Breaking news from DCS….

[2ndLiner]

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.

I was using the the Vivaldi One with the Vivaldi clock and Cybershaft OP21 clock and was very happy until I auditioned a Lampizator Pacific. With "only" stocktubes it fostered a greater emotional experience and I sold my dCS/Cybershaft gear without a second thought. Since then with extensive tube rolling and the PAC2 upgrade I am in sonic heaven...for now!

 

[BillK]

I was using the the Vivaldi One with the Vivaldi clock and Cybershaft OP21 clock and was very happy until I auditioned a Lampizator Pacific. With "only" stocktubes it fostered a greater emotional experience and I sold my dCS/Cybershaft gear without a second thought. Since then with extensive tube rolling and the PAC2 upgrade I am in sonic heaven...for now!

I could never do a tubed DAC as my DAC, preamp and amp run 24x7, even when I am away from home on vacation.

When I buy a typical component it only gets powered off only for redoing the equipment rack, new cables, power failures or when it's time to sell it.

The exception is my phono stage, which is tubed and thus only powered up when I listen to records.

 

[Hydrology]

I believe it's both.

Are you using a specific geographical market such as North America to make this observation and claim? You do know that the world is a little bigger than North America...?