{"product_id":"bartok-apex-headphone-dac","title":"Bartók APEX Headphone DAC","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"pa-d5\" style=\"color:#080808;line-height:1.6;font-size:15px\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 6px;font-size:11.5px;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#8d1935;font-weight:600\"\u003edCS · Bartók\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 14px;font-size:18px;line-height:1.45;font-weight:600\"\u003eThe Bartók APEX DAC with dCS's Class A headphone amplifier built in: Ring DAC APEX conversion, network streaming, upsampling, a digital preamplifier and a 1.4 W balanced headphone stage with Expanse processing, in one full-width chassis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display:inline-block;margin:0 0 18px;padding:4px 10px;border:1px solid #d8d5ce;border-radius:2px;font-size:13px;color:#55524c\"\u003eCurrent production is the APEX version. This listing includes the Class A headphone amplifier. Available to order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(2,minmax(0,1fr));gap:1px;background:#d8d5ce;border:1px solid #d8d5ce;margin:0 0 22px\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:#f7f6f2;padding:12px 14px\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:20px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.2\"\u003e1.4 W\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003einto 33 Ω, Class A headphone output; 0.15 W into 300 Ω\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:#f7f6f2;padding:12px 14px\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:20px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.2\"\u003e384 kS\/s\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003e24-bit PCM; DSD64 and DSD128\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:#f7f6f2;padding:12px 14px\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:20px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.2\"\u003e4\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003eheadphone gain settings\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:#f7f6f2;padding:12px 14px\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:20px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.2\"\u003e16.7 kg\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003eweight (36.8 lb)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eThe Headphone DAC is the version of Bartók APEX that most headphone listeners buy, and it differs from the standard model in one respect: a headphone amplifier on the front panel, with a 4-pin XLR balanced output and a 6.35 mm jack, driven from the same Ring DAC APEX. The converter is the dCS design shared with Rossini and Vivaldi, a thermometer-coded array of equal-value current sources switched by 48 latches under an FPGA mapper, so that each sample is produced by a different combination of sources and component errors are spread as random noise rather than appearing as distortion. The APEX board of 2022 lowered the impedance of the reference supply feeding those sources, improved the symmetry of the summing stage and introduced a new compound-amplifier output stage; dCS quotes more than 12 dB better second-harmonic linearity and a lower noise floor than the previous board. The headphone amplifier itself operates in Class A, in balanced or unbalanced mode, and is specified at 1.4 W rms into 33 Ω and 0.15 W into 300 Ω, with four gain settings to suit anything from sensitive planars to 300 Ω dynamics; 33 Ω is the minimum rated load.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eHerb Reichert's Stereophile review of the Bartók APEX, which made it the magazine's 2023 Digital Source Component of the Year, found it \"unquestionably smoother, less grainy, and more powerful sounding\" than the original, with a \"wet feel to its clarity\"; his earlier follow-up on the first Bartók Headphone DAC had already singled out its filters and crossfeed for headphone use. Neil Gader in The Absolute Sound heard \"a weightier unmovable foundation\" and an airier, \"wetter\" sense of ambience from the APEX version. For headphones, the Expanse processing is the addition that matters: two settings (E1 and E2) widen the stereo image ahead of a delayed crossfeed stage so that a mix sits in front of the listener instead of inside the head, while leaving the recording's reverberation and the headphone's own character alone. It is switched from the Mosaic app and suits some recordings better than others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eAs a source the Headphone DAC is identical to the standard Bartók APEX. Ethernet carries Roon Ready, TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Deezer, internet radio, UPnP and AirPlay through Mosaic, with full MQA decoding on the network and USB-B inputs. The asynchronous USB-B input accepts 24-bit\/384 kS\/s PCM and DSD128, a USB-A port plays from a drive, two AES\/EBU inputs run singly or as a Dual AES pair to 384 kS\/s, and S\/PDIF is on RCA, BNC and Toslink. Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA line outputs are switchable between 0.2 V, 0.6 V, 2 V and 6 V full scale, so the same unit feeds a loudspeaker system through a preamplifier or directly into power amplifiers, with headphones plugged in when wanted. Two word clock inputs take a Lina or Rossini Master Clock, and a word clock output lets the Bartók act as master for a transport.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 20px\"\u003eWithin the dCS range this is the one-box headphone system; the alternative is the three-box Lina stack of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lina-network-dac\"\u003eNetwork DAC\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lina-master-clock\"\u003eMaster Clock\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lina-headphone-amplifier\"\u003eHeadphone Amplifier\u003c\/a\u003e, whose separate amplifier offers 2 W into 30 Ω, three inputs and three output connectors, at a combined $32,300 against $24,100 here. Above it, Rossini APEX and Vivaldi have no headphone outputs of their own. The Headphone DAC is available to order; ask us to arrange an audition, and to set up the standard \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bartok-network-dac\"\u003eBartók APEX DAC\u003c\/a\u003e so the shared DAC section can be heard first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-size:16px\"\u003eKey technologies\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin:0 0 20px;padding-left:18px\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRing DAC APEX.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 2022 revision of the dCS converter: a lower-impedance reference supply, a more symmetrical summing stage and a compound-amplifier output stage, more than 12 dB more linear in the second harmonic.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClass A headphone amplifier.\u003c\/strong\u003e A balanced or unbalanced Class A stage rated at 1.4 W into 33 Ω and 0.15 W into 300 Ω, with four gain settings and 4-pin XLR and 6.35 mm outputs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003edCS Expanse.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two settings (E1 and E2) widen the image ahead of a delayed crossfeed stage so a mix sits in front of the listener rather than inside the head.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDXD, DSD and DSDx2 upsampling.\u003c\/strong\u003e User-selectable upsampling ahead of the ring, with six PCM filters and the DSD filter set.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMosaic streaming platform.\u003c\/strong\u003e Roon Ready, TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Deezer, internet radio, UPnP and AirPlay over Ethernet, with full MQA decoding.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDigital preamplifier.\u003c\/strong\u003e Four full-scale line output levels and a digital volume control, so the same unit drives speakers and headphones.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-size:16px\"\u003eFinishes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"list-style:none;margin:0 0 6px;padding:0\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;margin:0 0 6px\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex:0 0 18px;width:18px;height:18px;border-radius:50%;background:#c3c4c6;border:1px solid #d8d5ce\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSilver\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan style=\"color:#55524c\"\u003eanodised aluminium\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;margin:0 0 6px\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"flex:0 0 18px;width:18px;height:18px;border-radius:50%;background:#1d1d1f;border:1px solid #d8d5ce\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlack\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan style=\"color:#55524c\"\u003eanodised aluminium\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 20px;font-size:13.5px;color:#55524c\"\u003eBoth finishes are the same price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails open style=\"border-top:1px solid #080808;margin:0 0 6px\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer;padding:12px 0;font-size:16px;font-weight:600\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003ctable style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;margin:0 0 14px\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eConverter\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003edCS Ring DAC APEX with Digital Processing Platform; selectable mapper settings\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eSample rates \/ formats\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003ePCM 44.1–384 kS\/s up to 24-bit; DSD64 and DSD128 (DoP, or DFF\/DSF over network and USB-A); full MQA decoding and rendering on network and USB-B inputs, rendering only on other inputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eUpsampling \/ processing\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eUser-selectable PCM upsampling to DXD, DSD or DSDx2; up to six PCM filters, four DSD filters plus Filter 5; standard crossfeed and dCS Expanse E1\/E2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eDigital inputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003e2 × AES\/EBU (XLR, 44.1–192 kS\/s), usable as a Dual AES pair (88.2–384 kS\/s, DSD64\/128); 1 × S\/PDIF RCA and 1 × S\/PDIF BNC (44.1–192 kS\/s); 1 × Toslink (44.1–96 kS\/s); 1 × USB-B (44.1–384 kS\/s, DSD64\/128 DoP); 1 × USB-A for storage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eNetwork \/ streaming\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eEthernet (RJ45), 24-bit 44.1–384 kS\/s and DSD64\/128; Roon Ready, TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Deezer, internet radio, UPnP, AirPlay; dCS Mosaic app; RS232\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eOutputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eLine: 1 stereo pair balanced XLR (3 Ω) and 1 stereo pair RCA (52 Ω), 0.2 V, 0.6 V, 2 V or 6 V rms full scale. Headphone: 1 × 4-pin XLR balanced and 1 × 6.35 mm unbalanced; 1.4 W rms into 33 Ω, 0.15 W rms into 300 Ω; 33 Ω minimum; four gain settings; Class A\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eClock inputs\/outputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003e2 × word clock inputs (BNC, 44.1–192 kHz, TTL); 1 × word clock output (BNC) when set to Master\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eVolume control\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eDigital volume control via the front-panel rotary, Mosaic or the optional dCS Universal Remote\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003ePerformance\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eResidual noise better than -113 dB0 (24-bit, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 6 V setting); crosstalk better than -115 dB0; spurious responses better than -105 dB0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eDimensions\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003e444 mm W × 430 mm D × 115 mm H (17.5 × 17.0 × 4.6 in); allow extra depth for connectors\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eWeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003e16.7 kg (36.8 lb)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003ePower\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eFactory set to 100, 115\/120, 220 or 230\/240 V; 30 W typical, 50 W maximum\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 10px 7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top;width:40%;color:#55524c\"\u003eFinish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eSilver or black anodised aluminium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 14px;font-size:13px\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dcsaudio.com\/product\/bartok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003edCS Bartók APEX product page and specifications\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-top:1px solid #080808;border-bottom:1px solid #080808;margin:0 0 22px\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer;padding:12px 0;font-size:16px;font-weight:600\"\u003eWhere it sits in the range\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"padding:0 0 14px\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 8px\"\u003eThe one-box dCS headphone system: the Bartók APEX DAC with a Class A amplifier built in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/lina-network-dac\"\u003edCS Lina Network DAC\u003c\/a\u003e: half-width network DAC, Ring DAC, Expanse\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/lina-x\"\u003edCS Lina DAC X\u003c\/a\u003e: full-width Lina with rotary volume control and remote\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/bartok-network-dac\"\u003edCS Bartók APEX DAC\u003c\/a\u003e: first full-size dCS DAC, Ring DAC APEX, streaming built in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003edCS Bartók APEX Headphone DAC\u003c\/strong\u003e (this model)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/rossini-network-dac\"\u003edCS Rossini APEX DAC\u003c\/a\u003e: 6 MHz Ring DAC APEX with Rossini Master Clock and Transport as partners\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/rossini-apex-player\"\u003edCS Rossini APEX Player\u003c\/a\u003e: Rossini APEX DAC with a CD mechanism built in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/vivaldi-apex-dac\"\u003edCS Vivaldi APEX DAC\u003c\/a\u003e: dedicated converter; streaming and upsampling in the Vivaldi Upsampler\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/varese-dcsaudio\"\u003edCS Varèse Music System\u003c\/a\u003e: Differential Ring DAC in mono chassis, Core, Master Clock, ACTUS\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:10px 0 0\"\u003eThe same DAC without the headphone amplifier is the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bartok-network-dac\"\u003eBartók APEX DAC\u003c\/a\u003e; the three-box alternative is the Lina stack with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/lina-headphone-amplifier\"\u003eLina Headphone Amplifier\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-size:16px\"\u003eReviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin:0 0 22px;padding-left:18px\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/stereophile.com\/content\/stereophiles-products-2023-digital-source-component-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eStereophile: 2023 Digital Source Component of the Year, dCS Bartók Apex\u003c\/a\u003e (Herb Reichert's review appeared in Vol.46 No.8, August 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/stereophile.com\/content\/dcs-bartok-da-processorheadphone-amplifier-herb-reichert-june-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eStereophile: dCS Bartók D\/A processor\/headphone amplifier, Follow-Up\u003c\/a\u003e (Herb Reichert, June 2021; original, pre-APEX version)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theabsolutesound.com\/articles\/dcs-bartok-apex-streaming-dac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe Absolute Sound: dCS Bartók APEX Streaming DAC\u003c\/a\u003e (Neil Gader, February 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding:16px 18px;background:#f7f6f2;border-left:3px solid #8d1935\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 4px;font-weight:600\"\u003ePlan your dCS system with Pearl Audio\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px\"\u003ePearl Audio is an authorized dCS dealer. The Bartók APEX Headphone DAC is available to order; ask us to arrange a headphone audition in our Portland showroom. Call \u003ca href=\"tel:+15032222599\"\u003e(503) 222-2599\u003c\/a\u003e or email \u003ca href=\"mailto:sales@pearlaudio.com?subject=dCS%20Bart%C3%B3k%20APEX%20Headphone%20DAC\"\u003esales@pearlaudio.com\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"dCS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50786628173922,"sku":null,"price":24100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2475\/2780\/files\/bartok-apex-headphone-dac-01-primary-square.jpg?v=1793187808","url":"https:\/\/pearlaudio.com\/products\/bartok-apex-headphone-dac","provider":"Pearl Audio","version":"1.0","type":"link"}