Article: dCS Rossini DAC Review

[The Computer Audiophile]

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[amir57bs]

I think dCS could not make good DAC even at 120k$.

if you listen to dCS in a high sensitivity loudspeaker like living voice horn with kondo electronics you will find dCS is the most boring dac.

i have listened to elgar and scarlatti, they just kill emotion of music.

 

Amir

[miguelito]

I am listening to a Rossini + Master Clock to an Audio Note Kondo Ongaku to AvantGarde Duo Mezzo speakers - so pretty much what you described. See my signature for more.

 

Sounds awesome, involving and alive. 

[amir57bs]

Listen to CEC TL-0X transport with Kondo KSL DAC. It will change your idea about dCS.

have you heard Living voice room in munich 2015?

[amir57bs]

No body told me avantgarde is emotional.

[AudioDoctor]

Huh, these are not the replies I was expecting...

[Deyorew]

While I was reading this review I became very jealous......of how you somehow have all the great MFSL and AF sacd titles in digital DSD form on your server. How do you have these? I would love an article on the methods to get these proprietary top notch masterings on your server. They can't be bought, they have to be "ripped" somehow I know, but I am jealous that you have them.

[kumakuma]

8 minutes ago, Deyorew said:

While I was reading this review I became very jealous......of how you somehow have all the great MFSL and AF sacd titles in digital DSD form on your server. How do you have these? I would love an article on the methods to get these proprietary top notch masterings on your server. They can't be bought, they have to be "ripped" somehow I know, but I am jealous that you have them.

 

Type "sacd ripping" into the search box and you should find the main threads on this site where this is discussed.

 

The original method used a PS3 with a specific firmware level. The more recent method uses other, more easily obtained SACD players:

 

 

[Deyorew]

oh and as for the DCS here, i am sure it sounds amazing. I would have to turn the lights off because I think they are hideous! lol. Now I was drooling over the McIntosh DAC you reviewed months ago. That has the benefit of seeing it all in darkness and when the lights are on! DCS needs an asthetic makeover. The white box thing (especially as a stack of them) would be very difficult if impossible for me to look past.

[Deyorew]

Oh I know how you do it, but I don't have the true detailed knowledge of it, the players that do it and most importantly the time to rip my collection.

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 hours ago, amir57bs said:

I think dCS could not make good DAC even at 120k$.

if you listen to dCS in a high sensitivity loudspeaker like living voice horn with kondo electronics you will find dCS is the most boring dac.

i have listened to elgar and scarlatti, they just kill emotion of music.

 

Amir

Please tell us what you really think. I'm struggling to read between the lines :~)

 

The beauty of this hobby is that we all have a tremendous number of choices.

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 hours ago, amir57bs said:

No body told me avantgarde is emotional.

The voice in your head didn't tell you? Only kidding Amir.

 

I've heard some very emotional and enjoyable Avantgarde based systems over the years. With really clean power and front end, they can sound fantastic.

[kumakuma]

26 minutes ago, Deyorew said:

Oh I know how you do it, but I don't have the true detailed knowledge of it, the players that do it and most importantly the time to rip my collection.

 

These guys can perhaps help with the last part:

 

http://www.goldeneardigital.com/sacd-dsd-audio-extraction.html

[miguelito]

41 minutes ago, Deyorew said:

While I was reading this review I became very jealous......of how you somehow have all the great MFSL and AF sacd titles in digital DSD form on your server. How do you have these?

I have a PS3 and it works great. I then use ISO2DSD to convert the ISO to individual DSF files, and finally tag the DSF files with Yate (there are many programs than can tag DSF files).

[miguelito]

2 hours ago, amir57bs said:

No body told me avantgarde is emotional.

I would argue most high quality speakers, if properly set up and with the appropriate electronics, can be emotional. I am not going to engage past this comment.

[Blake]

Chris,

 

I know it may sound ridiculous to some, but since you just reviewed it recently, can the Yggy Analog 2 go toe to toe with the Rossini, or is the Rossini is clear step better in your subjective opinion? 

[The Computer Audiophile]

53 minutes ago, Blake said:

Chris,

 

I know it may sound ridiculous to some, but since you just reviewed it recently, can the Yggy Analog 2 go toe to toe with the Rossini, or is the Rossini is clear step better in your subjective opinion? 

Very logical question, but complicated to answer. The Rossini sounds better than the Yggy in my system, but also consider what one's room, one's choice of preamp (mandatory with Yggy) (I bypassed the pre with Rossini), one's listening preferences, PCM or DSD or MQA, feature set (Ethernet input, RoonReady etc...). Because the Yggy doesn't have Ethernet and RoonReady, you have to consider what input your using when thinking about the comparison, etc...

 

To compare the Yggdrasil to the Rossini you must include the source component such as a Signature Rendu SE, the Yggy, and a preamp. The Rossini ethernet input and internal volume control (2V or 6V output) handles everything. 

 

I could go on, but it's much more complicated than the question seems. 

[Keith_W]

I have heard a DCS Rossini and a few other DCS models (I get confused with the model names) a few times. In short, I love DCS! 

 

Of all the audio virtues, I place transparency and detail retrieval at the very top. Especially for a DAC. You can add salt and pepper to your taste by swapping tubes and amps but for me, a DAC and transport must extract every last bit of detail possible from the recording. DCS is unparalleled and it really stands alone in this regard, unmatched by every other high-end DAC I have compared it to. These other DAC's I have heard include Playback Designs, MSB, Esoteric, and so on. 

 

I think the Rossini has a rather dry, clinical presentation that some people won't like. It is also extraordinarily precise - attacks and decays are super fast and super clean. 

 

The only complaints I have for this DAC are the price and the tone. Unfortunately, for my system I need 8 DAC channels. I can afford to buy ONE Rossini. I can't afford to buy 4 of them. 

[Dr Tone]

53 minutes ago, Keith_W said:

I think the Rossini has a rather dry, clinical presentation that some people won't like. It is also extraordinarily precise - attacks and decays are super fast and super clean. 

 

Well that’s a +1 for the measly Yggdrasil in my book.

[Nordkapp]

IDK.....kinda like the DCS aesthetic. Modern, clean. Getting tired of looking at massive, gaudy looking Christmas tree lights on gear.

[miguelito]

6 hours ago, Keith_W said:

think the Rossini has a rather dry, clinical presentation that some people won't like. It is also extraordinarily precise - attacks and decays are super fast and super clean. 

 

Not true in my system at all. If anything it is a deeper color presentation than some other DAC’s I’ve used (EmmLabs, TAD).

 

[fand1]

Chris any thoughts or memories as to how the McIntosh D1100 compared to the Rossini?

[amir57bs]

12 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Please tell us what you really think. I'm struggling to read between the lines :~)

 

The beauty of this hobby is that we all have a tremendous number of choices.

Chris

please consider It is clear that many audiophiles are happy with dCS and you are one of them.

it is clear that many audiophiles prefer CD to LP and they are happy with playing CD or high rez files, i have no problem with their happynes.

My critique is about sound of dCS not about your happyness with dCS.

Chris your loudspeaker will change the game if you listen dCS in Living voice horn system. Living voice could render microdynamics of music with fuller harmonic structure . Living voice could show you dCS is not rich and dCS could not render microdynamics .

 

Chris 

i have heard TAD speaker , it is not sensitive and low sensitivity speakers do not sounds rich .

if you compare LP vs CD then your speaker could not show the difference as a high sensitivity like living voice.

if you listen to dCS with living voice or audio note speaker then you will find dCS is not good .

Amir

[Rexp]

25 minutes ago, amir57bs said:

Chris

please consider It is clear that many audiophiles are happy with dCS and you are one of them.

it is clear that many audiophiles prefer CD to LP and they are happy with playing CD or high rez files, i have no problem with their happynes.

My critique is about sound of dCS not about your happyness with dCS.

Chris your loudspeaker will change the game if you listen dCS in Living voice horn system. Living voice could render microdynamics of music with fuller harmonic structure . Living voice could show you dCS is not rich and dCS could not render microdynamics .

 

Amir

Hi, im on this site to find a digital front end to match my analog sources, ive heard DCS Vivaldi and many others. Do you think digital can now match analog?

[kaka]

Hi Chris

 

I read through your review waiting for the section on what happens when a DCS (or other) external clock is added to the dac, but it wasn't there. Are you intending doing that at some point?