Slammy" and "polite" DACs!
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I doubt they've seriously evaluated the technical merits of their case. They'd basically have to procure an expert witness to do so. They are taking a punt, just like Barbara Streisand.
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
New as in, they can't even get their story straight?
bloodshoteyed
Major Contributor
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...
Torben
well, that was fast...
GeorgeWalk
Senior Member
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This is the same product/market strategy that Kodak used to go bankrupt after more than 100 years of dominance. Protect the key technology (sliver halide film - in Kodak's case) no matter if other technologies are surpassing it (digital photography), use legal means, and deny the truth of the situation. Get every last dollar out of the product, and that is what Kodak got. dCS is using the same playbook.
It loads for me.
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