dCS | Only The Music
We create pioneering audio systems that present music with every last nuance intact - providing a transcendent experience that captures the true depth and essence of recorded sound.
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Breaking news from DCS….
- Thread starter Stereophonic
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Hi, another thread here on wbf. The consensus guesses are new Bartok apex and we're all hoping/wondering for something on Vivaldi. Updated software? Replacement? Or just good marketing to get us all wondering ;-)They're announcing a release for Feb 7th, any guesses?dCS | Only The Music
We create pioneering audio systems that present music with every last nuance intact - providing a transcendent experience that captures the true depth and essence of recorded sound.
Folks, what is the latest here, as some time has passed? Looks like dCS bought some time with the apex upgrade, while working on their new and to - be -released flagship product?
Have any Wilson audio dealers, who usually pair Wilsons with dCS, picked up wadax?
Or are tastes so entrenched, that Wilson and dcs sound "right" together to those folks who like that combo?
Have any dCS owners switched to Wadax? or is that taste so entrenched that those who like dCS have a hard time appreciating the taste (and proclaimed engineering prowess) of Wadax?
Has the Wadax brand been relegated to the small niche of (frequently home based) dealers who cater to those who don't have the traditional tastes of Wilson/ dCS/ D'agostino/ Audio research/ Sinus Fiber/ etc.?
Have any Wilson audio dealers, who usually pair Wilsons with dCS, picked up wadax?
Or are tastes so entrenched, that Wilson and dcs sound "right" together to those folks who like that combo?
Have any dCS owners switched to Wadax? or is that taste so entrenched that those who like dCS have a hard time appreciating the taste (and proclaimed engineering prowess) of Wadax?
Has the Wadax brand been relegated to the small niche of (frequently home based) dealers who cater to those who don't have the traditional tastes of Wilson/ dCS/ D'agostino/ Audio research/ Sinus Fiber/ etc.?
Big question:
DCS thought of themselves, and was thought by many in the industry who have traditional audiophile tastes - as the BEST DIGITAL.
Will dCS ever be able to regain that "Best Digital" brand differentiation and claim, now that Wadax is around?
DCS thought of themselves, and was thought by many in the industry who have traditional audiophile tastes - as the BEST DIGITAL.
Will dCS ever be able to regain that "Best Digital" brand differentiation and claim, now that Wadax is around?
Im sure every premium brand in their field consider themselves "the best", "the gold standard" etc etc, so I doubt very much they feel like they have lost this title you seem to think they have claimed for themselves.
You make it seem that Wadax is the undisputed reference. Is that so?
Is it entrenched tastes, or is it entrenched distributor/dealer relationships?
Probably the former, not every global territory shares the same distributor/dealers across these brands.
the high level recognition of dCS with their Vivaldi stack had much to do with timing. it was the first 'uber' dac to come out after dacs overcame the noise and distortion of early PCM dacs. when Fremer reviewed it in 2014 there was not really any heavy hitter digital occupying that spot. and streaming and high quality servers were yet to happen. so it reset the bar. no one else was asking almost 6 figures for a digital stack.....and getting it. their dealers were happy.
5 years later, by 2019, there were plenty of others to choose from, and the Vivaldi had been exposed as not the last word in naturalness compared to the top rung. it was getting to be passed by. they were no longer relevant to the top rung, yet it would be another 5 years before the Varese appeared. 10+ years is forever in digital years.
so now the field is crowded, and the bar is high. not saying Wadax is the only issue for dCS although it's part of the picture, it's more that there is lots of action chasing the ultimate digital performance marketplace. times have changed. no way to sneak up on an empty field and get all the attention. and since they have some baggage to overcome too, it will be a struggle to rise above the field.
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It's not just timing. Let's not forget throughout their history dCS has had their flagship products and virtually all other models objectively measured by 3rd parties likes Stereophile. dCS rightly deserve the credit they get for being the best digital.
The same can't be said about Wadax.
those measurements gave them no cover when push came to shove. no one even tried to make that case.....ever. zero relevance.
MSB never had it's Select II reviewed or measured either, and it ruled the roost for a number of years with many satisfied customers.
no, I never spent serious time with it, and wouldn't be surprised it I preferrred a 15 year old audio note, a lampizator, or a $5K totaldac to it
. But perception by many industry elites, as well as folks who genuinely like, make it appear as top digitalI believe it's both. Any wilson dealer with self esteem, and desire to offer the best, would probably pick up the line if they believed their clients would like the taste. Are the dcs dealers spineless? Would dcs drop them?
Interestingly, dealers who cater to "cost no object" crowd, say like Rhapsody and audio arts, have not picked it up either...so taste is a big part also, I believe
Sure, but dcs are releasing an Uber priced product... I do not believe it's a coincidence in a luxury hobby, where folks equate price with performance... for the ultimate exclusivity
Stereophile has always ignored uber priced products... let's see if they review the new $40K wadax
Personally, I find MSB to be a lot more fatiguing than dCS Rossini and Vivaldi APEX with their respective clocks (neither is great without them), and I've never been all that impressed by Wadax.
Seems to be the case and indicative of how the meaning of true "value" has been corrupted within the context of our cuŕrent societal norms. Very sad.
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If you equate price with performance, you're not listening and aren't an audiophile anyway, just someone with money to burn.
People have this weird idea that audiophiles impress each other with the price of their systems, yet I've never met one who does that, it's always about the sound.
Maybe I'm just lucky.
The industry has definitely shifted - it's a luxury industry. it is what is ..
the good news is that there are many products to cater to many subjective tastes. For example, have heard the wilson chronosonic wamm junior a number times, but I would take one of my lower systems, zu druid system, at 1/70 the cost. Likewise, I would take a $5K totaldac or lampizator over any dcs product I heard, including vivaldi, msb select 2, etc.
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