dCS Bartok Apex vs any similar priced DAC

@ghdprentice  -  You are well aware of the role "synergy" plays in a particular system of assembled components, not to mention the effect of the room itself.  On that basis alone, it becomes short sighted to "root" for one's own component choices.  

Was the original question a fair one?...."dCS Bartok Apex vs any similar priced DAC".  Sure it is, however, it is also an invitation, for often times, shallow non-substantive opinions.  And don't forget there's lots of rich guys who purchase high-end audio who know very little about the subtle nuances and differences. (I've never heard a $100k system that sound BAD.)  When one is spending $25k-ish on a single DAC component, don't 'cheap-out'.  Buy a couple of plane tickets if necessary and audition for yourself through a competent/honest dealer.  The most people on these sites can offer is a simple opinion/statement that likely amounts to, "I like my expensive DAC very much" while thinking, "I'd be damn lucky to re-capture 60% of its cost if I listed it for sale on A-gon".  

@jymc but given this:

You are well aware of the role "synergy" plays in a particular system of assembled components, not to mention the effect of the room itself.

why would this matter?

Buy a couple of plane tickets if necessary and audition for yourself through a competent/honest dealer.

Unless by chance the dealer has the exact same other components, which is a long shot.

Without these...

The most people on these sites can offer is a simple opinion/statement that likely amounts to, "I like my expensive DAC very much"

...according to you, "shallow non-substantive" opinions there would not be much on any of these forums, would there?

Also, perhaps someone mentioning a DAC they haven't even heard, but just read about, that may not be as popular on this side of the pond, like the Aries Cerat for example, may not have been on the OP's radar at all, and it may turn out after demo'ing it to be the perfect DAC for the OP, so "shallow non-substantive" post turned out to be very valuable information. 

Most importantly, like so many other threads the OP just disappears and never returns so valuable/useless posts aside, it is all for nothing.

I hope we can both agree that here is an example of a great thread:

DAC advice needed

magnuman

It’s always the guys who are UNwilling to spend "$21,000 or $80,000 on a DAC", who manage to suggest their $4,500 DAC is "just as good or better"....and that my friend might be the winner for THE MOST "ridiculous statement"?? BTW, there are indeed MANY cartridges that are far superior to whatever $5,000 Japanese cart you’re touting.