DCS Vivaldi

microstrip

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anyone know what's changed with today's update?

I was just going to prepare myself for same listening - a few recordings arrived today. I hope the installation does not last for long, it just started!
 

jfrech

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I was just going to prepare myself for same listening - a few recordings arrived today. I hope the installation does not last for long, it just started!

Better pour a nice Rioja...about a hour, it's worth it - at least off my NAS/Network input. Haven't tried the Transport yet...
 

microstrip

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Better pour a nice Rioja...about a hour, it's worth it - at least off my NAS/Network input. Haven't tried the Transport yet...

Nice idea, but it is cheating - then it would surely sound better!
 

stevelgbch

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microstrip

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Wonder if it has anything to do with the upcoming upgrade for MQA?

No, as far as I know MQA will be available only at the end of October.
 

jfrech

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Anyone else listen to the network input on your upsampler after the update? To me it sounds like it lowered the noise floor, increasing the palpability and directness along with better positioning in space. I seemed to notice something upsampling from the transport but more elusive if a improvement or me just looking for one
 

Kingsrule

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Anyone else listen to the network input on your upsampler after the update? To me it sounds like it lowered the noise floor, increasing the palpability and directness along with better positioning in space. I seemed to notice something upsampling from the transport but more elusive if a improvement or me just looking for one

At first I thought the update was a step back sonically, then your thoughts plus some listening and I'm starting to think ur right on....
 

MadFloyd

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I haven't done the update (didn't even know about it). I have a fellow WBF member coming over to listen today. Maybe we'll do a before and after comparison.
 

christoph

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At first I thought the update was a step back sonically, then your thoughts plus some listening and I'm starting to think ur right on....

Next time don't listen for yourself and ask jfrech how it sounds right from the beginning instead :rolleyes:
SCNR
 

MadFloyd

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jfrech

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I haven't done the update (didn't even know about it). I have a fellow WBF member coming over to listen today. Maybe we'll do a before and after comparison.

It's pretty easy, takes about a hour. I just used the check for updates in the dCS iPad app...I don't think it'll take long to notice the differences...15 seconds or so
 

MadFloyd

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It's pretty easy, takes about a hour. I just used the check for updates in the dCS iPad app...I don't think it'll take long to notice the differences...15 seconds or so

Thanks.

Hey Microstrip, what were your thoughts on the update?
 

microstrip

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Thanks.

Hey Microstrip, what were your thoughts on the update?

Somewhat hesitant to comment. It seemed to me that objects become more defined in space and particularly bass transients and location improved considerably - too much IMHO just for a firmware upgrade. :) As I have recently upgraded all digital cabling to Transparent Reference XL I can not exclude digital cable burn-in. I compared SACD to the CD layer (the SACD digital goes directly to the DAC, the CD layer goes through the upsampler 44,1/16 -> 352.8/24) and could confirm some real improvements in the upsampler.

During a quick listening session of DXD and DSD128 files using ROON it also seemed that music was overall more free and relaxed - but I have not listened to the server for the last few weeks and the system is still changing fast ...
 

Kingsrule

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Wanted to jump in here before you wasted any more time.

Do you have the upsampler slaved to the DAC's clock using Universal Master Mode (in other words no Vivaldi clock)? If so then this is a regression in 2.02 that is impacting a few users. dCS is aware and it's slated for fix in the next release. No timeline on that yet. Best solution is to roll back to 2.01.

As for the Stream 800 vs 820 cards. There's no meaningful difference between the two aside from what has already been mentioned (WiFi, slightly faster CPU). The 820 was chosen for the bridge based on its WiFi capabilities. The CPU difference doesn't have any sonic impact due to the implementation. There are no plans to implement the 820 card in the Vivaldi or Rossini.

As for the Network Bridge vs ??. Well, I've been testing permutations of that since last summer. The bridge feeding the Vivaldi DAC via dual AES with good cables is quite a bit better than the Rossini (with or without the clock on the Rossini or Vivaldi). Hell, USB into the Vivaldi DAC is quite a bit better than the Rossini over the network. That's not to say that the Rossini isn't awesome in its own right (it really is), but the Vivaldi is simply better. It SHOULD be better considering the price differential! One of my Rossini customers didn't believe me so he tried for himself and now has a Vivaldi and a Network Bridge.

Hi Andrew

Is there a new release that fixes this?
Also, my output selection changes on the DAC from .6 or .2v when sample rate changes...appears to default to 2v....even though display doesn't change

Maybe the last Upsampler update fixed it?

(It appears the DAC won't stay on .2v. .6v seems OK)
 
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Kingsrule

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Hi all

Is there a way to edit input names in the app? I changed them on the Upsampler and thought they should change in the app.....
 

jfrech

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I suspect it is. The tuning with Transparent makes noticeable differences to me. I just ordered a Opus Gen 5 to Magnum Opus for my dac to pre amp interconnect...

Have the Magnum Opus in the system (Vivaldi dac to pre). Only ~2 hours playing time. I'll (try to) reserve much more comment until I get 1-200 hours on them. For now, wow, beats the Opus Gen 5 all around.
 

LL21

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Have the Magnum Opus in the system (Vivaldi dac to pre). Only ~2 hours playing time. I'll (try to) reserve much more comment until I get 1-200 hours on them. For now, wow, beats the Opus Gen 5 all around.

Wow...big congrats!! That is great. Just finished 300 hours of new the CJ GAT 2 over here...enjoy your burn-in!
 

number95

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Have the Magnum Opus in the system (Vivaldi dac to pre). Only ~2 hours playing time. I'll (try to) reserve much more comment until I get 1-200 hours on them. For now, wow, beats the Opus Gen 5 all around.

I know what you mean! It will only get better if my memory is not wrong ;-))
 

Kingsrule

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Just loaded the 2.02 file I have...still doesn't work...I was hoping the latest Upsampler update fixed the issue AMP described. Back to 2.01
 

jfrech

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Have the Magnum Opus in the system (Vivaldi dac to pre). Only ~2 hours playing time. I'll (try to) reserve much more comment until I get 1-200 hours on them. For now, wow, beats the Opus Gen 5 all around.

So it's been ~21 days playing time. Nearly 24x7. Seems 14 days did most and very small changes from there. Very slow and small increments. It's more quiet. You notice more of everything. The little and the big. Bass is deeper with more texture. Dynamics jump more. Imaging and how things are placed in space are better. The mids and top end like cymbals just...hard to say...just sound more real. It's one of these upgrades that on one hand...hmm...that cost some bucks...and that Opus Gen 5 was pretty sweet. On the other hand you simply can't go back. It's a musically important upgrade. Everything sounds more like a real instrument(s) vs something reproduced by a electronic dac, pre, amp, and speakers.

Listening to Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden right now. Night and the city. The plates are clanking around in the background. They sound like plates. The piano notes have a strike, a sound...and a decay...plus placement across the sound stage.

I keep coming back to my digital sounds more interesting in some seriously musically interesting and important ways. I can hear it walking up the stairs to my music room.

It's like a $50 bottle of red wine. Just tastes great. Then someone opens a $150 bottle and you know which one you want to stick with...the $50 bottle just sits there.
 

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