$20,950 ($22,950 with Class A headphone amp); Apex upgrade for existing owners, $9000
To begin, I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the performance of my Bartók DAC. So, it was with a tiny dose of disbelief that I took the plunge and upgraded to Apex level—a comprehensive package of software and hardware advancements. Was this going to be an “emperor’s new clothes” moment or a sonic home-run? Well, Apex did the unthinkable, and a Golden Ear nod became inevitable. It furthered what the first-generation Bartók began and then surpassed it—and not by a small margin. The DAC remains as tonally accurate as ever, but its voice is more open and exhibits superior bloom and wider micro/macro-dynamic swings. Music felt as if there was a weightier unmovable foundation supporting it and locking it down. Yet ambience was airier and “wetter” with reverberant fields of energy. Like an ultra-high-resolution photograph, the edge-to-edge expanse and focus within the soundstage was pristine. It’s like witnessing a recording from inside the microphone capsule—from opening transient to the last gasp of acoustic decay. In summary, the Apex “effect” was more than just a laundry list of subtle and not so subtle improvements. Apex is not inexpensive, but the sonic improvements floored me—a triumph of naturalism and harmonic detail. The end result was a stirring and more emotional experience of the music I treasure. A component that continues to endure. (300, 344)
Tags: DCS DAC DIGITAL GOLDEN EAR AWARD
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By Neil Gader
My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.
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