There’s nothing like the magic of listening to music in its purest form – every note crisp, every instrument sharp, and every chord resonating with depth and emotion. Imagine hearing your favourite piece of music with such pristine clarity that each note seems to resonate just as the artist intended. This pursuit of sonic perfection is what the Rossini APEX Player promises to deliver – a remarkable digital player designed to elevate every listening experience to something extraordinary.
Introduction
For anyone with a genuine passion for high-end audio, the premium dCS Rossini player hardly needs an introduction. The British company has long been at the forefront of high-fidelity digital audio, playing a pivotal role in the evolution of high-end digital music reproduction. With a history of pioneering innovations, including the first 24-bit, 96kHz DAC and the introduction of USB digital inputs, dCS has redefined what’s possible in digital sound.
Originally founded in the late 80s as a high-tech aerospace defense contractor, dCS’s founder made a seamless transition from designing radar systems for British fighter jets to crafting cutting-edge equipment for music enthusiasts. That blend of technical expertise and a passion for music led to the creation of some of the world’s most acclaimed digital converters, and the Rossini APEX Player is no exception.
Building on the success of the original dCS Rossini, the APEX version takes things to a new level. It combines the best of both worlds: a top-tier DAC with a high-performance optical disc transport, but also incorporates the latest APEX system, a major leap forward in dCS’s sonic precision. This multi-functional player fits perfectly into the brand’s lineup, positioned between the flagship Vivaldi and the more accessible Bartok.
Design
While most hi-fi DAC manufacturers rely on off-the-shelf chipsets for digital-to-analogue conversion, this dCS Rossini player does things differently. They’ve developed their own proprietary Ring DAC, which is a unique hardware platform driven by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). This means the company writes its software code to manage the digital processing, offering them complete control over the entire conversion process.
This approach is time-consuming, labour-intensive, and costly. However, the payoff is a level of precision and customisation that’s rare in the industry. Unlike typical DACs, you can even periodically upgrade dCS units with new software, providing performance improvements and new features for free. However, the APEX upgrade takes things a step further. It requires both new software and new hardware, so existing Rossini and Vivaldi owners can send their units back to dCS for the upgrade, while all new models come with the APEX system right out of the box.
The APEX upgrade isn’t just about software tweaks – it’s a complete redesign of dCS’s Ring DAC hardware. This overhaul began with rethinking the power supply that feeds the DAC circuit board, resulting in significant improvements in overall performance. The engineers then made adjustments to the filtering and summing stages, redesigned the output stage, and even swapped out individual transistors for compound pairs to improve symmetry and linearity. These changes lead to a quieter, more linear analogue board – one that’s over 12dB more linear than its predecessors. This ensures a more detailed and refined listening experience.
Features and Specs
The dCS Rossini APEX Player isn’t just a digital audio converter; it’s an all-in-one powerhouse, brimming with connectivity options and features that cater to even the most discerning audiophiles. Here’s a breakdown of what makes it so special:
- Streaming and compatibility: The Rossini Player can stream from Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, and Internet radio directly through the app. It’s also Roon-ready and fully UPnP compatible, making it a breeze to integrate into your existing setup;
- Inputs galore: Whether you’re using USB (both types), S/PDIF, RCA, TOSLINK, or AES inputs, this player covers all the bases. Plus, it’s fully MQA-compatible, utilizing dCS’s unique custom-coded approach for decoding;
- Silver disc spinner: For those who still love their CDs, the dCS Rossini has a silver disc spinner, though if SACDs are your thing, you’ll want to look at the Rossini CD/SACD Transport or the premium Vivaldi One APEX;
- App control: The Mosaic app by dCS allows seamless control of your player, though it’s worth noting that some track details might be limited on smaller screens. Despite this, it remains intuitive and stable, with no major issues;
- Outputs: The player features balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analogue outputs, which ensures versatility for different audio setups.
Sound Quality
Listening to the dCS Rossini APEX Player is an experience that goes far beyond just hearing music. Its powerful, controlled sound is remarkably detailed, offering more low-end impact than many digital setups, including my reference Chord combo. What stands out is the clarity – the sound is clean, crisp, and natural. I could hear the decay of notes and resonance in a way that’s almost impossible to capture with most digital systems. The bass is forceful but controlled, adding depth to orchestral pieces like Haydn’s 88th Symphony, where I could feel every harmonic in the bass line.
The soundstage feels immense, especially when listening to something like Messiaen’s Turangalila, where the system doesn’t flinch, providing a grand and detailed portrayal of the orchestra. Rhythmic precision is another standout feature. The player’s transient speed brings a level of excitement and energy, particularly on faster, rhythm-driven tracks. It’s alive with sharper bass control and sizzling percussion, making everything feel more dynamic.
Is the dCS Rossini Apex Worth It?
This player is undeniably a top-tier piece of audio equipment, and you can easily find a dCS Rossini for sale nowadays. What stands out most is its ability to deliver exceptional sound across a range of formats with ease. Listening to finely recorded music, like the Beaux Arts Piano Trio’s rendition of Haydn’s 40th Piano Trio, shows Rossini’s incredible spatial precision, placing each instrument in a well-defined, three-dimensional soundstage. The piano is rich and lifelike, while the strings blend beautifully, creating an almost tangible experience.
What makes this player stand out, though, is its versatility and future-proof design. It supports an impressive range of formats and codecs, making it adaptable for a variety of setups, and its firmware upgrade system ensures it remains up-to-date. This player combines exceptional craftsmanship, engineering, and sound reproduction, making it one of the best digital players available today. If you’re looking to enhance the sound even further, adding the Rossini Clock takes the performance to another level.