dCS Network Bridge

[r_w]

Does anyone know anything about this promising bit of kit?

 

Is it like a diskless and screenless Aurender?

 

Looks decent value a circa £3k.

 

I wonder if it copies the file to a local store/buffer like Aurender?

 

http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/network-bridge/

 

... all is not yet clear.

[sphinxsix]

I bet it won't sound bad. It's a DCS.. I just regret it doesn't look like these..

 

[kblundy]

I had the chance to chat with dCS about this yesterday at the Windsor HiFi show.

 

The box is diskless and will be available late this year.

 

It has great connectivity - a bit like an Auralic Aries but does not have a USB audio output. It has support for master clock input and will also output a master clock derived from the data-stream and its own internal clock. The box has two AES/EBU outputs and can work in both single ended dual AES modes.

 

The box will have Roon support and will launch with Tidal and Spotify also - Qubuz to follow.

 

It will have its own control App and can work with any UPNP server.

 

It looks and feels quality - as you would expect.

[r_w]

Good stuff, diskless is a good thing, that's why I went with the N100. I just wonder how the steaming/buffering part works, copy whole track like Aurender or buffer from source (not so good)?

 

 

I had the chance to chat with dCS about this yesterday at the Windsor HiFi show.

 

The box is diskless and will be available late this year.

 

It has great connectivity - a bit like an Auralic Aries but does not have a USB audio output. It has support for master clock input and will also output a master clock derived from the data-stream and its own internal clock. The box has two AES/EBU outputs and can work in both single ended dual AES modes.

 

The box will have Roon support and will launch with Tidal and Spotify also - Qubuz to follow.

 

It will have its own control App and can work with any UPNP server.

 

It looks and feels quality - as you would expect.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Here are a couple photos from the Roon Audio Workshop, where dCS had the Network Audio Bridge.

 

[monteverdi]

I bet it won't sound bad. It's a DCS.. I just regret it doesn't look like these..

 

 

I'm happy it looks more functional

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[NOMBEDES]

I think you can do a lot better (sound wise) for a lot less money. IMO only. You may like it. I do not.

[r_w]

Have you heard it?

 

I think you can do a lot better (sound wise) for a lot less money. IMO only. You may like it. I do not.

[NOMBEDES]

Have you heard it?[/quote

 

Yes. But you must understand, I base my opinions on bang for buck, not on ultra high end uber alles. dCS is great, but costly, if you like it go for it,

.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Have you heard it?[/quote

 

Yes. But you must understand, I base my opinions on bang for buck, not on ultra high end uber alles. dCS is great, but costly, if you like it go for it,

.

 

Where have you heard it? It wasn't even ready to accept music two weeks ago.

[russellbobby]

Heard the bridge last night at Paragon Sight and Sound in Ann Arbor. Streamed a few songs from Tidal. Sounded ok. The Staff said the mac laptop that they were playing red book files from sounded better

At 4200 there may be better choices out there.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Heard the bridge last night at Paragon Sight and Sound in Ann Arbor. Streamed a few songs from Tidal. Sounded ok. The Staff said the mac laptop that they were playing red book files from sounded better

At 4200 there may be better choices out there.

Ah interesting. Was the Bridge still running beta software / firmware?

[r_w]

Oh dear... how very disappointing.

 

Heard the bridge last night at Paragon Sight and Sound in Ann Arbor. Streamed a few songs from Tidal. Sounded ok. The Staff said the mac laptop that they were playing red book files from sounded better

At 4200 there may be better choices out there.

[Cebolla]

Heard the bridge last night at Paragon Sight and Sound in Ann Arbor. Streamed a few songs from Tidal. Sounded ok. The Staff said the mac laptop that they were playing red book files from sounded better

Were they drawing their conclusions from a comparison using the exact same source, ie, the dCS Network Bridge actually network streaming and playing the same red book file rips stored on the mac laptop (which would need to be supplied by a UPnP/DLNA media server running on the laptop, such as the excellent MinimServer), or was the Network Bridge just being used to stream music file tracks from the Tidal online service?

[The Computer Audiophile]

Oh dear... how very disappointing.

I wouldn't be disappointed just yet, based on one showing.

[sphinxsix]

I wouldn't be disappointed just yet, based on one showing.

+1

[russellbobby]

The room was set up with The bridge > re-clocker>Debussy DAC> D'agostino Classic 2 channel stereo amp> Wilson sasha2 speakers.

All cabling was Transparent. They were doing the demo on power chords for Transparent. I saw the bridge on the stack and asked them to play a few tracks from Tidal

I then mentioned that it probably sounds better than the MAC laptop that they were playing redbook files from that it was a resounding no. It certainly was not a Apples to Apples comparison.

Not sure on the firmware they were running as I am perfectly happy with my Aurender N100s and was not looking for a streamer.

 

The star of the show was the new D'agostino Progression mono blocks with the just released Wilson Yvette speakers. Run by the DCS Vivaldi Stack the sound was just perfect.

[r_w]

Neither am I but if it sounds fantastic and has AES EBU and copies the entire file to a local streaming buffer then it might out do the N100 - I never, ever look at the N100's screen so wouldn't miss it.

 

???

 

Not sure on the firmware they were running as I am perfectly happy with my Aurender N100s and was not looking for a streamer.

[vortecjr]

Neither am I but if it sounds fantastic and has AES EBU and copies the entire file to a local streaming buffer then it might out do the N100 - I never, ever look at the N100's screen so wouldn't miss it.

 

???

 

Network streamers buffer...it's what they do. Did I just sound like that commercial on TV:)

[r_w]

Yeah but there are different methods of supplying the 'buffering', Aurender's method of entire file copy to local store (SSD or RAM) makes the most sense to me.

 

 

Network streamers buffer...it's what they do. Did I just sound like that commercial on TV:)

[vortecjr]

Yeah but there are different methods of supplying the 'buffering', Aurender's method of entire file copy to local store (SSD or RAM) makes the most sense to me.

 

They appear to use the MPD for their player and that has been a standard feature for as long as I can remember. It makes sense when you have a local spinning drive, but network steamer are generally solid state.

[Confused]

The Network bridge has been available at few dealers for a month or so now. (At least it has in the UK). Has anyone had the chance of a decent audition yet?

[r_w]

I lost a bit of interest after finding out it doesn't stream from local file copy like Aurender. I'd still like to hear it out of curiosity but it feels like a missed opportunity, unless I'm missing something.

 

The Network bridge has been available at few dealers for a month or so now. (At least it has in the UK). Has anyone had the chance of a decent audition yet?

[The Computer Audiophile]

I lost a bit of interest after finding out it doesn't stream from local file copy like Aurender. I'd still like to hear it out of curiosity but it feels like a missed opportunity, unless I'm missing something.

 

Two completely different products. The dCS Network Bridge is very similar in concept to the microRendu.

[r_w]

I've got no motive for knocking them, they're a genuine World class outfit.

 

I just expected it to be like an N10 without internal storage or screen... which IMHO would be a complete show stopper at that price.

 

 

 

Two completely different products. The dCS Network Bridge is very similar in concept to the microRendu.