DCS Bartok APEX or LINA and master clock

In my opinion, putting more money on bright and veiled sounding DCS DAC or CDP is a bad investment. They all sound bright, veiled and glare with more money or not. The difference is small behind the veil/glare anyway? 

Listen to DCSs

I like my Wavetouch modded Oppo BDP-95's sound better at the fraction of DCS prices.

Original music for reference.

Alex/Wavetouch

Yes I heard the Rossini Apex it makes the old Bartok sound like a squishy toy.

Apex is 3 improvements. The processors are twice as fast, the software is sleeker and analog stage improvements. It’s night/day. It’s more natural and less digititus.

I would upgrade the Bartok or save 40k for the Rossini Apex and buy a better DAC.

don’t master clock anything until you can upgrade the fundamentals.

the Lina is a bauble for headphone children to upgrade from their Chinese made Holo May that isn’t as dynamic.

OR you can just buy a Mola Mola Tambaqui and sell your Bartok and save thousands and thousands and have a better DAC then the Bartok Apex will ever be!

Geez, some serious hate in the Bartok and dCS here. I have the Bartok (non-Apex) and Rossini Apex, and can assure you they both sound amazing, and definitely not bright. Is there more air and a little more detail in the Rossini, sure. But if you weren’t listening to them side by side, they’d both be incredible. 

What should be the expected cost (USD) to upgrade my Bartok? Purchased last Sep 22 from a dealer. I’m being quoted $5K. Is that in-line? Or is there better pricing available?

As far as I’ve read, the Lina isn’t a stripped down Bartok. It seems to be an improvement over the non Apex Bartok.

Likely not an improvement over the Apex though. But I'm not sure.