{"product_id":"dcs-vivaldi-stack","title":"Vivaldi Stack","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 · Vivaldi\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 14px;font-size:18px;line-height:1.45;font-weight:600\"\u003eThe four-box dCS Vivaldi: a chassis that only converts, a chassis that only streams and upsamples, a chassis that only keeps time, and a transport, each with its own power supplies and each updatable on its own.\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\"\u003eStack price: Vivaldi APEX DAC, Vivaldi Upsampler, Vivaldi Master Clock and Vivaldi Transport II, priced as the sum of the four components at dCS's current US list. Each is also sold separately; the Transport II can be left out for a three-box streaming system. \u003cstrong\u003eCables are not included:\u003c\/strong\u003e a four-box Vivaldi needs two Dual AES pairs, five word clock cables and a network cable, and we quote Nordost cabling for it separately; the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/varese-dcsaudio\"\u003eVarèse\u003c\/a\u003e is supplied with its four ACTUS cables.\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\"\u003e4\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003echassis: APEX DAC, Upsampler, Master Clock, Transport II\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\"\u003e−113 dB0\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003eresidual noise, 20 Hz–20 kHz (dCS figure for the APEX generation)\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\"\u003e6 MHz\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003eRing DAC APEX operation on Mappers 1 and 3; 3 MHz on Mapper 2\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\"\u003e8\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#55524c;line-height:1.35;margin-top:3px\"\u003eword clock outputs on the Master Clock, in two groups, so every box locks to one reference\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eVivaldi is the dCS architecture in its classic form, and the system that defined the modern company when it was unveiled in Hong Kong in 2012. The principle is one job per chassis. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/vivaldi-apex-dac\"\u003eVivaldi APEX DAC\u003c\/a\u003e holds the Ring DAC APEX board, the dCS Digital Processing Platform and the analog output stage, and nothing that streams, switches or displays. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dcs-vivaldi-upsampler\"\u003eVivaldi Upsampler\u003c\/a\u003e does everything before conversion: it is the system's network streamer and takes USB, AES and S\/PDIF sources, raises any of them to DXD, DSD or DSDx2 on its own supplies, and hands finished data to the DAC over Dual AES. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dcs-vivaldi-master-clock\"\u003eVivaldi Master Clock\u003c\/a\u003e is a Class 1 reference with eight outputs in two groups, so that DAC, Upsampler and Transport all lock to one source, and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/vivaldi-transport-ii\"\u003eVivaldi Transport II\u003c\/a\u003e plays SACD as native DSD and can upsample CD before it leaves the box.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eThe reason for the separation is noise. A converter is only as quiet as its reference supply and its summing stage, and both are disturbed by the processors, network interfaces and switching supplies that a one-box player has to carry. Moving them out is why a Vivaldi stack measures and sounds quieter than a \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dcs-rossini-stack\"\u003eRossini stack\u003c\/a\u003e built on the same generation of Ring DAC: John Atkinson's measurements of the Vivaldi APEX DAC in Stereophile found THD+N of 0.00026 percent at 6 V into 600 Ω, the third harmonic at −127 dB and linearity accurate to about −135 dBFS. It is also why the system ages well. The streaming board is the part of any digital front end most likely to be revised, and dCS has revised it, as the Upsampler Plus, while the DAC has needed one hardware change, APEX, since 2012; earlier Vivaldi DACs can be upgraded to it at the factory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eWhat you hear is ease rather than detail for its own sake: dense recordings come apart into separate lines without effort, the image holds still as the volume changes, and the background between notes is very dark. Jason Victor Serinus, comparing the Vivaldi APEX with the Rossini APEX in Stereophile, heard a greater sense of air, space and detail, richer tone and a more natural flow. The cost of the architecture is cabling, Dual AES between the boxes and a word clock run to each, and that is the problem the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/varese-dcsaudio\"\u003eVarèse\u003c\/a\u003e was designed to remove; the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-stacks-compared\"\u003ecomparison page\u003c\/a\u003e sets the three stacks side by side. Each box is opened and explained above, and the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story\"\u003edCS story\u003c\/a\u003e page covers the technologies in depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"\u003eOn our floor the Vivaldi stack sits on an HRS rack and is most often heard with Burmester, Boulder or Audio Research amplification into Magico, Sonus faber or Bowers \u0026amp; Wilkins loudspeakers. We set up the clock links and the Mosaic app ourselves at delivery, and we can demonstrate the Master Clock's contribution by switching it in and out.\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 dCS's own discrete converter, 48 equal-value current sources switched by an FPGA under a mapping algorithm, in its 2022 hardware revision: a lower-impedance reference supply, a more symmetrical summing stage and a new output stage, about 12 dB more linear than the previous board. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story#tech-dcs-ring-dac-apex\"\u003eThe deep dive\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA chassis that only converts.\u003c\/strong\u003e The DAC carries no network board, no upsampler and no display driver; the Upsampler, the Clock and the Transport each have their own supplies. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-stacks-compared\"\u003eWhy that matters, tier by tier\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUpsampling in its own box.\u003c\/strong\u003e The Vivaldi Upsampler resamples every source to DXD, DSD or DSDx2 with a choice of filters for each conversion, and is the system's streamer: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-mosaic-and-mosaic-actus\"\u003eMosaic\u003c\/a\u003e, Roon Ready, Qobuz, TIDAL, UPnP, AirPlay. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story#tech-dcs-upsampling-and-filters\"\u003eThe deep dive\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVivaldi Master Clock.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two crystal oscillators, one per sample-rate family, calibrated across temperature; eight independently buffered word clock outputs in two groups; input for a 10 MHz external reference. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story#tech-dcs-master-clocking\"\u003eThe deep dive\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDual AES.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two AES cables carry one high-rate stream between the boxes, up to 384 kS\/s PCM or DSD128, and encrypted native DSD from the Transport. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story#tech-dcs-dual-aes\"\u003eThe deep dive\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVivaldi Transport II.\u003c\/strong\u003e A dual-wavelength laser SACD\/CD mechanism in a 23 kg chassis; SACD as native DSD, CD upsampled to DXD, DSD or DSDx2 before it leaves, locked to the Master Clock. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story#tech-dcs-transports\"\u003eThe deep dive\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoftware-defined.\u003c\/strong\u003e Filters, Mappers and streaming services arrive as free firmware; Vivaldi 2.0 remade the system in 2015–16 and \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-mosaic-and-mosaic-actus\"\u003eMosaic\u003c\/a\u003e in 2019. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dcs-story#tech-dcs-digital-processing-platform\"\u003eThe deep dive\u003c\/a\u003e.\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\"\u003eanodized aluminum\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\"\u003eanodized aluminum\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; every box in the stack is ordered in the same finish.\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\"\u003eStack comprises\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eVivaldi APEX DAC ($52,500), Vivaldi Upsampler ($34,400), Vivaldi Master Clock ($25,900), Vivaldi Transport II ($41,000): $153,800 at dCS's current US list\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\"\u003eConverter\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003edCS Ring DAC APEX, stereo, in the Vivaldi APEX DAC; 48 current sources per channel; 6 MHz on Mappers 1 and 3, 3 MHz on Mapper 2\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; DXD, DSD and DSDx2 between Upsampler and DAC over Dual AES\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\"\u003eStreaming\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eIn the Upsampler: Ethernet (dCS Mosaic, Roon Ready, Qobuz, TIDAL, Spotify, Deezer, UPnP, AirPlay, internet radio), USB-A storage, asynchronous USB-B\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\"\u003eClocking\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eVivaldi Master Clock: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192 kHz on eight 75 Ω BNC outputs in two independently buffered groups; ±0.1 ppm typical once stabilized; external 1, 5 or 10 MHz reference input\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\"\u003eDisc\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eVivaldi Transport II: CD and SACD; SACD output as encrypted native DSD; CD as 16-bit\/44.1 or upsampled to DXD, DSD or DSDx2; word clock input at 44.1, 88.2 or 176.4 kHz\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\"\u003eAnalog outputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eBalanced XLR and unbalanced RCA from the DAC at 0.2, 0.6, 2 or 6 V full scale; digital volume control for direct connection to power amplifiers\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\"\u003eResidual noise\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eBetter than −113 dB0, 20 Hz–20 kHz (dCS figure, APEX generation); Upsampler spurious responses better than −100 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, each chassis\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003e444 mm wide; DAC, Upsampler and Clock 151 mm tall, Transport II 178 mm; weights 16.2, 14.2, 13.6 and 23 kg\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\"\u003eCabling\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #d8d5ce;vertical-align:top\"\u003eDual AES Upsampler to DAC and Transport to Upsampler; one word clock cable per box (two to the DAC); Ethernet to the Upsampler. Not included; we quote Nordost Dual AES, 75 Ω clock and Ethernet cables with the stack\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 8px;font-size:16px\"\u003eReviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin:0 0 20px;padding-left:18px\"\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stereophile.com\/content\/dcs-vivaldi-apex-da-processor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eStereophile: dCS Vivaldi APEX D\/A processor\u003c\/a\u003e (Jason Victor Serinus, measurements John Atkinson)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/hifinews.com\/content\/dcs-vivaldi-apex-outboard-dac-apex-ring-dac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eHi-Fi News: dCS Vivaldi APEX, inside the APEX Ring DAC\u003c\/a\u003e (Paul Miller, June 2022)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stereonet.com\/news\/dcs-vivaldi-transport-mark-ii-launched\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eStereoNET: dCS Vivaldi Transport II launched\u003c\/a\u003e (October 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"margin:0 0 5px\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/hifiplus.com\/articles\/dcs-vivaldi-2-0-digital-playback-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eHi-Fi+: dCS Vivaldi 2.0 digital playback system\u003c\/a\u003e (Chris Thomas, January 2017)\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 and keeps the Vivaldi stack on demonstration in Portland. Ask us to arrange an extended audition, to hear it against the Rossini and Varèse stacks in the same room, or to quote the three-box system without the Transport II. Call \u003ca href=\"tel:+15032222599\"\u003e(503) 222-2599\u003c\/a\u003e or email \u003ca href=\"mailto:sales@pearlaudio.com?subject=dCS%20Vivaldi%20Stack\"\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":50911776604258,"sku":null,"price":153800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2475\/2780\/files\/pearl-dcs-vivaldi-stack-front-v2_a77527ac-976c-4943-ab72-eb967519bf9b.jpg?v=1793993090","url":"https:\/\/pearlaudio.com\/products\/dcs-vivaldi-stack","provider":"Pearl Audio","version":"1.0","type":"link"}