dCS at Cloney Audio
Data Conversion Systems, better known as dCS from Cambridgeshire, UK has a long history in the field of digital audio. In fact, the more you learn about dCS, you might be tempted to consider them the very pioneers that have led to the audiophile-level digital music experiences we can enjoy today.
dCS started out developing analogue-to-digital (ADC) and digital-to-analogue converters (DACs) for military use, where dCS engineering skills found its way into radar stations and the Harrier and Typhoon jets. As the Cold War ended, dCS repurposed the know-how to digital recording studios and quickly established a presence in BBC, Sony and Abbey Road recording studios (to name a few). It was no wonder that later, the first generation of digital music enthusiasts used pro-grade dCS DACs for home usage, paving the way for the consumer products supplied today.
Continuing to break new ground, the first 24-bit/88.2kHz digital recording was mastered using dCS convertors by the legendary Bob Ludwig in 1996 and the world’s first DSD multichannel recording for SACD in the year 2000 was also produced using dCS equipment.
dCS is perhaps best known for its Ring DAC, a proprietary digital to analogue converter that is specifically designed for high performance audio. The Ring DAC’s signature is its ability to deliver very high resolution performance even when the recorded signal is at a very low level. This is critical in reproducing all the fine nuances in the music - the hallmark of high end audio.
dCS was also first to market with a digital upsampler, a technology that has since been widely adopted in high end audio. And more recently, dCS developed the DoP standard, allowing for DSD streams to be transferred via industry standard formats.
dCS’s end-to-end ownership of the digital engineering process has also allowed for a unique implementation of the MQA unfolding, which results in Tidal Masters tracks to reach ultimate fidelity played back through dCS products.
Below you can read more detail on each of the dCS series, ranging from the statement-level Vivaldi stack, through the immensely capable Rossini range and the dedicated all-in-one Bartók. The latter combines dCS’s excellence in streaming, digital-to-analogue conversion and its unique Expanse cross-feed engineering for headphones. Finally, the dCS Network Bridge is presented as an elegant solution to bring a vast array of digital platforms into your audio setup.
A Hi-Fi reviewer commented that the Vivaldi stack entered into the Top-3 audio solutions he had ever heard - including all Hi-End analogue systems reviewed. We are hoping to demonstrate this claim at events in the future!
For more info on dCS, visit their website dcstld.co.uk or visit us for a demo!
dCS Vivaldi
Vivaldi is a complete state-of-the-art system that offers unmatched digital music playback. Vivaldi redefines high-end digital audio taking your music collection to levels you have not heard before.
The Vivaldi Transport offers unrivalled SACD playback with the option to output the DSD stream to the standalone Vivaldi DAC, featuring the legendary Ring DAC design. The Vivaldi Upsampler provides the Digital Processing Platform for network streaming and upsampling from virtually any digital source, including Tidal (with MQA decoding) and local media accessed via the elegant dCS Mosaic app or Roon. The Vivaldi Master Clock unifies the digital timing ensuring jitter is eliminated, creating unparalleled musical realism.
In celebration of dCS 30th anniversary the Vivaldi One was created as a one-box solution combining the best of all of the dCS Vivaldi stack in a single enclosure.
dCS Rossini
The dCS Rossini system makes superlative sounding music from a wide range of digital sources. The series includes The Rossini Transport for CDs and SACDs, the Rossini network streaming DAC and the Master Clock which virtually eliminates jitter. The single box digital streaming Player features the legendary dCS Ring DAC and Digital Processing Platform, plus a custom high performance UPnP music streamer and CD transport. Rossini delivers a powerful and visceral yet highly transparent sound, making for an immersive and realistic listening experience.
dCS Bartók
The dCS Bartók DAC brings together the Digital Processing Platform developed for the Rossini range and the Ring DAC as used in the Vivaldi playback system. It is first and foremost a state of the art network streaming DAC and with the addition of the unique headphone amplifier it brings the extraordinary dCS digital experience to both headphone and stereo listeners. No matter the requirements of your headphones, the newly developed dCS Expanse allows the listener to experience digital sources like never before.
