dCS Varèse

[DSJR]

This looks like it's been built onto the side of a portable oil heater. A strange-looking thing indeed!

That Nak stack-rack was actually very good (I was 'playing' with the tuning cursor rather than the tuning knob and broke our dem one I remember - a VERY expensive repair!). Crown did a stack-rack as well for a pre and power amp. The latter was very good, but the preamp was hopelessly over-complicated and of course, the pair sounded nothing like our then favourite Naim amps...

I used to believe in stuff like this - and to sell it you have to - but these days, away from the coal-face, I feel somewhat differently.

 

[Timcognito]

Crown did a stack-rack as well for a pre and power amp. The latter was very good, but the preamp was hopelessly over-complicated and of course, the pair sounded nothing like our then favourite Naim amps...

Well think twice about the Nakamichi 610 preamp

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/nakamichi/610.shtml

 

[Count Arthur]

Not all "stack systems" are created equal.

 

[DSJR]

Well think twice about the Nakamichi 610 preamp

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/nakamichi/610.shtml

YEOWWW!!!

Back at'cha

 

[Robin L]

Just what is the attraction of this overpriced dCS stuff to begin with?

At one time, long ago, they produced SOTA digital gear. As we all know, making digital gear that performs much better that the human ear requires is a solved issue, and for far less money than dCS's offerings. I suppose it's much like Macintosh, with high-priced gear trading on the brand once having been SOTA.

 

[IXOYE]

I can't wait for Amirm to test this beast

 

[Timcognito]

I can't wait for Amirm to test this beast

Yeah please buy one and send it to him.

 

[Chrispy]

At one time, long ago, they produced SOTA digital gear. As we all know, making digital gear that performs much better that the human ear requires is a solved issue, and for far less money than dCS's offerings. I suppose it's much like Macintosh, with high-priced gear trading on the brand once having been SOTA.

I've only heard of them recently. Sounds like nothing special in any case.

 

[Chrispy]

I think when I got to know of the brand twenty-five years or so back, the performance really was at or close to state of the art and, in our extreme ignorance, the 'art' of separate boxes kind-of added respect back then - Naim and then Cyrus had been doing this for years in their upgrade ladder style of selling-up, adding power supplies and so on, so we were kind of conditioned to separating out parts that perhaps could/should be better integrated, so why not do that in the digital domain too?

SMSL, Topping, Schiit and a host of others should be so damned good for a couple of hundred quid/hundred bucks

So they're largely about high end bullshit all along?

 

[Chrispy]

At one time, long ago, they produced SOTA digital gear. As we all know, making digital gear that performs much better that the human ear requires is a solved issue, and for far less money than dCS's offerings. I suppose it's much like Macintosh, with high-priced gear trading on the brand once having been SOTA.

Guess before my time and still sounds kinda silly that they had some magical hold on digital conversion.....sounds like high end bullshit to me.

 

[MaxBuck]

I suppose it's much like Macintosh, with high-priced gear trading on the brand once having been SOTA.

McIntosh still makes state-of-the-art amplification, even if it's not what "connoisseurs" most value. And it's made in the USA, which remains a valid consideration.

I don't own any McIntosh gear, but I respect the company. DCS, on the other hand, is despicable.

 

[Chrispy]

Good grief DCs and Mcintosh are both less than desireable.

 

[Robin L]

Guess before my time and still sounds kinda silly that they had some magical hold on digital conversion.....sounds like high end bullshit to me.

dCS was the first company to produce 24 bit DACS. It appears that dCS shifted into its current mode as a purveyor of high-end audio jewelry back in 2005 when founder Mike Story left. Up to 2005, the physical appearance of dCS products was mostly functional, afterwards they start getting silly. dCS gear was (is?) used in pro audio, being the first digital conversion gear used for SACDs.

Our Heritage | dCS

From designing radar systems for naval jets, to developing the world’s first high-resolution digital converters, our past is filled with extraordinary moments. Take a look at some of our landmark innovations and projects, and discover how we became a leading force in digital audio.

dcsaudio.com

 

[Matias]

dCS may have started when DACs in studios were complicated and expensive, and back then they must have pushed the state of the art, ok. But since then audio interfaces are very good and inexpensive (relatively).

And the marketing of its pro audio roots applied in home audio was a selling point in the beginning, sure, but since then home audio DACs also have become excellent and inexpensive.

What else is left to sell then? High end subjective market, which is what they offer nowadays.

 

[Robin L]

McIntosh still makes state-of-the-art amplification, even if it's not what "connoisseurs" most value. And it's made in the USA, which remains a valid consideration.

I don't own any McIntosh gear, but I respect the company. DCS, on the other hand, is despicable.

Seems like a niche to me, what with the blue, back-lit VU meters and high prices. It's kinda like the Harley Davidson of audio gear.
Of course, I'm an audio cheapskate through and through. Clearly not part of the demographic target. Topping also makes SOTA amplification.

 

[MaxBuck]

Seems like a niche to me, what with the blue, back-lit VU meters and high prices. It's kinda like the Harley Davidson of audio gear.
Of course, I'm an audio cheapskate through and through. Clearly not part of the demographic target. Topping also makes SOTA amplification.

Topping manufactures in the PRC. That is problematic for some people.

Note that I own Topping gear and other stuff that's also made in the PRC, so obviously it's not a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Mart68]

Seems like a niche to me, what with the blue, back-lit VU meters and high prices. It's kinda like the Harley Davidson of audio gear.
Of course, I'm an audio cheapskate through and through. Clearly not part of the demographic target. Topping also makes SOTA amplification.

Disagree, to be SOTA an amp has to be able to deal with any load. Topping amp tested here struggled to maintain voltage into a resistor. I'd take a Mac over one any day.

 

[Keith_W]

dCS may have started when DACs in studios were complicated and expensive, and back then they must have pushed the state of the art, ok.

I believe they started off as a military supplier and helped to design radars. Apparently the owner also had a lark for audio.

A lot of that military stuff may have potential audio applications. For example, CBT speakers had their roots in submarine sonar arrays. Who knows, they probably know a thing or two about low frequency drivers, signal processing, and maybe they have a design for an ultra wideband driver and some DSP techniques we could all learn from.

 

[Whoareyou]

Varese APEX |

dcsaudio.com

But, has anyone in this community ever heard a DAC costing hundreds of thousand of dollars?

Also, I have to wonder how it could sound any better than a piece of equipment such as the Hapi, which is used by many studio's mastering process:

Merging Hapi MkII multichannel digital processor | Stereophile.com

I've been running a 5.1 system for years. Recently, I expanded it to 5.3 with the addition of two more subwoofers. This system is manageable with one of my eight-channel DACs. Even more recently, I dipped my toe into Dolby Atmos, which made it necessary to lash up at least four more channels...

www.stereophile.com

I just don't get it, but then again it's not my money and if it gives someone enjoyment .....

 

[Purité Audio]

It’s not ‘better’ than a few hundred pound Topping, SMSL etc.
Keith