DCS Vivaldi

[jfrech]

Follow-up of the DCS Vivaldi 2.0 at TheAbsoluteSound site: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/dcs-vivaldi-version-20/.

Nice so see Jacob Heilbrunn also enjoys the fantastic recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos by the Freiburg Baroque in the Harmonia Mundi label.

Thanks, I'll have to try that title !!!

 

[LL21]

Thanks, I'll have to try that title !!!

Its excellent...have had this one for years and own a number of other Brandenburg performances as well.

 

[Lee]

I had a nice dCS experience yesterday at hifibuys in Atlanta. John Quick and Brad O'Toole from dCS were demoing the Rossini and switching in the master clock in and out. The clock made a nice difference, not subtle! The amount of resolution was excellent with both.

 

[ozy]

Ditto, john and brad upgraded my vivaldi system to the 2.01 specs, and i'm amazed of the new improvements!everything is more and better......
Very good guys to boot!

 

[ozy]

Ditto, john and brad upgraded my vivaldi system to the 2.01 specs, and i'm amazed of the new improvements!everything is more and better......
Very good guys to boot!

 

[microstrip]

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/dcs_vivaldi_20.htmAnother review of the Vivaldi 2.0 stack - this time in the Audiobeat.

I can assure you I do not write in Audiobeat using the pseudonym Marc Mickelson - I do not have even his writing skills. But I have expressed some of the ideas he writes in his review a few weeks ago in WBF.

His conclusion:

(...) The dCS Vivaldi 2.0 is the most versatile digital system I’ve used and also -- by far -- the most sonically complete. It gave me newfound respect for file replay while revealing more about the physical media I played, always sounding resolutely pleasing in the process. It doesn’t achieve this by softening digital sound in an attempt to obscure its very nature, making it more forgiving and, at the same time, less involving. Instead it offers up a level of detail that is unmatched and presents it in a way that rivals the best analog -- and with some digital material outright betters analog. That last part will be sacrilege to some audiophiles, including ones like me, who consider the LP to be the undisputed format of choice, but I have to call it as I hear it. What I heard with the Vivaldi 2.0 in my system was deserving of all the accolades I’ve heaped on it at shows and the gushing I’m doing now. (...)

 

[jfrech]

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/dcs_vivaldi_20.htmAnother review of the Vivaldi 2.0 stack - this time in the Audiobeat.

I can assure you I do not write in Audiobeat using the pseudonym Marc Mickelson - I do not have even his writing skills. But I have expressed some of the ideas he writes in his review a few weeks ago in WBF.

His conclusion:

(...) The dCS Vivaldi 2.0 is the most versatile digital system I’ve used and also -- by far -- the most sonically complete. It gave me newfound respect for file replay while revealing more about the physical media I played, always sounding resolutely pleasing in the process. It doesn’t achieve this by softening digital sound in an attempt to obscure its very nature, making it more forgiving and, at the same time, less involving. Instead it offers up a level of detail that is unmatched and presents it in a way that rivals the best analog -- and with some digital material outright betters analog. That last part will be sacrilege to some audiophiles, including ones like me, who consider the LP to be the undisputed format of choice, but I have to call it as I hear it. What I heard with the Vivaldi 2.0 in my system was deserving of all the accolades I’ve heaped on it at shows and the gushing I’m doing now. (...)

Just read that review. Was very interesting his comments on the volume control and analog to digital phono's. I've always used my Vivaldi via a good preamp...

 

[MadFloyd]

Just read that review. Was very interesting his comments on the volume control and analog to digital phono's. I've always used my Vivaldi via a good preamp...

I'm currently not using a preamp and can testify that the volume control of the Vivaldi is very good.

 

[Kingsrule]

I'm currently not using a preamp and can testify that the volume control of the Vivaldi is very good.

+1

 

[Jim Smith]

I'm currently not using a preamp and can testify that the volume control of the Vivaldi is very good.

Agreed!

I recently voiced a system (Vivaldi, D'Agostino, M3s), where I had no choice but to use the client's Vivaldi as dac and preamp.

First time I can recall not wishing that I had a preamp.

 

[bonzo75]

Agreed!

I recently voiced a system (Vivaldi, D'Agostino, M3s), where I had no choice but to use the client's Vivaldi as dac and preamp.

First time I can recall not wishing that I had a preamp.

I will be really surprised if Madfloyd does not end up preferring a preamp in the chain

 

[microstrip]

I will be really surprised if Madfloyd does not end up preferring a preamp in the chain

I am currently driving an Audio Research REF150SE directly. It sounds damn good, but I had to set the Vivaldi DAC output voltage at .2V for most recordings!

 

[BMCG]

I am currently driving an Audio Research REF150SE directly. It sounds damn good, but I had to set the Vivaldi DAC output voltage at .2V for most recordings!

Micro..really 0.2V? surprised..and prompts that the v2.01 Firmware upgrade for the DAC would be mandatory....(assume 6V to the REF150SE would be rather undesirable)

Changes from v2.00:
• The DAC can now be controlled by the Vivaldi 2.0 app via RS232 (Binary mode) from the Vivaldi
Upsampler Plus using the 3-way RS232 cable.
• Fixes a bug which causes the Output Level 0.2V and 0.6V settings to be reset to 6V when the
power is cycled.

 

[microstrip]

Micro..really 0.2V? surprised..and prompts that the v2.01 Firmware upgrade for the DAC would be mandatory....(assume 6V to the REF150SE would be rather undesirable)

Changes from v2.00:
• The DAC can now be controlled by the Vivaldi 2.0 app via RS232 (Binary mode) from the Vivaldi
Upsampler Plus using the 3-way RS232 cable.
• Fixes a bug which causes the Output Level 0.2V and 0.6V settings to be reset to 6V when the
power is cycled.

Yes, 0.2V - I was astonished. If it was not for the much better bass quality I would go for the REF75!

Thanks for your care, fortunately I have v2.01 - it would play really loud at 6V if it had happened unexpectedly !

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I am currently driving an Audio Research REF150SE directly. It sounds damn good, but I had to set the Vivaldi DAC output voltage at .2V for most recordings!

that's what 95db efficient speakers can do for you.

 

[ozy]

Prefer a good preamp in the chain.... adds some liveliness.... ymmv

 

[Al M.]

Prefer a good preamp in the chain.... adds some liveliness.... ymmv

That may depend on the input impedance of your amp. The one of my tube amps is very high (100 K), and my DAC drives them beautifully, with all the liveliness and dynamics you can ask for (there is very little to 'drive'). And the output stage of the Vivaldi will certainly be better than that of my DAC.

 

[Jim Smith]

Prefer a good preamp in the chain.... adds some liveliness.... ymmv

Having successfully voiced over 800 systems, I had never liked the musical results from ANY system without a preamp. That's what made the Vivaldi experience so special - at least to me.

 

[jfrech]

Having successfully voiced over 800 systems, I had never liked the musical results from ANY system without a preamp. That's what made the Vivaldi experience so special - at least to me.

I've never tried my Vivaldi direct. But you've convinced me I need to try it...I'll report back by the weekend what my thoughts are...

 

[number95]

Whether directly connecting Vivaldi to amps is better or not than with a preamp, it will not be my choice as I will always have an analog rig.