Thread: dCS Bartok
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Old 05-09-2019, 04:33 PM
thyname thyname is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alaska Dave View Post
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
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