MSB vs dCS Bartok

I haven’t received the Bartok I have ordered but it’s received universal high praise in all the audio journals. From what I gather it’s darn near a Rossini but lacking the more sophisticated power supply. I would love to hear of a blind test comparing the two units without external clocks. 10k price difference. FWIW

i’m very sorry for your plight. i’ve definitely been there. suggestions from a long((very) time gear trading audionut.
1. don’t judge for a couple of weeks
2. if you’re still not happy i would suggest NOT pouring more money into it. if you don’t like the basic machine the upgrades won’t fundamentally change the character of the sound.
3. if you bought it new and your dealer is a good person and has other lines, figure out what might be better suited to your tastes. they generally don’t like the situation but your unit is new. be firm that if he/she won’t take it back for something else then you feel duped. now i’m way ahead of myself not knowing the dealer or your system but darn sure let him/her know you’re not happy. the sooner the better and seriously don’t add anything to the machine until you’re happy with the base unit. you didn’t ask for my advice so toss it if it has no merit.

4. do NOT count on it sounding better going direct. i’ve personally never found that i would be happy long term with that. there’s always some intangible element missing that makes music special. imho

rfc. is the unit returnable or exchangeable? 

what other brands does the dealer carry? 

imo if you could get into a bartok without too much pain i’d do it without hesitation. it’s a great long term purchase. dcs strongly recommends using the onboard digital volume control but i remain a little skeptical. the bartok is universally praised and will maintain its value better than any other dac that i can think. of course this is only my humble opinion. 

RFC what’s the status with your dealer? Just curious.