Thread: dCS launches Vivaldi Digital Playback System

Can't wait to hear this new stack from dCS. No details on price yet.


August 10th 2012
Hong Kong High-End Audio Visual show - dCS launches the Vivaldi Digital Playback System - a new four-box range which represents the pinnacle of their ‘no compromise’ approach to product design and sets a new standard for the future of digital audio playback.
Comprising separate Digital to Digital Upsampler, CD/SACD Transport, DAC and Master Clock in a powerful yet elegant industrial design, Vivaldi delivers unmatched sonic and measured performance by using the latest groundbreaking technology from dCS, including next-generation versions of their Ring DAC™, Digital Processing Platform, and Clocking System.


Vivaldi is designed to play music from any source and processes all high resolution PCM music formats up to DXD (24 bit data at 352.8 and 384kS/s), plus DSD. The optimised DSP filters and clocking architecture ensure listeners can extract every last nuance of musical detail and feeling while tuning the system to suit their personal preference.


Vivaldi DAC utilises the next generation of the state-of-the-art dCS Ring DAC™ which combines exceptional linearity with very high speed operation, enabling it to deliver true 24 bit performance even at low signal levels. The new dCS Ring DAC™ used in Vivaldi represents the most significant reworking of the design in its 20+ year history, and it incorporates a number of important technical advances that have resulted in enhanced dynamic range, reduced jitter, improved channel separation, and greatly improved musical realism.

Vivaldi Upsampler can access music from any digital source (PCM digital inputs, USB, UPnP network streaming, iPod™/iPhone™), converting the audio from its native sample rate to either high resolution DXD, DSD or standard high resolution PCM. The array of independently selectable digital inputs and filter options in Vivaldi elevates the performance of Red Book CD from CD Players or high resolution audio from digital streamers and servers to a previously unsurpassed level.

Vivaldi CD/SACD Transport has been designed to extract revelatory levels of detail from both CD and SACD. It features a Dual-AES output that supports DSD or DXD and a completely new chassis design that provides separate power supplies for digital processing and CD/SACD mechanism circuits as well as near-silent operation.

Vivaldi Master Clock features two banks of clock outputs capable of outputting different frequencies simultaneously, thereby improving ease of use while minimising jitter. Used as part of the Vivaldi digital audio playback system it improves on an already spectacular sound and takes it into an entirely new domain. Images snap into sharper focus, the music displays a substantially greater sense of authority and power, and most importantly offers noticeably higher resolution of fine detail.

2012 Worldwide Vivaldi System Premiers

Hong Kong > 10-12 August - RADAR @ Hong Kong High-End Audio Visual Show 2012

United States > 14-15 September - dCS North America @ Ears Nova, New York City

United Kingdom > 22-23 September - dCS Ltd @ National Audio Show 2012

Japan > dates TBD - Taiyo International - Tokyo

I'm jealous :~)

I would rather spend that much money on a new Porsche GT3 RS thank you very much...

Originally Posted by Audio_ELF

Does this replace the Scarlatti stack or in addition to?

As an aside I believe dCS are now offering the Scarlatti clock with 24/192 capable USB input.

Eloise

Unsure. I assumed this was a replacement for Scarlatti, but I don't know.

Originally Posted by AudioDoctor

I would rather spend that much money on a new Porsche GT3 RS thank you very much...

I actually wouldn't. A car I can only drive for so much. An audio system I can listen to whenever(rain, sleet, snow, ice, salty roads) and for how long I want.

Originally Posted by The Computer Audiophile

I actually wouldn't. A car I can only drive for so much. An audio system I can listen to whenever(rain, sleet, snow, ice, salty roads) and for how long I want.

Granted, a GT3 RS is not an every day car here in MN. But there is nearly no better track car and weekend fun car than it for sale in the US, with as much dealer support, extreme durability, and flat out fun. Plus the Mezger designed engine was originally designed for the GT1 race Car. My audio to car cost/benefit ratios are the opposite of yours I guess. It's all ok.

I bet this stuff sounds great. Not into the looks though. That goes for all dcs...some pretty ugly stuff. Comparing to other luxury industries....Ferrari, Steinway, Patek Philippe, etc...I appreciate the beauty of these...but dcs....yuck. They must sound really good for people to look past the looks...lol

Nice but there is no room left on the rack for the Macbook.

Originally Posted by soundix

Nice but there is no room left on the rack for the Macbook.

Top shelf maybe coz who needs the disc player anyway...

Originally Posted by AudioDoctor

I would rather spend that much money on a new Porsche GT3 RS thank you very much...

When I first looked at the quoted prices, I saw the decimal point and thought "gee, even I could afford that." Then I figured it was too good to be true if they were quoting a price to the tenth of a penny.

Also saw it in the show. Personally I thought it looked too chunky in the "Soluution" sort of way, I personally like the Puccini and Paganini polished looks better.

So now I know dCS has been busy with new products, and may explain why the announced DSD through PCM update for my humble Debussy has been almost a year now and still MIA?

Does anyone in the know the ETA of the Debussy DSD update? I appreciate the ample time given to me to prepare the DSD file, but this is getting a bit long?

That makes it a whole lot more interesting... external clocks (from what I have heard) do not bring that much, if anything to the party, the upsampler I cannot imagine does either, and the transport is obviously not needed. I wonder if the voltage of the analogue output stage can be adjusted? Perhaps a high/low setting or a variable pot to enable proper power amp direct use.

In this case I may go for one when secondhand units start hiting the market in 5 years :P

Thanks. I am hoping they will introduce a greater level of adjustability with the Vivaldi... in my case 0.5V is the sweetspot (which I have my current DAC set at).

In my experience when external clocking is done right it can make a large difference. It all depends on the rest of one's digital setup and interfaces used.

Originally Posted by The Computer Audiophile

In my experience when external clocking is done right it can make a large difference. It all depends on the rest of one's digital setup and interfaces used.

I am sure that it makes a difference. At this level they have most certainly done their homework. In a perfect world, sure- the clock should be right next to the DAC chip, but the world is not a perfect place or else we might be calling it heaven. With that said, it is hard for me to get excited about a piece that costs as much as a Porsche as I cannot afford either. I do find it interesting that that the most products discussed by Chris seem to be in the sub 1k range or the above 5k when my guess is that the crowd here is most apt to purchase something in between. No offense intended.

We are always talking about dac's with integrated USB and when properly done how they outperform external USB->SPDIF converters due to lack of jitter indicing cable. That's what bothers me about these external clocks. I am sure inside the clock you will get the most accurate clock signal technologically possible today... but then you send it down a cable and it makes you wonder if a much simpler clock next to the DAC wouldn't outperform it due to this constaint alone...

Originally Posted by AudioExplorations

We are always talking about dac's with integrated USB and when properly done how they outperform external USB->SPDIF converters due to lack of jitter indicing cable. That's what bothers me about these external clocks. I am sure inside the clock you will get the most accurate clock signal technologically possible today... but then you send it down a cable and it makes you wonder if a much simpler clock next to the DAC wouldn't outperform it due to this constaint alone...

Obviously in their opinion it does not. As I said, I think that the concept of the clock needing to be right next to the chip is theoretical at best. As for the cabling issue, this is not like spdif where the signals are multiplexed (mixed) needing to be separated later. I see no reason why the circuits could not be tuned with purpose built cabling that ameliorates much of the issues many discuss. I assume they provide cables for the clocking.

Well you need to realise that their 'opinion' is heavily commercially biased, it may not necessarily be the technically optimum way to go.

Originally Posted by AudioExplorations

Well you need to realise that their 'opinion' is heavily commercially biased, it may not necessarily be the technically optimum way to go.

What is that supposed to mean? They made a clock just so they could sell you more stuff? Really? WTF! That would simply be foolish in the caliber of gear they produce. I realized all of those implications from the onset. What I think that you do not realize is that you are the one falling or the marketing hype associated with some of the manufactures. There are solid reasons why one would not want to have a clock in the same box as the DAC. There are trade offs associated with both implementations.