Breaking news from DCS….

[caesar]

As could be expected Jacob Heilbrunn reviewed the Vivaldi APEX in TAS - https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/dcs-vivaldi-apex-digital-to-analog-converter/

I quote a short appetizer from the review:

"This past summer I had the good fortune to attend a performance at Washington’s National Cathedral of Brahms’ German Requiem, which was dedicated to the people of war-torn Ukraine. Where I was seated high up in the balcony, with a bird’s-eye view of the orchestra and chorus, it was hard not to be wowed by the sheer grandeur of the cathedral. The sound effortlessly expanded into space, whether it was the soloists or the mighty brass section.


Listening to the dCS Vivaldi DAC with the new Apex upgrade vividly reminded me of this concert for a variety of reasons. Foremost among them was the ability of the Vivaldi Apex to reproduce the sense of air in concert halls or recording studios, allowing it to position an instrument or singer firmly in the soundstage and to capture a wealth of ambient detail (down to the degree of hall echo produced by a performer) with well-nigh uncanny accuracy. Until now, no digital system in my experience has succeeded in capturing this phenomenon as well as analog playback. The Vivaldi Apex does. Just listen to a Beethoven piano concerto—the DAC has the piano resounding so emphatically in the hall that it constitutes the very essence of sonic realism. In situating instruments so incisively in the actual venue, it takes a big step toward digital playback that is not simply improved but gobsmacking in both its precision and emotional power. "

You don’t think that top models from TotalDac, Lampizator, Msb, Aries Cerat, or wadax can be described in the exact same way? all of the top models reduce noise so more of the hall acoustic comes through.

And “emotional power” is completely preference based. Many Wilson fans seem to love dcs. God bless them

 

[caesar]

Anyone know if dcs is coming out with a “super” Vivaldi? a wadax killer?

seems like they are so tied into the Wilson taste / social network, may not make sense at this time

 

[Ron Resnick]

Unfortunately Jacob does not compare the dCS Apex to any other DAC. Superlatives are wonderful, but without a sonic impressions comparison to some other DAC we are left, unfortunately, with not much more than a verbose infomercial.

 

[stevebythebay]

I'd agree that this does not qualify as the complete and formal review many of us come to expect from anyone at TAS. Maybe he'll deliver one in time in the magazine.

 

[microstrip]

Unfortunately Jacob does not compare the dCS Apex to any other DAC. Superlatives are wonderful, but without a sonic impressions comparison to some other DAC we are left, unfortunately, with not much more than a verbose infomercial.

Probably for you. But for those having read his previews review of the Vivaldi stack and having read his many previous reviews in TAS it is an interesting read, filled with direct references to recordings referring to aspects relevant to sound reproduction.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Probably for you. But for those having read his previews review of the Vivaldi stack and having read his many previous reviews in TAS it is an interesting read, filled with direct references to recordings referring to aspects relevant to sound reproduction.

I understand. I totally agree the review is a wonderful tour through music and a great explanation of the sonic achievements of the Apex versus prior Vivaldi iterations.

As much as I dislike watching team sports I’d still rather watch a game with two teams competing, rather than one team running around the field and showing off by themselves.

 

[gds7368]

I head the Vivaldi Apex stack at Quintessence Audio (fantastic audio store in the Chicago area) set up in an all-tube Audio Research system with Wilson Alexx V speakers and high-end Transparent cabling. I had free rein to stream whatever digital I wanted so I ran through my usual well-known test tracks. This let me direct compare the Vivaldi Apex to a clearaudio Reference Jubilee and Goldfinger cartridge (Audio Research phono preamp) in the same system.

The Vivaldi never transcended the music to sound live or natural in that room during that session, to the point that my neo-audiophile friend turned to me and said, "That just sounds like a stereo. The turntable sounds like an actual band is playing." Which perfectly summed up my experience as well.

To those with Vivaldi Apex in their systems along with some version of analog, how would you characterize the sound? Does the Vivaldi Apex bring the band in the room in your systems?

 

[microstrip]

I understand. I totally agree the review is a wonderful tour through music and a great explanation of the sonic achievements of the Apex versus prior Vivaldi iterations.

I think it was the objective of the review. APEX is an evolution, not a new product.

As much as I dislike watching team sports I’d still rather watch a game with two teams competing, rather than one team running around the field and showing off by themselves.

Yes, we have different views on what is the purpose of an high-end review and how misleading and useless are 99% of the review compares.

 

[stevebythebay]

I guess Robert Harley is not performing the role of editor-in-chief, as most recognize the position. It would seem a review should seek to perform analysis and evaluation, providing a critical appraisal. From what I gather, the structure of reviews at TAS, is murky at best.

 

[jfrech]

I head the Vivaldi Apex stack at Quintessence Audio (fantastic audio store in the Chicago area) set up in an all-tube Audio Research system with Wilson Alexx V speakers and high-end Transparent cabling. I had free rein to stream whatever digital I wanted so I ran through my usual well-known test tracks. This let me direct compare the Vivaldi Apex to a clearaudio Reference Jubilee and Goldfinger cartridge (Audio Research phono preamp) in the same system.

The Vivaldi never transcended the music to sound live or natural in that room during that session, to the point that my neo-audiophile friend turned to me and said, "That just sounds like a stereo. The turntable sounds like an actual band is playing." Which perfectly summed up my experience as well.

To those with Vivaldi Apex in their systems along with some version of analog, how would you characterize the sound? Does the Vivaldi Apex bring the band in the room in your systems?

I have found streaming, any resolution or streaming service, isn't a good reference source. In fact, I can't listen to it on my Vivaldi Apex. I suspect this is a culprit in your listening session-and that streaming usually looses that realness aspect. That said, I have a Clearaudio Goldfinger in my vinyl set up. It's quite a good cartridge. I find my vinyl to digital comparisons (hi Rez files off a NAS) or a Vivaldi Transport to yield that both set ups are good attributes. One isn't better and it's usually the recording quality that dictates what format I like best. If all analog recording, I prefer vinyl, if digital...then digital.

 

[Michael the Orange]

So I was one of the customers who got to experience the Vivaldi Apex (full stack) on my Wilson Alexx V’s for home demo from one of the same places JS Audio that was mentioned in the review. The difference is night and day between the units, it’s a whole other grip over the bass and slams accuracy which is hard sometimes from the just Vivaldi stack they had previously in the store before the update. I don’t know many of the audio terms to use here so I’m trying to be succinct because I don’t have the verbage. The stage wasn’t overly impressive, it’s honestly smaller than my Holo Audio R2R dac even if it is more almost decimal perfect at times.

I guess that leads to why I didn’t end up just buying the whole set right then and there, I heard the song Lithium from Evanescence and on the ‘The Open Doors’ and ‘Synthesis” albums and both had her voice start to pixel right at the end. The way a camera might resolve a picture when you focus loop. I couldn’t unhear that sound and started to work through the filters to better try for different roll offs. I never did come to the end of the line with the unit but I still can’t get that sound out of my mind no matter how amazing the Vivaldi Apex Stack is and how cheap a what $7k upgrade is to a stack long in the teeth.

So upgrade like mad if you have the stack, maybe look around if you’ve got nothing in the game yet.
Cheers

I dont understand what‘s so complicated about a reviewers life that they can‘t put something genuine down on paper

 

[Sampajanna]

a verbose infomercial.

That says it all, Ron. All.

 

[BillK]

As much as I dislike watching team sports I’d still rather watch a game with two teams competing, rather than one team running around the field and showing off by themselves.

A lot depends upon how you use reviews.

I use them to narrow down what I want to audition, so a review like this is perfect; I don't need to know which DACs he doesn't like the sound of, only whether other DACs can do various things better than the Vivaldi APEX.

A review comparing it to a handful of other high end DACs I may or may not have ever auditioned really does me no good.

For what it's worth, I don't have a Vivaldi APEX - I have a Rossini APEX.

It's perhaps the best digital I've ever heard, but still nowhere near what I hear from a good LP.

 

[jonaiken]

A lot depends upon how you use reviews.

I use them to narrow down what I want to audition, so a review like this is perfect; I don't need to know which DACs he doesn't like the sound of, only whether other DACs can do various things better than the Vivaldi APEX.

A review comparing it to a handful of other high end DACs I may or may not have ever auditioned really does me no good.

For what it's worth, I don't have a Vivaldi APEX - I have a Rossini APEX.

It's perhaps the best digital I've ever heard, but still nowhere near what I hear from a good LP.

I have the Vivaldi One Apex combined with the Taiko Extreme and enjoy the sound immensely however my analog setup (Acoustic Signature Ascona Neo Turntable w/TA-7000 Tonearm & DS Audio W3 Optical Cartridge) blows it away - sounds more like live music.

 

[caesar]

Probably for you. But for those having read his previews review of the Vivaldi stack and having read his many previous reviews in TAS it is an interesting read, filled with direct references to recordings referring to aspects relevant to sound reproduction.

Really?

Here is how references to recordings go by an “audio journalist” :

“I heard a vocal recording and it delivered extraordinary realism on Bob Dylan, dusty Springfield,, Artist Abcxyz… no colorations.. perfect size, beautiful tonality , exceptional imaging, very lifelike !

I then played a drum track. Drums sounded so real. Perfect definition and integration. Great dynamic impact…foundation of this excellence is truly hard to achieve… goes deep! Nice and Tight!!!! Like a human experience

Piano sounded like it was in the room with me…great weight…. Every press on the foot pedal moved air in the room…the instrument was in the room, I was almost confused ..:.just gorgeous and not like hifi, but real! “

How is that unique to to any component . Fine for platonic audiophile masturbation, but how does this help anyone in making a decision? This same description of recordings can apply to Paul McGawno’s drek or the dcs dac. Applies to $1k speaker or $400k wamm junior!

The ChatGPT , the newish AI chatbot , can do better than most of these “audio journalists”; it's less formulaic than the garbage from the "audio journalist".

Anyone know how much did the reviewer pay for his Vivaldi stack for writing stuff like that? 40 percent off ? 50 off? More?

 

[caesar]

Yes, we have different views on what is the purpose of an high-end review and how misleading and useless are 99% of the review compares.

Are you serious? are you aware that dcs has been making rounds to dealers to demo the non-apex and the apex dacs? how do you think they make the sale?

 

[stevebythebay]

Reviews can be, on one extreme wholly analytical (scientific measurements) or on the other completely devoid of measurements, and purely subjective. The former can be valued from a comparative analysis while the latter is a singular point of "view".

Neither will be truly valuable for an audiophile's needs, though they can be a point of departure.

I like to think that the subjective might prove more valuable than the purely analytical. But that's only if the reader has found the reviewer to be consistently consonant with the reader's own perception of what they hear when a particular component. Much like film analysis, if I find a given reviewer's experience consistent with my own, then I'll gravitate toward their judgments when choosing whether or not to watch a film.

Ideally, if we all could bring a given component into our own listening room, and live with the component for a long enough time we might be better able to judge for ourselves the value it brings. Short of that, we are left with a reviewer's analysis, short of personal listening. And even when we get a chance to hear a component, it's not with the same complement of our personal system, let alone in the same physical space as in our home.

And it gets particularly challenging with the very large (e.g. speakers) and expensive gear. Few dealers are keen on loaning out and supporting setups in customer homes unless you happen to be a Harley or Heilbrunn. And even then what you and I might listen to in the way of music, and how we listen in analyzing versus enjoying what we hear may be quite different. I know that when I think of a car purchase it's usually about function rather than form. But we know the auto industry sells sex appeal, and that seems to be what drives sales in many categories unless it's a truck, I suppose. To each his own...

 

[BillK]

While it is difficult to audition very expensive gear at home, if you find the right dealer it’s quite easy.

I have regularly brought home gear with a sticker price of $30K+ for a few days to a week.

While I realize that’s because I have a relationship with them, it’s still pretty cool.

You don’t have to be a reviewer, but your dealer will need to be familiar with you.

 

[jfrech]

While it is difficult to audition very expensive gear at home, if you find the right dealer it’s quite easy.

I have regularly brought home gear with a sticker price of $30K+ for a few days to a week.

While I realize that’s because I have a relationship with them, it’s still pretty cool.

You don’t have to be a reviewer, but your dealer will need to be familiar with you.

Well said Bill.

 

[bryans]

While it is difficult to audition very expensive gear at home, if you find the right dealer it’s quite easy.

I have regularly brought home gear with a sticker price of $30K+ for a few days to a week.

While I realize that’s because I have a relationship with them, it’s still pretty cool.

You don’t have to be a reviewer, but your dealer will need to be familiar with you.

Like you I have also demoed expensive (20K+) gear in my home. Not sure how I could tell if the gear is right for me without listening to it in my setup. Like you said it comes down to the right dealer and/or manufacturer.