dCS Bartok as a one box solution

Yes Dunc - that is the problem I am having as I investigate the Chord Qutest (and other DAC’s for that matter) to pair with my Nait2. Nothing is a one box solution and most require a second box to serve as the streamer. Even with the Naim DAC-V1 I would require a second box to make it ROON ready.
My plan is to simply pair the Qutest with a new Mac Mini M1 and have the Mac perform dual functions - a ROON core and a USB feed to the Qutest. It is either that or look at something like a Sonore MicroRendu to feed the Qutest. My goal is to keep things small and simple.

Best
Gregg

It’s my wish since a while…to stop that discussion. But had to reply to « open mind »…
Happy Christmas

Nothing wrong with a top flight Linn source fronting a Nait. A classic combo :grinning:

Good choice with the Qutest. Well worth looking at the Sonore UltraRendu as a source too. Look forward to hearing about your ‘new’ system on another thread.

Cheers

James

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Be interesting to hear your Nait 2 system thoughts . I had mine serviced recently and am quietly looking for some speakers to build a second system . I’ve been admiring the Proac Tablettes of Graeme and HH .

The ProAcs are amazing. I purchased my pair back in 1987 and they were put away a few years later. They were out to use again in 2003 with my Nait 5 and served me well until replaced with N-Sats and then Allaes.

I have them on SolidSteel SS-6 stands and should be having Atacama Atabites fill coming from the UK and delivered today. I am expecting big things once the stands have some fill and weight in them.

Best
Gregg

Hi Gregg - I’m really enjoying my Tablette 10s, which are rather different from yours as they are sealed thin walled boxes. The reverse mullet as you call it, or source first, usually works well. That’s how I chose my stuff - NDX2/555, Supernait 3 and the Tabs. It’s probably even more engaging than the bigger all Naim system that preceded it, and that was my objective rather than hifiness. I found that comment about DCS not being able to be focussed on SQ or engagement as they don’t make complete systems very strange. On that count neither can ProAc, or Naim come to that as they don’t make speakers any more.

You’ll enjoy getting Atabites into the Solidsteel stands. I have 1.25kg in each leg, which was fun getting through a 6mm funnel. As well as the little round bites there are some cylindrical ones that get clogged in the funnel. You’ll see!! After come experimentation I put the weighted Atabites into a plastic bag with a tiny hole in the corner and let them trickle into the tiny funnel. Initially I was putting them into the funnel with a teaspoon and soon realised it was going to take hours and hours.

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Frenchrooster is certainly open minded with his bizarrely named pre-amp… Q.E.D. :rofl: :rofl:

[Apologies to all Ear owners — I am sure an Ear gives you a great listening experience… :wink:]

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Just incase any DCS owners are here and haven’t already updated the 2 new updates, then do it, easy to do just from the mosaic control app, just a few taps, thats all.
New mosaic upgrade, makes the great app control even better.
Network board upgrade

Hopefully we will get a sonic upgrade in the new year

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I forget…the Bartok doesn’t have WiFi does it?

Hi Nigel

It sounds like you had an adventure getting the Atabites into the Solidsteel stands. Somehow I was extremely lucky. I had a funnel lying around which was exactly the right size and I used some electrical tape to fasten it to each leg. I then proceeded to divide the container of Atabites into 6 equal portions of 1.3kg each. Everything went in extremely easy and I was then good to go. I am so much happier that I chose to go the Atabites route rather than using sand.

I inserted a long thin cooking skewer and calculated that each leg is filled to around 60% height. The results have been truly amazing and after leveling the stands and adjusting the spikes I set everything on Fraim chips and off I went to play around with the positioning.

The ProAcs are very easy and relatively fuss free and after a short time the system was truly singing!
I am absolutely with “jaw wide open” at what I am hearing. After hearing me mumble to myself numerous times my wife started asking why I spent 20 years working my way up to a 552/500 system when the little Nait 2 and ProAcs are doing the business.

I am seriously tempted to order another tub of Atabites and fill the SolidSteel stands up all the way. Have you heard any feedback on that - and if it will provide yet further benefits?

Best
Gregg

PS A big thank you to @MarcusMan who put me in contact with a vendor selling Atabites in the UK. One day delivery from the UK to the other side of the pond. Absolutely amazing.

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I’m impressed that you managed to get 6 portions of 1.3kg, when the whole tub contains 7kg. It’s Christmas magic!! I used 1.25kg in each, which was one tub plus 500g from a second. I estimate they are about 2/3 full. There are many views on how full stands should be and adding too much can deaden the sound. If it were me I’d stick with what you’ve got. The tabs really are little speakers. Now I’ve had them a while they look quite big, especially compared to my other speakers - Neat Iotas.

I wonder whether anyone has actually compared a dCS dac with Meridian’s UltraDac to put this in some perspective? I think @bailyhill has one. He may have made some comparisons. If I remember correctly, I think he said he spoke to Bob Stuart before making the purchase.

That’s correct :+1:

Yes I think someone from above was shining on me. I am sure there is a slight margin of error with my kitchen scale however I somehow came up with 6 x 1.3 = 7.8 so Santa Claus somehow gave me an extra .8kg in the tub.

It was a festivus miracle.

Best
Gregg

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Hello Nemo–you remember pretty correctly. However I never got to audition the dCS equipment. I did call MQA on a trip to UK a couple of years ago, and asked where I could hear MQA at a store near London. I don’t know who I spoke to, but they did suggest dCS. I was exploring MQA at that time, and I think I had the Mytek and was considering a high end MQA DAC at the time. When I got back to the states, I tried locally in the Boston area and pursued MSB, dCS and Meridian. Auditioned the MSB and it was good–not blown away however. PRAT was missing. The dCS dealer was “evaluating” at the time, and had not decided if they were going to sell them. They were also not committing to take my ND555 in trade. So while they dilly dallyed around, the Meridian dealer brought the UltraDac 100 miles, installed and auditioned in my room. He also agreed to take the ND555 back and market it. The UltraDac was wonderful, it gave me just what I was looking for and I packed up the Naim after a couple of hours and we made the deal. Some weeks later, the dCS dealer called and inquired if I was still interested–and I had the pleasure of telling him that I had made a decision and bought the UltraDac.

Some months later, I inquired with Meridian USA about a possible factory tour, as I had another trip to UK/Belgium for a Conference. It was arranged, and Matt Holland gave me an extensive tour of the Meridian factory and its employees. After several hours, Matt said there was someone he wanted me to meet. I turned around, and there was Bob Stuart himself. We chatted for several minutes about MQA and my system. He then invited me into their reference sound room, where he treated me to an hour and half of special music and conversation. I was blown away that Bob took time out of his day to talk to me.

It may be expectation bias, or other, or my many years of pursuing music reproduction as the designer of the Apogee Full Ranges and Apogee Scintillas, but the UltraDac is a keeper and gives me all I was expecting. dCS might have improved upon that. I am sure its a very fine unit, but from what others have said, the external clock really makes it sing.

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Many thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed and fascinating reply.

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FR you misread my post. I put the NDX2 + 555PS DR in the same league as the Bartok. In fact I preferred the NDX2 it is more rythmical. The addition of the 555PS DR to the unit is crucial - the NDX2 on its own only represents 60% of it’s full performance.

I would expect the ND555 streamer to be better - though given the price point this is to be expected. The correct comparison for the ND555 is the Rossini+Clock. I have it on good authority the Rossini+Clock is better than the ND555 - though I would like to hear both with my own ears to decide.

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I don’t have the impression that I missed your post. Your post was very informative and contradicts someone else post saying that the Bartok is on the same league as Nd555.
You compared it to the Ndx2 / 555 dr, and still preferred, globally the Ndx2 / 555dr.
After the Ndx2, you have the Nds, even if not produced anymore, and finally the Nd555, which is on different league.

There’s no good authority Ganymede, only individual ears. Some prefer the Nd555 , some the DCS Rossini / clock.

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@frenchrooster I’m another person on this forum who is dCS into Naim. I also try to be helpful to people…

All music listening is a matter of taste. My kids prefer the Amazon Echo or tinny sounds from their phones because they favour convenience over quality - and whilst they appreciate the differences, they priorities are different, and who am I to argue?

On the dCS question, and relating to this thread, when I bought my replacement Naim system 2-3 years ago (moving on from Chrome bumper gear) I listened to a few other things and decided Naim was still for me - and got a 272, XPS DR, 250 DR, into my old Ruark Prelude II’s - and great it was.

Then I looked to upgrade, and considered the Bartok as a single box solution, especially into active ATC’s. Tried Bartok -> ATC SMC40a’s, Bartok + clock ->40a’s, Bartok + clock -> 50a’s, Rossini -> 50a’s, Rossini + clock into 50a’s, then decided that the end game in source hadn’t been quite matched by the end game in speakers so did lots more listening and ended up with 500DR/552/552PS into Dynaudio Confidence 50’s (there’s much more detail on tother threads here if you search for me). Yes, the budget kept increasing…

I found the dCS revealing, musical, relaxing, pacy, clear, balanced, detailed, neither warm nor cold - just great. The different levels were clear improvements (i.e, Bartok, + clock, Rossini, + clock). Am sure others love their ND555. I didn’t do too much direct comparison as I like the dCS so much, but the one the I did I found the ND555 quite similar but without quite the clarity. No different in PRAT that I could notice. Demo was enough to allow me to feel happy with the dCS.

So am I a Naim-ite? yes, for sure. Recommend Naim kit to loads of people. Am I a dCS fan - sure, it’s great whether you want Bartok -> actives, or Rossini -> amplification. As Dunc says there there quite a few people using dCS into top end Naim kit - they compliment each other well.

One other factor to mention is that the technology used by dCS is designed to be upgradeable over the air, and so the longevity of the device is likely to be longer (and hence the intrinsic value later on higher) - this was one thing that swung it for me too.

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