dCS Vivaldi incoming!

[jfrech]

I ordered the upsampler last week. A US price increase was hitting Nov 1st so that was my incentive...It should be here Mon or Tues...

I guess we'll be trading a lot of notes soon :-)

(Also changed amps...to Nagra Classic Amp from Ayre MXR's)

Speakers: Rockport Altair 2
Preamp: Robert Koda K10 Amp: Nagra Classic Amp
Cables: Transparent Opus MM2 Spkr, Opus Gen 5 & Magnum Opus Interconnect
Power Shunyata Triton v2/Typhon/DPC-6 v2, Anaconda Zitron cords (x6), Sigma HC (x1), Sigma Analog (x3)
Digital dCS Vivaldi DAC, Transport & Clock w/ Transparent Reference XL Digital cables
Phono: Grand Prix Monaco TT, Spiral Groove Centroid, Jan Allaerts MC2 Finish & Nagra VPS/VFS/MPS
Racks: Grand Prix Audio Silverstone F1 (x2)

[Harlequin]

Having recently attended an DCS open day hosted by my dealers, then a subsiquent visit to hear my friends new 'Full on' Vivaldi stack, I have been mulling over the acquisition of the DAC, If you are reading this Marc you have a lot to answer for

[jfrech]

That's how I started to ... not sure how you could be disappointed ! All though the new Rossini Dac and clock might be interesting to..unless you plan to get more Vivaldi pieces down the road...

Speakers: Rockport Altair 2
Preamp: Robert Koda K10 Amp: Nagra Classic Amp
Cables: Transparent Opus MM2 Spkr, Opus Gen 5 & Magnum Opus Interconnect
Power Shunyata Triton v2/Typhon/DPC-6 v2, Anaconda Zitron cords (x6), Sigma HC (x1), Sigma Analog (x3)
Digital dCS Vivaldi DAC, Transport & Clock w/ Transparent Reference XL Digital cables
Phono: Grand Prix Monaco TT, Spiral Groove Centroid, Jan Allaerts MC2 Finish & Nagra VPS/VFS/MPS
Racks: Grand Prix Audio Silverstone F1 (x2)

[Harlequin]

Just so jf, ideally I would like to audition the Rossini against the Vivaldi, then add the clock to the Rossini and evaluate again.

[enatai252]

Originally Posted by jax4736

I'm going from a quarter stack to a three-quarters stack! I ordered the clock and upsampler today. The transport is a pipe dream. Better cabling will have to wait, but hope tho have the two boxes in a week or so. Looking forward to the improvements. My DAC is burned in now, and I am still blown away at the sound. Upsampler owners: how do you play Redbook CD? Upsample to DXD?

I have the Vivaldi Upsampler, clock and DAC. Like you I listen primarily through a music server (Vivaldi app using the Upsampler - Naim HDX is the server with all files stored on 8TB NAS). I do Upsample RBCD to DXD or 352k. I also Upsample all hires music to DXD so 352k or 384k depending on native rate. The clock will automatically switch between 44 or 48 master as appropriate. I have tried upsampling to DSD but did not find the results appealing. I do have some DSD files which I play in native format which also sound great.

I have not found a better digital combo than the Vivaldi stack. It's about 65% of my listening. 30% is vinyl and about 5% is physical CDs spun on a Naim CD555 with dual DR500 power supplies

[jfrech]

Originally Posted by enatai252

I have the Vivaldi Upsampler, clock and DAC. Like you I listen primarily through a music server (Vivaldi app using the Upsampler - Naim HDX is the server with all files stored on 8TB NAS). I do Upsample RBCD to DXD or 352k. I also Upsample all hires music to DXD so 352k or 384k depending on native rate. The clock will automatically switch between 44 or 48 master as appropriate. I have tried upsampling to DSD but did not find the results appealing. I do have some DSD files which I play in native format which also sound great.

I have not found a better digital combo than the Vivaldi stack. It's about 65% of my listening. 30% is vinyl and about 5% is physical CDs spun on a Naim CD555 with dual DR500 power supplies

Curious why the Naim HDX vs just a hard drive/wifi to the upsampler. Better sound or better ease of use? I'm about to buy a NAS bay and a 1tb solid state drive and use ethernet to my upsampler...

Speakers: Rockport Altair 2
Preamp: Robert Koda K10 Amp: Nagra Classic Amp
Cables: Transparent Opus MM2 Spkr, Opus Gen 5 & Magnum Opus Interconnect
Power Shunyata Triton v2/Typhon/DPC-6 v2, Anaconda Zitron cords (x6), Sigma HC (x1), Sigma Analog (x3)
Digital dCS Vivaldi DAC, Transport & Clock w/ Transparent Reference XL Digital cables
Phono: Grand Prix Monaco TT, Spiral Groove Centroid, Jan Allaerts MC2 Finish & Nagra VPS/VFS/MPS
Racks: Grand Prix Audio Silverstone F1 (x2)

[enatai252]

Originally Posted by jfrech

Curious why the Naim HDX vs just a hard drive/wifi to the upsampler. Better sound or better ease of use? I'm about to buy a NAS bay and a 1tb solid state drive and use ethernet to my upsampler... Speakers: Rockport Altair 2 Preamp: Robert Koda K10 Amp: Nagra Classic Amp Cables: Transparent Opus MM2 Spkr, Opus Gen 5 & Magnum Opus Interconnect Power Shunyata Triton v2/Typhon/DPC-6 v2, Anaconda Zitron cords (x6), Sigma HC (x1), Sigma Analog (x3) Digital dCS Vivaldi DAC, Transport & Clock w/ Transparent Reference XL Digital cables Phono: Grand Prix Monaco TT, Spiral Groove Centroid, Jan Allaerts MC2 Finish & Nagra VPS/VFS/MPS Racks: Grand Prix Audio Silverstone F1 (x2)

A little of both. I started the whole ripped digital music journey about 7 years ago when the Naim HDX came out. At the time, it served as a all-in-one solution which ripped CDs to internal storage and played through internal DACs. The Naim system has changed/evolved a lot over the years and my two HDXs (one in each home) now are SSD versions with no internal storage and only serve to rip CDs and act as the music server. The renderer function is now done by the Vivaldi Upsampler or various Naim Streamers like the NDS and NDX. I have tried using different servers, other than Naim, with the QNAP NAS but have always found the Naim server to perform better. If I were starting today, I would buy a unitiserve rather than HDX as I don't really need all of the HDX functions. But I do prefer the ease and SQ of a dedicated ripper and music server without getting a general computer involved. Downloaded hires files can be easily downloaded in the HQ folders generated by the Naim server and integrate well. My NAS is connected to the streamers and Upsampler via a separate wired network

Another cool feature of using the NAS in two homes is that each NAS located in each home is set up to auto replicate...so anytime I rip a CD at primary home....the files are automatically copied to my cabin home. Music library is always in sync.

[jax4736]

Originally Posted by enatai252

I have the Vivaldi Upsampler, clock and DAC. Like you I listen primarily through a music server (Vivaldi app using the Upsampler - Naim HDX is the server with all files stored on 8TB NAS). I do Upsample RBCD to DXD or 352k. I also Upsample all hires music to DXD so 352k or 384k depending on native rate. The clock will automatically switch between 44 or 48 master as appropriate. I have tried upsampling to DSD but did not find the results appealing. I do have some DSD files which I play in native format which also sound great. I have not found a better digital combo than the Vivaldi stack. It's about 65% of my listening. 30% is vinyl and about 5% is physical CDs spun on a Naim CD555 with dual DR500 power supplies

Do you USB to the Upsampler? If not, how do you get the files to the upsampler?

[TLi]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Just so jf, ideally I would like to audition the Rossini against the Vivaldi, then add the clock to the Rossini and evaluate again.

Recently, I have a chance to compare Rossini DAC + Paganini transport with Vivaldi DAC + Vivaldi transport. The Vivaldi combo is a obvious winner.

The Vivaldi is much smoother with better details. The Rossini/Paganini pair sounds harsh and grainy in comparison.

[joeling]

I prefer upsampling to DSD with filter set at 3 for the DAC & 5 for the upsampler. Same for the Scarlatti