dCS

dCS Bartok APEX DAC

Name: dCS Bartok APEX DAC
Brand: dCS
Price: 20950.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$20,950.00

Model #: Bartok APEX DAC
Available in Store Only

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The Bartók APEX preserves the original’s powerful, dynamic, and detailed soundscape, while adding levels of resolution and refinement previously found only in the Rossini or Vivaldi APEX systems.

Engineered to inform and inspire, the Bartók APEX sets a new benchmark for transparency. It reveals the finest details and uncovers textures and subtleties that many systems overlook. From the broadest dynamic swings to the most delicate shifts in tone, the Bartók APEX presents each element of a recording with effortless refinement and remarkable control.

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Product Details

Description

The Bartók APEX is a single-box digital music player that combines the legendary dCS Ring DAC™ and signal processing platform, along with a custom high-performance UPnP music streamer. This versatile system plays music through a range of industry-standard USB, AES, or S/PDIF digital inputs. It can stream over Ethernet from a NAS drive, online music services like TIDAL™ or Spotify™, and from Apple devices via AirPlay™. Additionally, it supports full MQA™ decoding and rendering via its network interface.

Equipped with independent balanced and unbalanced line outputs, the Bartók DAC can drive power amplifiers directly, eliminating the need for a separate preamplifier. All outputs can be set to one of four maximum levels for optimal system compatibility.

Bartók uses the latest dCS Digital Processing Platform and Ring DAC™ technology, originally developed for the Rossini series. With its single FPGA, it offers streamlined signal processing and superior flexibility, ensuring it remains future-proof. The DAC section features DXD upsampling as standard, with optional DSD upsampling and a wide selection of DSP filters to match personal taste and musical style. The network streaming functionality ensures high performance, supporting up to 24-bit, 384kS/s and DSD128, along with major lossless codecs, DSD in DoP format, and native DSD.

The Bartók APEX features dCS’s “auto clocking” architecture, minimizing jitter and improving sound quality, a hallmark of the Vivaldi series. Designed and manufactured in Great Britain, it incorporates aerospace-grade machined aluminum with internal acoustic damping panels to reduce mechanical vibrations and magnetic effects. Multi-stage power regulation and twin mains transformers isolate the DAC circuitry from the headphone amplifier, enhancing overall performance.

With a powerful user interface and a custom control app, Bartók allows easy management of music playback from any source, including iRadio, digital, and UPnP sources, all from one intuitive control point. The system can be updated via CD, USB, or automated downloads, ensuring it evolves with new features and performance improvements over time.

Listening to digital music through Bartók is a truly staggering experience, showcasing dCS’s trademark precision, detail, and immersive sound, while delivering a natural musicality and faithful reproduction of the original recording

Featured Specs

Convertor Type

dCS proprietary Ring DAC™ topology

Digital Inputs

Ethernet network port on RJ45 connector, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 384kS/s PCM, DSD/64 & DSD128 in DFF/DSF format; USB 2.0 interface on B-type connector, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 384kS/s PCM, DSD/64 & DSD128 in DoP format; USB On-The-Go interface on A-type connector, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 384kS/s PCM, DSD/64 & DSD128 in DFF/DSF format; 2 x AES/EBU inputs on 3-pin female XLR connectors, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 192kS/s PCM, DSD/64 & DSD/128 in DoP format; 1 x Dual AES pair, accepts 24-bit 88.2 – 384kS/s PCM, DSD/64 & DSD/128 in DoP format; 1 x SPDIF on RCA Phono connector, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 192kS/s PCM & DSD/64 in DoP format; 1 x SPDIF on BNC connector, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 192kS/s PCM & DSD/64 in DoP format; 1 x SPDIF optical on TOSLINK connector, accepts 24-bit 44.1 – 96kS/s PCM

Power Supply

Factory set to either 100, 115/120, 220 or 230/240V AC 50/60Hz

General Specs

Width (in.)

17.5

Height (in.)

Depth (in.)

17.0

Weight (lb)

36.8

FAQs

Please read our FAQs page to find out more.

What is the warranty on dCS products?

dCS offers a 3-year limited warranty on their products, covering defects in materials and workmanship when purchased from an authorized dealer. If registered within 6 months of the original ship date, the warranty starts from the purchase date. For registrations after 6 months, the warranty begins from the ship date unless supported by the original sales invoice. In any case, the warranty starts no later than 6 months after the ship date.

Do you offer service on dCS products?

We do! In many cases we can service a still under warranty system in the home, however in rare cases we might need to bring it in for more extensive maintenance.

Do you accept trade-ins toward purchase?

Absolutely. We have an aggressive trade in program aimed at getting our clients to the next level. Ask one or our experts about it or submit your potential trade in gear here.