DCS Puccini and Uclock vs Debussey and Uclock

Brian Berdan from Brooks Berdan LTD brought over a dCS Puccini, U- Clock and Debussy and we listened carefully to all possible configurations. We kept our opinions to ourselves until the session was over. Somewhat surprisingly, we both concluded that the Puccini/U-Clock was the superior combination even when using the Puccini just as a DAC with computer audio. Go figure. And as Jfrech points out, with the Puccini you also get a world class transport. dCS has got something special going on with the Puccini.

The Puccini/U-Clock was more organically nuanced, warmer, slightly more holographic with tightly articulated bass.

All that said I preferred the ARC DAC8, especially for the money. At least for now.

I have my eye on the new ARC REF DAC Digital Media Bridge or a dCS Paganini stack once they update.

Full disclosure, I have gone over to the dark side, having digitized my vinyl and CDs.

Jfrech, the Paganini Upsampler needs to accept 32/384 from all inputs and allow defeat of the automatic DSD upsampling in case you prefer native resolution, like me. After leading the charge they are ossified into a late 20th century perspective. Like so much of the EU.

I hear they're abandoning federalism and entering the 21st century. However meekly.

Jfrech, native DSD with dCS is incomparable. Upsampling all PCM to DSD is not necessarily preferable. I've found listening to PCM at native resolution through a quality DAC superior to the processed complexity of upsampling. 16/44 sounds contrived processed to 24/96. It sounds cartoonish pushed to 1/2.82Ms/S. IMHO.