The new dCS Varese DAC...it is so good that all others are now relegated to history??

I've heard Varese at a local dealer and also in two home systems that I know well. The dealer had a Vivaldi stack available to AB with and the two home systems had other top shelf sources to compare the Varese with (tape and/or vinyl). Although way out of my price range, Varese is worthy of hyperbole. It is simply spectacular in transparency, dynamics and musicality. Detailed, sure...but still musical. A clear step up from Vivaldi. And, depending on the recording, as good (certainly different presentation in some cases) than the very best tapes or vinyl on hand in the home auditions. 

As for an upgrade being released by dCS next year, I dunno. The former top of the dCS line Vivaldi was 10 years old before the Apex upgrade was introduced...and  the Apex modification was made available to current dCS customers for a relatively reasonable price (considering the price of the units originally). In fact, the Apex technology came from development of the Varese and was introduced in the lower end dCS models even before the Varese came out. 

@daveyf Ja, you are right. I meant to say the very best vinyl pressings that were comparable (albeit differently presented) in audio quality to Varese. Tape is such a unique beast and hard to compare to anything else as the instrument separation on tape is just so danged good. That said, the most noticeable thing I heard on the Varese is it seemed to simplify the complex passages so that your ear can focus on whatever instrument or voice it choses...this is what tape excels at for me. Varese is definitely better at simplifying the music than any other digital I have heard (not heard Wadax, but have heard MSB and other pricey digital systems).