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-   -   dCS Bartok (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=44951)

Slange00 01-23-2019 10:27 PM

dCS Bartok
 
I thought I'd start a thread about the new dCS Bartok, to allow AA members to share their thoughts and impressions of this new product.

I will start with my experience.

I own a PS Audio Directstream DAC w Bridge II (and snowmass firmware), which I have been happy with. My dealer got a visit by a couple folks from dCS and they brought a Bartok demo unit with them. I asked whether they would be ok to do a direct shoot out between the Bartok and the DirectStream (my hope was to prove to myself that I had reached a point of very limited returns and that differences between the two units would be incredibly minor or differences of subjective taste at best).

The setup consisted of Wilson Yvette speakers, ARC Ref6, transparent (super?) interconnects for both DACs, stock power cables on both units and the ARC REF75SE. Each DAC was fed the same songs via Roon over a locally switched ethernet connection. Each DAC's output was level matched to each other. The room was sound treated.

I played a variety of tracks from electronic music albums (Trentemoller "The Last Resort", Shpongle) to more standard classical fare( Nemanja Radulovic's recent "Journey East" , Andras Schiff Bach concertos, Hilary Hahn Mozart and Bach concertos). The rep played some Beyonce and some other tracks I didnt recognize

Overall the PS Audio Directstream comported itself pretty well, the dCS representative was kind enough to acknowledge as much :). However, and not entirely surprising given the significant difference in cost, there were definitely notable performance differences I could discern. The dCS rendered a more holographic soundstage, mid bass content was more cleanly and clearly rendered, the tails of room reverb and effects especially on high res material was more clearly represented lending the music a more lifelike, vibrant sense. Overall the presentation seemed more warm without being colored, more emotionally engaging on the dCS (I dont know the filter chosen for sure, I believe Filter 3 was engaged?)

I never thought I would spend that much on a DAC...but to me the differences in performance were enough to order a Bartok, which should get here within the next 3-4 weeks.

DVass13 01-23-2019 11:27 PM

Thanks for sharing your review. I've been waiting to hear some firsthand accounts of the Bartok. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts once you're able to get it into your own system.

imprezap2 01-24-2019 04:54 PM

Nice DAC you have bought, I am also thinking to jump on the dCS "train", have a Rossini player DAC in my system at the moment and I don't want to take it out.

FDPDK 01-24-2019 05:20 PM

Sebastian congratulations on the Bartok

jpspock 01-24-2019 05:22 PM

Dis you upgrade your Rossini with version 2.0?

For The Love of Music 01-25-2019 09:20 AM

I have only read positive comments on the Bartok.

I too went PS early on and my experience indicated they make a good sounding DAC and Transport, a great value for the money.

Enjoy your new player!

scirica 01-27-2019 10:23 PM

I’m really thinking about selling my K-03X and getting a Bartok.

imprezap2 01-28-2019 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpspock (Post 950513)
Dis you upgrade your Rossini with version 2.0?

Yes I did:music:

Gerry Higgins 02-04-2019 10:50 AM

I compared a dCS Bartok with an MSB analog DAC and with a DirectStream DAC as well in my home system (Esoteric X01-XS as transport->McIntosh C22->ARCGS150->Wilson Sasha 2; power conditioner and great cables), and I thought the Bartok was better than either, although I agree that these comparisons can be subjective. The Bartok had a more "holographic" soundstage (not that different from that of the Vivaldi DAC, which I have also demoed), and I agree with that of the OP.

The midrange exhibited greater resolution, and upper bass frequencies were also notably better. I listen to mostly classical string music and opera, with some jazz and rock thrown in from my past.

Slange00 02-05-2019 08:35 PM

Here are some of the initial reviews I could find:

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2018/...-first-listen/
https://www.innerfidelity.com/conten...ks-youth-today
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-...w-bartok-r743/
https://www.audiostream.com/content/...es-dcs-debussy

hughp3 02-10-2019 12:45 AM

i took delivery of mine last week. old DAC was a Cullen modified PS III. the difference is extraordinary. very low noise floor. amazing detail, very fluid sounding. i had struggled with harsh highs, spent a lot of time modifying the room. that in itself was a major major improvement. the dCS eliminated all that i had been chasing. well worth the price (for me).

I have not tried using the DAC driving the amps. I will try at some point but would like some feedback from others.

System:
Magnepan 20.7
pair of Vandersteen Sub 3, HP7 crossovers
AR Ref 6
Mac 601 monos
PC tower with JCAT FEMTO USB + external ps
JRiver and TIDAL MQA
AQ high end cables, Hurricane and Dragon power cords

Slange00 02-10-2019 10:50 PM

Congratulations @hughp3 ! For what it’s worth the initial audition that convinced me to get the Bartok utilized a Ref6 pre, seemed like a very potent combination. That being said I subsequently auditioned it going direct and the difference was notable but less pronounced than using different amps going direct with the dcs , or the differences between the bartok vs my Ps audio.

hughp3 02-10-2019 11:54 PM

Hello Slange00. Humm well I need to try it then. Could recoup substainal $ if I don’t need the Ref6. My shop has recommended not too... said in the long run enough customers go back to the pre..

Masterlu 02-11-2019 12:43 AM

hughp3... Welcome to AA! :wave:

hughp3 02-11-2019 01:06 AM

Thank you!

For The Love of Music 02-11-2019 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hughp3 (Post 952791)
Hello Slange00. Humm well I need to try it then. Could recoup substainal $ if I don’t need the Ref6. My shop has recommended not too... said in the long run enough customers go back to the pre..



I don’t recommend losing your preamp, it’s versatile if change comes down the road - and in this cult, it’s inevitable

vinci92 02-12-2019 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slange00 (Post 950386)
I thought I'd start a thread about the new dCS Bartok, to allow AA members to share their thoughts and impressions of this new product.



I will start with my experience.



I own a PS Audio Directstream DAC w Bridge II (and snowmass firmware), which I have been happy with. My dealer got a visit by a couple folks from dCS and they brought a Bartok demo unit with them. I asked whether they would be ok to do a direct shoot out between the Bartok and the DirectStream (my hope was to prove to myself that I had reached a point of very limited returns and that differences between the two units would be incredibly minor or differences of subjective taste at best).



The setup consisted of Wilson Yvette speakers, ARC Ref6, transparent (super?) interconnects for both DACs, stock power cables on both units and the ARC REF75SE. Each DAC was fed the same songs via Roon over a locally switched ethernet connection. Each DAC's output was level matched to each other. The room was sound treated.



I played a variety of tracks from electronic music albums (Trentemoller "The Last Resort", Shpongle) to more standard classical fare( Nemanja Radulovic's recent "Journey East" , Andras Schiff Bach concertos, Hilary Hahn Mozart and Bach concertos). The rep played some Beyonce and some other tracks I didnt recognize



Overall the PS Audio Directstream comported itself pretty well, the dCS representative was kind enough to acknowledge as much :). However, and not entirely surprising given the significant difference in cost, there were definitely notable performance differences I could discern. The dCS rendered a more holographic soundstage, mid bass content was more cleanly and clearly rendered, the tails of room reverb and effects especially on high res material was more clearly represented lending the music a more lifelike, vibrant sense. Overall the presentation seemed more warm without being colored, more emotionally engaging on the dCS (I dont know the filter chosen for sure, I believe Filter 3 was engaged?)



I never thought I would spend that much on a DAC...but to me the differences in performance were enough to order a Bartok, which should get here within the next 3-4 weeks.

I own the Lumin X1. I didn't audition the Bartok yet, but I have the quite the same impressions about my Lumin X1: Very detail mids, lowers to highers. The 3D / Holographic imaging is outstanding. I'm going to set an audition with a dealer soon and and let you know my impressions about the Bartok. My only worry: I'm pretty sure the dealer doesn't have my speakers (Focal Sacla), he uses some Sonus Faber for that kind of high end device.

FDPDK 02-13-2019 03:01 PM

Vinci92 Welcome to the forum :)

thyname 04-13-2019 01:58 PM

How is Bartók ‘s volume stage? Is it OK to run it directly to Amp with no Pre?

Masterlu 04-13-2019 04:45 PM

vinci92... Welcome to AA! :wave:

BillK 04-19-2019 01:37 AM

Any Wadia users extant?

I have a Wadia S7i, and for any bit rate it can handle (it maxes out at 24/96) I haven’t heard anything better (granted I haven’t heard a full Vivaldi stack.)

I’ve auditioned the Oppo UDP-205, PS Audio Directstream (though not with Snowmass), ARC Ref CD 9, Schiit Yggdrasil and Ayre QX-5 Twenty, and all failed to meet the soundstage thrown by the Wadia (though the Ayre was a tiny bit more detailed, the loss of left to right soundstage width compared to the Wadia wasn’t worth it for me.)

Since I don’t have a dCS dealer within a few states of me, I only get to hear them at RMAF.

imprezap2 04-19-2019 02:48 PM

I went from Wadia 381i to dCS Rossini, Rossini betters the Wadia in everything IMO.
(no contest)

Alaska Dave 04-21-2019 03:40 PM

Awaiting Bartok
 
Hi, All. I’m new to these forums, though I’ve been reading CA for a few years. I have a Bartok on order, delivery due in a couple weeks. I spent several months last year in the search for a DAC/streamer, did not consider dCS because the Rossini was their starting point ($$). I’d like to share my experience.

At seven dealers on the West Coast I had demos of the top three (of four) Linn players, the top four (of five) Lumin players, the MSB Discrete and Reference players, and the dCS Rossini and Bartok. Interesting how all the big names came out with new units in the past year (including Naim, Sim, Auralic, Aurender, and others). I was especially taken with the new Lumin X1 at 14K, slightly more than the Bartok at 13.5K (without headphone). If you have not looked at Lumin, it’s a sleeper, but a very solid company with outstanding new products, including at lower price points.

But then the Bartok popped up mid fall, and once I researched dCS, I could not ignore it. You could not design a better company for the purpose, with a better track record, though all of those mentioned make sterling products. It’s the new golden age!

The Bartok is so well thought out: streamer, server, renderer, digital processor, DAC, preamp, volume control, headphone, Roon, and MQA (implemented in software!). Have you picked up that it weighs 36.8 pounds, twice as much as most of the others?

Bartok, of course, uses the dCS ring DAC; MSB is a ladder DAC; Lumin uses ESS DACs; Linn uses AKM. With automatic firmware upgrades, Bartok has the most potential for future enhancements.

So I have a couple weeks to wait and then some settling-in time. I am especially interested in talking about environment, which I know can make a big difference: ethernet cables, supports, regen units, and other tweaks.

I welcome thoughts and questions.

DVass13 04-21-2019 11:12 PM

I had the opportunity to demo the Bartok this past Friday and wanted to share my thoughts. I made the 4-ish hour drive down to Hifi Buys in Atlanta and survived the torrential downpours along the way.

Background
I split my listening time pretty evenly between headphones and speakers and use my system for anything from critical listening to watching YouTube videos to just providing background music while I'm in a different room. My DAC is fed through my computer and I have no network interface with it so any music or volume changes require me to be at my computer. This isn't generally a huge pain but it would be nice to be able to control my music via an iPad or mobile device. I am generally satisfied with my system as it is but I have two cross-country moves coming up in the next year so I am counting the number of boxes and thinking of ways to simplify to ease the pain of packing everything up and moving... twice.

My interest was piqued last fall when I first heard news of the Bartok. It seems like it is exactly what I'm looking for: a streaming DAC and pre-amp with a built in headphone output. There are a number of devices with similar features that have similar features (Auralic Vega G2, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Mytek Manhattan II with network card, iFi Pro iDSD, and now the Aurender A30) but a few things make the Bartok stick out in my opinion. The first is that dCS has a great track record and doesn't spit out new models every year. There is no flavor of the week that will make the Bartok obsolete in a year's time. The fact that the DAC is FPGA-based and can be updated via download means that the unit can be upgraded over time to fix bugs/add features/improve sound quality. This is one of the features that led me to the DirectStream DAC. One other feature that makes the Bartok stand out is the attention they gave to the headphone output. The headphone output doesn't seem to be an afterthought or a feature to tick a box but a well thought out design that is a main selling point. There are several other reasons that I am interested in the Bartok over the other units listed above, but these are the big hitters.

Setup
The Bartok was feeding a D'Agostino Progression pre-amp and stereo amp and the speakers were the Monitor Audio Platinum PL500 II. AudioQuest cabling was used exclusively throughout. I'm not familiar with these speakers and I have only heard D'Agostino components a few times, so I spent most of my time listening to the headphone output. As my signature shows I currently use a PS Audio DirectStream DAC to power my HeadAmp GS-X mkii. I've had this combo for a bit over a year now so I'm pretty familiar with its sound.

Interface/Features
The Bartok was networked via ethernet cable and I used an iPad with Roon to interface with the Bartok. I didn't play much with the dCS app, unfortunately, but the interface through Roon seemed easy to navigate. I didn't change any filter settings but it looks like those options and several others were accessible through the Roon app. I was able to access some music stored on the network as well as Tidal and Qobuz. I was interested to see that the Bartok plays MQA files (which I have not had any prior experience with). I was sitting next to the Bartok and didn't think to check if I could switch between the headphone output and pre-amp output of the Bartok through the app which would be a nice feature. I guess I'll have to google that one. I was happy to see that the Bartok remembers the volume setting for each output - so switching to the pre-amp output set the volume to line level while switching back to the headphone output changes the volume back to whatever it was set at previously. Again, a very nice feature for me. There were no other inputs connected to the Bartok, but I was told that it also remembers the volumes for individual inputs. I guess this isn't as important in my book, but it would be a nice feature nonetheless. All in all, the Bartok really does seem

Impressions
*These impressions are geared toward the headphone output of the Bartok. I spent about an hour listening to my Utopias and only about thirty minutes to the speakers.

I have a few go-to tracks that I use to pick out specific qualities, but I generally listen to mostly classical and jazz with some folk, rock, rap, and other genres thrown in there. The first thing that struck me about the Bartok is how immersive the sound was. I found that even at lower levels I felt fully enveloped in the sound. The Reference Recording of Stravinsky's Firebird conducted by Eiji Oue filled the space around my head and presented a wider sound stage than I'm used to out of my Utopias. The next thing I noticed was how detailed and impactful the bass was. I was easily able to pick out individual plucks of a double bass in some of my favorite jazz recordings. I was able to get a sense (at least as much as you can get through headphones) of the impact of a kick drum. Again, even at low listening levels the bass was detailed. When I turned the volume up it only got better. This leads to the third thing I noticed about the Bartok. At high levels the highs weren't sharp or sibilant. High hats and horns that are sometimes fatiguing at higher levels were still very much present, but not as sharp as on some setups I've heard. One of my go-to tracks is Young Jeezy's Put On. Honestly, it's a terrible song that takes me back to my college football days when we would play this during pre-game warmups. The song has some low bass notes that are below the range of many headphones and speakers. It also has some rather sibilant "city"s in the first 30 seconds or so. On some setups it can be a bit piercing. It was very controlled on the Bartok.

I'm not all that great at describing sound or conveying my thoughts in this regard which is why I won't go into more detail than I wrote above. I will say that I very much enjoyed my time listening to the Bartok. I spent the first fifteen minutes or so working my way through some of my normal go-to tracks. But for the rest of the hour I just sat there listening to some of my favorite music with my eyes closed and a huge smile on my face. The sound was just that good. I quickly let go of making mental notes and trying to compare this unit to my home setup and just enjoyed playing one song after the next. The final half hour of my time spent listening to the Bartok in the two-channel setup was purely for enjoyment. I wasn't listening critically. I was just listening.

So where do I go from here?
I chatted with one of the sales reps for about an hour after my demo and he showed me around a few other rooms. I felt myself losing interest in the other setups and only thinking about the Bartok. How realistic is it that I could add this to my system? It's wayyy over budget for me. I'd have to sell off a lot of gear to help fund it. After thanking the staff for their time and their hospitality I got in the car and made my way back home. The severe weather left me with several hours of delay on the drive home to reflect on my listening and weigh my options. I am now seriously considering selling my DirectStream DAC, Memory Player, headphone amp, and maybe a few other items to put towards a Bartok. It would not only be a nice way to downsize and simplify my setup, but also be a noticeable step up in sound quality. Now I just need to find someone willing to give me a great deal on a brand new product that is selling faster that dealers can stock them... :scratch2:

JemHadar 04-22-2019 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DVass13 (Post 962387)
I had the opportunity to demo the Bartok this past Friday and wanted to share my thoughts. I made the 4-ish hour drive down to Hifi Buys in Atlanta and survived the torrential downpours along the way.



Background

I split my listening time pretty evenly between headphones and speakers and use my system for anything from critical listening to watching YouTube videos to just providing background music while I'm in a different room. My DAC is fed through my computer and I have no network interface with it so any music or volume changes require me to be at my computer. This isn't generally a huge pain but it would be nice to be able to control my music via an iPad or mobile device. I am generally satisfied with my system as it is but I have two cross-country moves coming up in the next year so I am counting the number of boxes and thinking of ways to simplify to ease the pain of packing everything up and moving... twice.



My interest was piqued last fall when I first heard news of the Bartok. It seems like it is exactly what I'm looking for: a streaming DAC and pre-amp with a built in headphone output. There are a number of devices with similar features that have similar features (Auralic Vega G2, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Mytek Manhattan II with network card, iFi Pro iDSD, and now the Aurender A30) but a few things make the Bartok stick out in my opinion. The first is that dCS has a great track record and doesn't spit out new models every year. There is no flavor of the week that will make the Bartok obsolete in a year's time. The fact that the DAC is FPGA-based and can be updated via download means that the unit can be upgraded over time to fix bugs/add features/improve sound quality. This is one of the features that led me to the DirectStream DAC. One other feature that makes the Bartok stand out is the attention they gave to the headphone output. The headphone output doesn't seem to be an afterthought or a feature to tick a box but a well thought out design that is a main selling point. There are several other reasons that I am interested in the Bartok over the other units listed above, but these are the big hitters.



Setup

The Bartok was feeding a D'Agostino Progression pre-amp and stereo amp and the speakers were the Monitor Audio Platinum PL500 II. AudioQuest cabling was used exclusively throughout. I'm not familiar with these speakers and I have only heard D'Agostino components a few times, so I spent most of my time listening to the headphone output. As my signature shows I currently use a PS Audio DirectStream DAC to power my HeadAmp GS-X mkii. I've had this combo for a bit over a year now so I'm pretty familiar with its sound.



Interface/Features

The Bartok was networked via ethernet cable and I used an iPad with Roon to interface with the Bartok. I didn't play much with the dCS app, unfortunately, but the interface through Roon seemed easy to navigate. I didn't change any filter settings but it looks like those options and several others were accessible through the Roon app. I was able to access some music stored on the network as well as Tidal and Qobuz. I was interested to see that the Bartok plays MQA files (which I have not had any prior experience with). I was sitting next to the Bartok and didn't think to check if I could switch between the headphone output and pre-amp output of the Bartok through the app which would be a nice feature. I guess I'll have to google that one. I was happy to see that the Bartok remembers the volume setting for each output - so switching to the pre-amp output set the volume to line level while switching back to the headphone output changes the volume back to whatever it was set at previously. Again, a very nice feature for me. There were no other inputs connected to the Bartok, but I was told that it also remembers the volumes for individual inputs. I guess this isn't as important in my book, but it would be a nice feature nonetheless. All in all, the Bartok really does seem



Impressions

*These impressions are geared toward the headphone output of the Bartok. I spent about an hour listening to my Utopias and only about thirty minutes to the speakers.



I have a few go-to tracks that I use to pick out specific qualities, but I generally listen to mostly classical and jazz with some folk, rock, rap, and other genres thrown in there. The first thing that struck me about the Bartok is how immersive the sound was. I found that even at lower levels I felt fully enveloped in the sound. The Reference Recording of Stravinsky's Firebird conducted by Eiji Oue filled the space around my head and presented a wider sound stage than I'm used to out of my Utopias. The next thing I noticed was how detailed and impactful the bass was. I was easily able to pick out individual plucks of a double bass in some of my favorite jazz recordings. I was able to get a sense (at least as much as you can get through headphones) of the impact of a kick drum. Again, even at low listening levels the bass was detailed. When I turned the volume up it only got better. This leads to the third thing I noticed about the Bartok. At high levels the highs weren't sharp or sibilant. High hats and horns that are sometimes fatiguing at higher levels were still very much present, but not as sharp as on some setups I've heard. One of my go-to tracks is Young Jeezy's Put On. Honestly, it's a terrible song that takes me back to my college football days when we would play this during pre-game warmups. The song has some low bass notes that are below the range of many headphones and speakers. It also has some rather sibilant "city"s in the first 30 seconds or so. On some setups it can be a bit piercing. It was very controlled on the Bartok.



I'm not all that great at describing sound or conveying my thoughts in this regard which is why I won't go into more detail than I wrote above. I will say that I very much enjoyed my time listening to the Bartok. I spent the first fifteen minutes or so working my way through some of my normal go-to tracks. But for the rest of the hour I just sat there listening to some of my favorite music with my eyes closed and a huge smile on my face. The sound was just that good. I quickly let go of making mental notes and trying to compare this unit to my home setup and just enjoyed playing one song after the next. The final half hour of my time spent listening to the Bartok in the two-channel setup was purely for enjoyment. I wasn't listening critically. I was just listening.



So where do I go from here?

I chatted with one of the sales reps for about an hour after my demo and he showed me around a few other rooms. I felt myself losing interest in the other setups and only thinking about the Bartok. How realistic is it that I could add this to my system? It's wayyy over budget for me. I'd have to sell off a lot of gear to help fund it. After thanking the staff for their time and their hospitality I got in the car and made my way back home. The severe weather left me with several hours of delay on the drive home to reflect on my listening and weigh my options. I am now seriously considering selling my DirectStream DAC, Memory Player, headphone amp, and maybe a few other items to put towards a Bartok. It would not only be a nice way to downsize and simplify my setup, but also be a noticeable step up in sound quality. Now I just need to find someone willing to give me a great deal on a brand new product that is selling faster that dealers can stock them... :scratch2:



Thx for this excellent report

Alaska Dave 04-23-2019 10:11 PM

Awaiting Bartok
 
Hi, All. I’m new to these forums, though I’ve been reading CA for a few years. I have a Bartok on order, delivery due in a couple weeks. I spent several months last year in the search for a DAC/streamer, did not consider dCS because the Rossini was their starting point ($$). I’d like to share my experience.

At seven dealers on the West Coast I had demos of the top three (of four) Linn players, the top four (of five) Lumin players, the MSB Discrete and Reference players, and the dCS Rossini and Bartok. Interesting how all the big names came out with new units in the past year (including Naim, Sim, Auralic, Aurender, and others). I was especially taken with the new Lumin X1 at 14K, slightly more than the Bartok at 13.5K (without headphone). If you have not looked at Lumin, it’s a sleeper, but a very solid company with outstanding new products, including at lower price points.

But then the Bartok popped up mid fall, and once I researched dCS, I could not ignore it. You could not design a better company for the purpose, with a better track record, though all of those mentioned make sterling products. It’s the new golden age!

The Bartok is so well thought out: streamer, server, renderer, digital processor, DAC, preamp, volume control, headphone, Roon, and MQA (implemented in software!). Have you picked up that it weighs 36.8 pounds, twice as much as most of the others?

Bartok, of course, uses the dCS ring DAC; MSB is a ladder DAC; Lumin uses ESS DACs; Linn uses AKM. With automatic firmware upgrades, Bartok has the most potential for future enhancements.

So I have a couple weeks to wait and then some settling-in time. I am especially interested in talking about environment, which I know can make a big difference: ethernet cables, supports, regen units, and other tweaks.

I welcome thoughts and questions.

thyname 05-09-2019 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alaska Dave (Post 962642)
Hi, All. I’m new to these forums, though I’ve been reading CA for a few years. I have a Bartok on order, delivery due in a couple weeks. I spent several months last year in the search for a DAC/streamer, did not consider dCS because the Rossini was their starting point ($$). I’d like to share my experience.

At seven dealers on the West Coast I had demos of the top three (of four) Linn players, the top four (of five) Lumin players, the MSB Discrete and Reference players, and the dCS Rossini and Bartok. Interesting how all the big names came out with new units in the past year (including Naim, Sim, Auralic, Aurender, and others). I was especially taken with the new Lumin X1 at 14K, slightly more than the Bartok at 13.5K (without headphone). If you have not looked at Lumin, it’s a sleeper, but a very solid company with outstanding new products, including at lower price points.

But then the Bartok popped up mid fall, and once I researched dCS, I could not ignore it. You could not design a better company for the purpose, with a better track record, though all of those mentioned make sterling products. It’s the new golden age!

The Bartok is so well thought out: streamer, server, renderer, digital processor, DAC, preamp, volume control, headphone, Roon, and MQA (implemented in software!). Have you picked up that it weighs 36.8 pounds, twice as much as most of the others?

Bartok, of course, uses the dCS ring DAC; MSB is a ladder DAC; Lumin uses ESS DACs; Linn uses AKM. With automatic firmware upgrades, Bartok has the most potential for future enhancements.

So I have a couple weeks to wait and then some settling-in time. I am especially interested in talking about environment, which I know can make a big difference: ethernet cables, supports, regen units, and other tweaks.

I welcome thoughts and questions.

Hi,

Did you receive the Bartok already? What are your impressions? Thanks

Alaska Dave 05-13-2019 02:51 AM

My Bartok is due to arrive May 14. It will take a few days to get set up and some listening time. Also waiting for ethernet cable. I will describe config, initially just ethernet cable from Apple Time Capsule router to Bartok and RCAs to a tube amplifier. Other interests are pending Uptone EtherREGEN switch and Innuos server/Roon host.

thyname 05-13-2019 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alaska Dave (Post 964688)
.. Other interests are pending Uptone EtherREGEN switch and Innuos server/Roon host.

I am waiting forever for the etherRegen. Most recent post on Audiophile Style from Alex mentioned July as the potential launch date. We'll see...

On another note, I have the Innuos ZENith MK3 and I am extremely happy with it.

Gfunk 05-28-2019 08:12 PM

I picked up a new Bartok over the weekend and am simply amazed. It replaced a McIntosh c2500 preamp with a DAC built in. I'm using the Bartok as a preamp, driving a McIntosh mc452 amp and Wilson Alexia 1 speakers. It's probably the single biggest upgrade I've ever experienced. I was a bit nervous about using it as a pre, but with less than 24 hours out of the box it sounds amazing...and sounded great right out of the box. So clear, clean, and impactful, with, cliched tho 'tis, so much detail that I've never heard before. I would recommend anybody with the $$$ to spend build a system around it, it's an amazing piece. I got the headphone amp too but haven't played with it...great excuse to shop! Anybody with one, what settings do you like? I'm experimenting with buffer off, DXd, and filters 3 and 4, all suggested by my dealer.

Masterlu 05-28-2019 09:03 PM

Gfunk... Welcome to AA! :wave:

ktliao88 05-30-2019 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gfunk (Post 966403)
I picked up a new Bartok over the weekend and am simply amazed. It replaced a McIntosh c2500 preamp with a DAC built in. I'm using the Bartok as a preamp, driving a McIntosh mc452 amp and Wilson Alexia 1 speakers. It's probably the single biggest upgrade I've ever experienced. I was a bit nervous about using it as a pre, but with less than 24 hours out of the box it sounds amazing...and sounded great right out of the box. So clear, clean, and impactful, with, cliched tho 'tis, so much detail that I've never heard before. I would recommend anybody with the $$$ to spend build a system around it, it's an amazing piece. I got the headphone amp too but haven't played with it...great excuse to shop! Anybody with one, what settings do you like? I'm experimenting with buffer off, DXd, and filters 3 and 4, all suggested by my dealer.

Gfunk, does your Bartok shipped with new remote controller?

Gfunk 05-30-2019 07:14 PM

I didn't get the remote, I have various iPads all over and the dcs apps (there's a new one called Mosaic and one specific to Barrok) work very well. Not quite as handy as a remote, but I didn't feel like spending ca $500 to control the volume.

ktliao88 05-31-2019 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gfunk (Post 966403)
I picked up a new Bartok over the weekend and am simply amazed. It replaced a McIntosh c2500 preamp with a DAC built in. I'm using the Bartok as a preamp, driving a McIntosh mc452 amp and Wilson Alexia 1 speakers. It's probably the single biggest upgrade I've ever experienced. I was a bit nervous about using it as a pre, but with less than 24 hours out of the box it sounds amazing...and sounded great right out of the box. So clear, clean, and impactful, with, cliched tho 'tis, so much detail that I've never heard before. I would recommend anybody with the $$$ to spend build a system around it, it's an amazing piece. I got the headphone amp too but haven't played with it...great excuse to shop! Anybody with one, what settings do you like? I'm experimenting with buffer off, DXd, and filters 3 and 4, all suggested by my dealer.

My Rossini sounds more natural after one month run-in. However I have Rossini player/clock and cables been run-in at same time. I believe your Bartok will sound better after further run-in.

The "buffer off" is good for the sync while playing Youtube.

Gfunk 06-01-2019 11:16 PM

I am still running it in and it does sound better, now that I'm hit with the upgrade bug, I just ordered a D'Agostino Progression stereo amp to replace my Mac 452. Amazing how one upgrade begets more upgrades! I will be break in that in along with the Bartok.

1KW 06-02-2019 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DVass13 (Post 962387)
I had the opportunity to demo the Bartok this past Friday and wanted to share my thoughts. I made the 4-ish hour drive down to Hifi Buys in Atlanta and survived the torrential downpours along the way.

Background
I split my listening time pretty evenly between headphones and speakers and use my system for anything from critical listening to watching YouTube videos to just providing background music while I'm in a different room. My DAC is fed through my computer and I have no network interface with it so any music or volume changes require me to be at my computer. This isn't generally a huge pain but it would be nice to be able to control my music via an iPad or mobile device. I am generally satisfied with my system as it is but I have two cross-country moves coming up in the next year so I am counting the number of boxes and thinking of ways to simplify to ease the pain of packing everything up and moving... twice.

My interest was piqued last fall when I first heard news of the Bartok. It seems like it is exactly what I'm looking for: a streaming DAC and pre-amp with a built in headphone output. There are a number of devices with similar features that have similar features (Auralic Vega G2, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Mytek Manhattan II with network card, iFi Pro iDSD, and now the Aurender A30) but a few things make the Bartok stick out in my opinion. The first is that dCS has a great track record and doesn't spit out new models every year. There is no flavor of the week that will make the Bartok obsolete in a year's time. The fact that the DAC is FPGA-based and can be updated via download means that the unit can be upgraded over time to fix bugs/add features/improve sound quality. This is one of the features that led me to the DirectStream DAC. One other feature that makes the Bartok stand out is the attention they gave to the headphone output. The headphone output doesn't seem to be an afterthought or a feature to tick a box but a well thought out design that is a main selling point. There are several other reasons that I am interested in the Bartok over the other units listed above, but these are the big hitters.

Setup
The Bartok was feeding a D'Agostino Progression pre-amp and stereo amp and the speakers were the Monitor Audio Platinum PL500 II. AudioQuest cabling was used exclusively throughout. I'm not familiar with these speakers and I have only heard D'Agostino components a few times, so I spent most of my time listening to the headphone output. As my signature shows I currently use a PS Audio DirectStream DAC to power my HeadAmp GS-X mkii. I've had this combo for a bit over a year now so I'm pretty familiar with its sound.

Interface/Features
The Bartok was networked via ethernet cable and I used an iPad with Roon to interface with the Bartok. I didn't play much with the dCS app, unfortunately, but the interface through Roon seemed easy to navigate. I didn't change any filter settings but it looks like those options and several others were accessible through the Roon app. I was able to access some music stored on the network as well as Tidal and Qobuz. I was interested to see that the Bartok plays MQA files (which I have not had any prior experience with). I was sitting next to the Bartok and didn't think to check if I could switch between the headphone output and pre-amp output of the Bartok through the app which would be a nice feature. I guess I'll have to google that one. I was happy to see that the Bartok remembers the volume setting for each output - so switching to the pre-amp output set the volume to line level while switching back to the headphone output changes the volume back to whatever it was set at previously. Again, a very nice feature for me. There were no other inputs connected to the Bartok, but I was told that it also remembers the volumes for individual inputs. I guess this isn't as important in my book, but it would be a nice feature nonetheless. All in all, the Bartok really does seem

Impressions
*These impressions are geared toward the headphone output of the Bartok. I spent about an hour listening to my Utopias and only about thirty minutes to the speakers.

I have a few go-to tracks that I use to pick out specific qualities, but I generally listen to mostly classical and jazz with some folk, rock, rap, and other genres thrown in there. The first thing that struck me about the Bartok is how immersive the sound was. I found that even at lower levels I felt fully enveloped in the sound. The Reference Recording of Stravinsky's Firebird conducted by Eiji Oue filled the space around my head and presented a wider sound stage than I'm used to out of my Utopias. The next thing I noticed was how detailed and impactful the bass was. I was easily able to pick out individual plucks of a double bass in some of my favorite jazz recordings. I was able to get a sense (at least as much as you can get through headphones) of the impact of a kick drum. Again, even at low listening levels the bass was detailed. When I turned the volume up it only got better. This leads to the third thing I noticed about the Bartok. At high levels the highs weren't sharp or sibilant. High hats and horns that are sometimes fatiguing at higher levels were still very much present, but not as sharp as on some setups I've heard. One of my go-to tracks is Young Jeezy's Put On. Honestly, it's a terrible song that takes me back to my college football days when we would play this during pre-game warmups. The song has some low bass notes that are below the range of many headphones and speakers. It also has some rather sibilant "city"s in the first 30 seconds or so. On some setups it can be a bit piercing. It was very controlled on the Bartok.

I'm not all that great at describing sound or conveying my thoughts in this regard which is why I won't go into more detail than I wrote above. I will say that I very much enjoyed my time listening to the Bartok. I spent the first fifteen minutes or so working my way through some of my normal go-to tracks. But for the rest of the hour I just sat there listening to some of my favorite music with my eyes closed and a huge smile on my face. The sound was just that good. I quickly let go of making mental notes and trying to compare this unit to my home setup and just enjoyed playing one song after the next. The final half hour of my time spent listening to the Bartok in the two-channel setup was purely for enjoyment. I wasn't listening critically. I was just listening.

So where do I go from here?
I chatted with one of the sales reps for about an hour after my demo and he showed me around a few other rooms. I felt myself losing interest in the other setups and only thinking about the Bartok. How realistic is it that I could add this to my system? It's wayyy over budget for me. I'd have to sell off a lot of gear to help fund it. After thanking the staff for their time and their hospitality I got in the car and made my way back home. The severe weather left me with several hours of delay on the drive home to reflect on my listening and weigh my options. I am now seriously considering selling my DirectStream DAC, Memory Player, headphone amp, and maybe a few other items to put towards a Bartok. It would not only be a nice way to downsize and simplify my setup, but also be a noticeable step up in sound quality. Now I just need to find someone willing to give me a great deal on a brand new product that is selling faster that dealers can stock them... :scratch2:


All you have to do is install roon on your computer and you can control your music with your ipad

BillK 07-20-2019 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imprezap2 (Post 962019)
I went from Wadia 381i to dCS Rossini, Rossini betters the Wadia in everything IMO.
(no contest)

That's a good first point, though the 381 was decidedly not as good as older Wadia flagships like the S7i?

Anyone else?

I've heard a variety of DACs but no one other than Wadia seems to get that initial transient from a piano hammer right, too often reproducing it more like a metal-on-metal strike than a felt on metal one.

imprezap2 07-21-2019 04:28 AM

Try a Rossini, it will outperform the S7i easily, I have listened to the S7i also, step from 381i to S7i is much smaller then S7i to Rossini.

Still-One 07-21-2019 08:53 AM

2 Attachment(s)
I owned the Wadia Series 9 and in its time was as good as anything available. It was limited to 24/96 material which is not a big deal but I decided to move on when Wadia decided not to upgrade the units. Those four large pieces did take up a lot of space.

saturdayboy 10-31-2019 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinci92 (Post 953124)
I own the Lumin X1. I didn't audition the Bartok yet, but I have the quite the same impressions about my Lumin X1: Very detail mids, lowers to highers. The 3D / Holographic imaging is outstanding. I'm going to set an audition with a dealer soon and and let you know my impressions about the Bartok. My only worry: I'm pretty sure the dealer doesn't have my speakers (Focal Sacla), he uses some Sonus Faber for that kind of high end device.

Did you end up hearing the Bartok? I’d be interested in hearing your impressions.


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