dCS Varèse

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

At least they throw in some free cables

I already see audiophiles asking 3rd party companies to do upgraded version of those cables

 

[iconoclast]

Edgar Varèse?

 

[Moderate Dionysianism]

Edgar Varèse?

...rolling in his grave

 

[Mnyb]

If we dont have 300k$. ?

Can we have a dCS ”Gary Glitter” stack at a more reasonable price ?

 

[manisandher]

Beyond ridiculous. But maybe the only chance of survival for dCS in today's marketplace?

 

[Matias]

I think it is indeed. Because objective customers can nowadays choose DACs among many flavors of the month from the Chinese brands, and excellent devices at not much money. This kind of killed the mid range market, and they have to focus on the subjective crowds with deep pockets, usually in Asian markets AFAIK, who want high end with as much bling as possible. With speakers it is the same.

 

[Palladium]

I think it is indeed. Because objective customers can nowadays choose DACs among many flavors of the month from the Chinese brands, and excellent devices at not much money. This kind of killed the mid range market, and they have to focus on the subjective crowds with deep pockets, usually in Asian markets AFAIK, who want high end with as much bling as possible. With speakers it is the same.

I think there was some Chinese rich guy who spent half his ~$90000 audio budget on a dCS DAC to run speakers...In one of the acoustically worst rooms possible.

 

[AaronJ]

In reality this system exists for 2 reasons: 1) to be so eye-popping expensive that only people making 8 figures can afford it, and 2) to advertise at hi-fi shows that you can get 80% of the sound quality for 10% of the price if you get one of their $30k stacks.

 

[CapMan]

The gauntlet is thrown lets see what the former multibox champion NAIM can do NAIM usually wins the absurd box count competition like mono blocks with external PSU

Been there and have the 'expensive' t-shirt. Oh the shame

 

[fatoldgit]

Mono block dacs, for when you simply have to have the added jitter of an external clock.

yep.... it makes no sense to me

DAC's (even those using FPGA's) dont consume lots of power (so minimum of power supply EMF/EMI in play, easily managed with a full width chassis) and there are gains to be made by co-locating related circuits close to the dac chip(s).

And as you point out, you now need an external clock to keep them in sync.

More engineering masturbation and more fools parted from their money (but its their money, assuming it was legitimately earned).

Of course, the usual suspect establishment reviewers will need to find new superlatives for their subjective reviews, cause never mind the quality, feel the weight.

Peter

 

[fatoldgit]

I was looking at the back of this thing and wondered what those connectors are. Each box seems to have one.

I am guessing (from top to bottom):

- Display module / control point
- Clock module
- Monoblock DAC 1 (with 2x XLR and 2x RCA outputs?!)
- Monoblock DAC 2 (also with 2x XLR and 2x RCA outputs)
- Renderer (RJ45 in, USB in + 8 Actus connectors)

View attachment 385095

From the video it looks like a new proprietary connector.

Note: no Toslink in and no external wi-fi antenna. And no picture of the remote - how do you control this thing? I presume it's an app on a tablet.

if the bottom box is the renderer (I have seen it described as The Core), why is it so big.

I had assumed it was the power supply for the other boxes OR a power amp?

Peter

 

[kemmler3D]

As a long time owner of this, I refuse to comment further.
View attachment 385179

This is an icon of design (they had it in the SFMOMA art of noise show!) and doesn't add 5 boxes where one will do.

The dCS unit is just nonsense designed for people who aren't comfortable unless they're spending 100x more on a given category of equipment than someone they consider poor.

 

[kemmler3D]

That massive dial alone must be worth it

View attachment 385287
I think it's this. It's from the otherwise totally pointless video..

The cool thing is you could probably fit all the necessary parts for a performant DAC in that thing. And it would be a pretty smart and handy thing to have.

 

[Dialectic]

At least they throw in some free cables

As everyone knows, the DCS "stack" is very sensitive to cables and sounds terrible with the stock cables.

 

[sq225917]

If we dont have 300k$. ?

Can we have a dCS ”Gary Glitter” stack at a more reasonable price ?

I wouldn't want to be in that gang

 

[Keith_W]

That can't be! $300k and you have to crouch over a touch screen to select music!

if the bottom box is the renderer (I have seen it described as The Core), why is it so big.

View attachment 385396

I had assumed it was the power supply for the other boxes OR a power amp?

Peter

I don't know why it is so big. Maybe to make it seem more premium? I don't think it's the power supply, if you look at the back of each box there is an IEC plug.

BTW, I did a quick search on the Google Play store. There is an app called DCS Mosaic there. I am guessing that this is how you cue up tracks from streaming services on this machine. Surely they can't charge $300k+ and expect users to use a touchscreen keyboard on the top box.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

I don't know why it is so big. Maybe to make it seem more premium?

Yes. Exactly that. You know, they need to justify the stupid price.

 

[Verig]

The cool thing is you could probably fit all the necessary parts for a performant DAC in that thing. And it would be a pretty smart and handy thing to have.

I confess I enjoy well made dials and buttons, all kinds of precise parts, manual focus lenses... Not big on ASMR things in general but this I find funny in myself.

 

[boxerfan88]

The core has 3 empty panels.
The price list do mention I/O panel option.

Do you think this system is expandable into a full-blown million dollar Atmos DAC supporting multiple channels?

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Do you think this system is expandable into a full-blown million dollar Atmos DAC supporting multiple channels?

No