Breaking news from DCS….

[Stereophonic]

No need to reply. Steve agrees with me about the unfortunate nature of your thread, and so do others. If you cannot see it yourself, I can hardly help you. Also, I did not qualify you as disappointing, but your attitude. But who am I to quibble with you about details...

If so, I can only apologize.
Nothing is further from my intention ...

 

[Steve Williams]

Are increase price of energy, transport, semiconductors, etc... one of the reasons behind this decision?
Thank you very much. I would have to think that this information is personal to dCS and is none of our business. Having said that, the world is a much different blue marble that we have ever known and the supply chain has made it difficult for every manufacturer to meet time lines and so I see no issues with looking to alternatives that are more cost efficient.

I hope all the speculation is over and we can understand that dCS is doing this to help their business and continue with their USA dealers

As to your question I’m sure dCS is doing this to improve their service as this is a different world we live in now and all manufacturers are having supply chain issues and therefore difficulty meeting time lines.
Like others who have posted here an earlier press release by dCS woul have likely dispelled all speculation

 

[John Giolas]

Are increase price of energy, transport, semiconductors, etc... one of the reasons behind this decision?
Thank you very much.

No. While supply-chain delays and price increases have been a challenge for dCS (along with nearly all of the manufacturers in the high-end), cutting costs was not behind the decision. David Steven and the team at dCS have done an excellent job of acquiring parts in a timely manner, ensuring our lead times stay as normal as possible

 

[caesar]

i'm as pro-dealer and pro-manufacturer as anyone on this forum. been in retail for 47 years. but dCS was in charge of how this played out. they decided to fire people, and then a few days later, to issue a press release. is that real world? no; it's not paying attention.

it's their mess and not one we made. as if we wait to see what suits their fancy?

Well said. PR 101 is to get ahead of the story. dCS failed this one.

 

[microstrip]

dCS Official Press Release


Good morning all. This thread has been fueled by ongoing speculation and as promised here is the official press release. I hope that this helps all of our DCS users

Thanks for enlightening us Steve. Probably an indirect consequence of Brexit - the UK based firm will now be able to benefit from better trade agreements with the US - but I am just speculating!

Nice to know John Giolas is part of the project - he is known from his excellent support of customers in another well known brand. You will be lucky if the US gets more visits from Rav Baha -the dCS sales director. He his also a very enthusiast and friendly person.

 

[caesar]

Thanks for enlightening us Steve. Probably an indirect consequence of Brexit - the UK based firm will now be able to benefit from better trade agreements with the US - but I am just speculating!

I think you gotta look at this from a cost perspective: they got rid of 3 out of 4 guys in the US region. There are limited dealer events and shows these days, but it's been like that for over a year and a half, so surprised it took them this long.

One would think that selling a handful more of Vivaldi's would have saved at least some of these jobs. But the Vivaldi is OLD TECHNOLOGY for audiophile standards these days, when we see Wilson release new products seemingly faster than Moore's Law. I think Dell and Lenovo are slower with their product cycles than Wilson these days. How long was Alex on the market before being replaced? just a few years.

Recently, it seems like dcs has been overwhelming the audio press with Bartoks, but that is much lower class of luxury market than the Vivaldi - a completely different customer. They gotta sell a lot of Bartoks to pay those guys.

And most guys who buy Vivaldis , probably already got theirs a while back. So sounds like dCS needs to pump out new products out into marketplace, send them on to Wilson reviewers and they will be back...

But then they will have a different problem: they only have a former wilson guy as their rep. I am sure the guy is very talented at setting up speakers , but probably knows diddley about digital. At least compared to John Quick.

 

[ozy]

It’s clear to all of us , DCS end users and dealers alike to have been disappointed, upset and concerned with John Quick’ s ”departure”, and the abrupt manner in which it took place.
Does dCS have an egg on its face? I believe so. We end users not only invest $$$$ in great products, but invest enormous amounts of time , energy and emotion to foster these relationships with a John Quick.to see “Mr. Dcs america “get booted like that- infuriating.

 

[Steve Williams]

But then they will have a different problem: they only have a former wilson guy as their rep. I am sure the guy is very talented at setting up speakers , but probably knows diddley about digital. At least compared to John Quick.

with all due respect Caesar, if it is John Giolas, as I suspect to whom you reference, his position at dCS is head of Advertising and Promotion, the exact same position he held at Wilson. I’ve known John for 20 years and he is a skilled expert in that position. IOW your comment about knowing didley is unfairly stated IMHO

 

[caesar]

with all due respect Caesar, if it is John Giolas, as I suspect to whom you reference, his position at dCS is head of Advertising and Promotion, the exact same position he held at Wilson. I’ve known John for 20 years and he is a skilled expert in that position. IOW your comment about knowing didley is unfairly stated IMHO

Hi Steve,
My comment is in the context of digital. Although I am not a fan of Wilson sound, actually I am not a fan of vast majority of box speaker sound, I have tremendous respect for what David Wilson has accomplished from an entrepreneurial perspective. An absolutely wonderful success story everyone should be proud of, regardless of their audio sonic preferences. And my understanding is that Mr. Giolas was there all along David Wilson in building the most successful company in high end audio.

With that said, if Mr. Giolas position is as you describe, I am sure he can hire others who have more knowledge of digital than he does and build a well rounded team. So wishing all the best to Mr. Giolas in his new role.

With that said, I think we are all wondering why Mr. Giolas is no longer with Wilson Audio, right after writing a book on the history of Wilson.

 

[Hydrology]

With that said, I think we are all wondering why Mr. Giolas is no longer with Wilson Audio, right after writing a book on the history of Wilson.

Quite simply could've fancied a change of scenery. He did comment a few posts up, why dont you ask him?

 

[jfrech]

It’s clear to all of us , DCS end users and dealers alike to have been disappointed, upset and concerned with John Quick’ s ”departure”, and the abrupt manner in which it took place.
Does dCS have an egg on its face? I believe so. We end users not only invest $$$$ in great products, but invest enormous amounts of time , energy and emotion to foster these relationships with a John Quick.to see “Mr. Dcs america “get booted like that- infuriating.

Ozy, I thought this is well put and pretty much how I feel.

 

[jfrech]

Recently, it seems like dcs has been overwhelming the audio press with Bartoks, but that is much lower class of luxury market than the Vivaldi - a completely different customer. They gotta sell a lot of Bartoks ...

Caesar,

I am wondering similar to you. Is this a change of strategy for dCS, moving from the high end to a lower end? To my knowledge, dCS hasn't been a mail order product until ~the same time of the quick exit of John Quick. See link below:

https://www.moon-audio.com/dcs-bartok-dac-with-headphone-amplifier.html

Again, I am a dCS owner. I've owned a Puccini/u-Clock, Scarlatti DAC, Trans, Clock, and for several years now the full Vivaldi stack. All purchased new from my dealer. Back to the PR topic in other posts, maybe some light on the future for some of us. As you also say, the Vivaldi has been out for awhile, no real updates since the v2 software change...

 

[John Giolas]

Caesar,

I am wondering similar to you. Is this a change of strategy for dCS, moving from the high end to a lower end? To my knowledge, dCS hasn't been a mail order product until ~the same time of the quick exit of John Quick. See link below:

https://www.moon-audio.com/dcs-bartok-dac-with-headphone-amplifier.html

Again, I am a dCS owner. I've owned a Puccini/u-Clock, Scarlatti DAC, Trans, Clock, and for several years now the full Vivaldi stack. All purchased new from my dealer. Back to the PR topic in other posts, maybe some light on the future for some of us. As you also say, the Vivaldi has been out for awhile, no real updates since the v2 software change...

Since the Bartok headphone version was always meant to be a head-fi product, it is available within the head-fi distribution channel. Only this version of the Bartok is (and will ever be) available in the head-fi space. All other products – the Bartok Streamer (sans headphone features), the Rossini series, the Vivaldi series – will continue to be sold and serviced exclusively within our existing and trusted two-channel network of dealers.

 

[microstrip]

(...) Again, I am a dCS owner. I've owned a Puccini/u-Clock, Scarlatti DAC, Trans, Clock, and for several years now the full Vivaldi stack. All purchased new from my dealer. Back to the PR topic in other posts, maybe some light on the future for some of us. As you also say, the Vivaldi has been out for awhile, no real updates since the v2 software change...

Yes, the Vivaldi has been in the market for many years. But in all fairness I do not know of any other digital system that would tempt me for a similar price. Listening to the Vivaldi stack in systems that I consider better than mine have shown me that I still have a lot to improve in my system before the DAC becomes a limitation. Surely all this according to my preference!

Although the social part of the hobby and friendship with manufacturers, distributors and dealers is important to me, I have no emotional attachment with high-end gear and clearly separate waters when selecting equipment to my system or moving it out.

 

[Sa683s]

dCS Official Press Release


Good morning all. This thread has been fueled by ongoing speculation and as promised here is the official press release. I hope that this helps all of our DCS users

Thank you Steve

 

[Blackmorec]

Given that this thread was about DCS specifically, I thought it may be interesting to start a new thread to consider the overall distribution of hi-fi equipment and the roles of distributors, dealers and importers.

Over the years, things have changed a great deal in the area of distribution and choices made a few year ago may not be the best decisions for today’s situation, depending on consumer’s priorities.

One thing to bear in mind is that distribution and tax are two of the main drivers in what you pay for a piece of hi-fi equipment, so various alternative strategies can have a major impact in terms of ££££s, $$$$s and €€€€s charged as well as on margins and profits.

Here’s the new thread

The issues and decisions affecting high-end distribution

One of the biggest cost drivers/influencers of pricing in hi-fi is distribution. This thread will discuss what the various issues are, discuss the various channels available and gather opinions of what Audiophiles require, given the costs vs benefits.

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[still-one]

I hope all the speculation is over and we can understand that dCS is doing this to help their business and continue with their USA dealers

As to your question I’m sure dCS is doing this to improve their service as this is a different world we live in now and all manufacturers are having supply chain issues and therefore difficulty meeting time lines.
Like others who have posted here an earlier press release by dCS woul have likely dispelled all speculation

I don’t see how eliminating John Quick or Jesse Luna will improve dCS service. The two of them provided outstanding support to us owners and to my dealer.

 

[Lee]

I think you gotta look at this from a cost perspective: they got rid of 3 out of 4 guys in the US region. There are limited dealer events and shows these days, but it's been like that for over a year and a half, so surprised it took them this long.

One would think that selling a handful more of Vivaldi's would have saved at least some of these jobs. But the Vivaldi is OLD TECHNOLOGY for audiophile standards these days, when we see Wilson release new products seemingly faster than Moore's Law. I think Dell and Lenovo are slower with their product cycles than Wilson these days. How long was Alex on the market before being replaced? just a few years.

Recently, it seems like dcs has been overwhelming the audio press with Bartoks, but that is much lower class of luxury market than the Vivaldi - a completely different customer. They gotta sell a lot of Bartoks to pay those guys.

And most guys who buy Vivaldis , probably already got theirs a while back. So sounds like dCS needs to pump out new products out into marketplace, send them on to Wilson reviewers and they will be back...

But then they will have a different problem: they only have a former wilson guy as their rep. I am sure the guy is very talented at setting up speakers , but probably knows diddley about digital. At least compared to John Quick.

I think you are missing the software upgrades that have occurred with the line. These updates have improved the speed of the Ring DAC and the functionality. It's incorrect to call any dCS product "old technology."

 

[microstrip]

I don’t see how eliminating John Quick or Jesse Luna will improve dCS service. The two of them provided outstanding support to us owners and to my dealer.

We always feel sorry when someone we care and helped us leaves the job and moves to a new job. But please see that John Quick has been with other brands before and Jesse Luna has changed job four times in the last ten years. And fortunately the newcomer to dCS also has an outstanding record in similar functions.

 

[christoph]

That's not what happened and it doesn't give proper credit to John Quick who largely built the brand in the U.S. over roughly 18 years.

This has the same sour taste like when Gryphon let go their US rep recently