The Modernist
The Bartók began with a singular vision: to combine our past, present and future, distilling 30 years of innovation into a beautiful, flexible and future-proof design that embodies the essence of dCS. Combining a DAC, Music Streamer, Upsampler, Pre-amp and Headphone Amplifier, it offers a remarkable experience for both headphone and stereo listeners

Arresting sound, ingenious design
Powerful, dynamic and versatile, the Bartók is designed to inform and inspire. Its crisp, clear playback renders even the finest details in sharp focus, uncovering textures and subtleties that most systems fail to notice. From the widest swings in volume, to the subtlest shifts in tone, it presents each aspect of a recording with a sense of effortless control. Viewed through its transparent lens, music feels both raw and defined, with each strand of sound revealed to present a complete image with a tangible sense of rhythmic movement and life. With its unrelenting precision and poise, it cuts straight to the heart and soul of a recording, revealing not just the artistry in a performance, but the drama, emotion and atmosphere, too. Designed and hand-assembled at our headquarters in Cambridgeshire, England, the Bartók is born from meticulous craft, exhaustive development and an obsessive attention to detail - a relentless pursuit of musical purity that has inspired us to reimagine the limits of sound reproduction. Sharing the same electronics as our Vivaldi and Rossini systems, it features the latest generations of our pioneering Ring DAC™, clocking architecture and digital processing platform - a unique combination of hardware and software that is unrivalled in its sonic and technical performance. Each aspect of its design has been honed and refined to deliver the purest possible sound with the lowest possible levels of distortion and noise - providing a visceral performance that reveals the true depth and essence of recorded music.Combining precision engineering with an elegant and timeless aesthetic, it is built to withstand even the most intensive use and deliver magnificent sound at all levels and outputs. With its flexible, futureproof hardware, it’s a system that can grow and evolve, delivering a state-of-the-art listening experience for years to come.

Designed for ease of use and superior sound, the Bartók can flex to serve whatever mood or music you ask it to. With its wide range of inputs and outputs, high-performance UPnP streamer, and extensive choice of filters, it offers limitless capabilities and an effortless listening experience. Compatible with all major file formats, it provides instant access to music from a wide range of streaming services, including Roon, TIDAL, Spotify, Qobuz, Deezer and Internet Radio. It also plays files direct from personal devices or storage drives via USB, AES or S/PDIF inputs, and from Apple devices using Apple Airplay. Its streaming interface supports all major lossless codecs, plus DSD in native and DoP formats, and ensures true 24-bit resolution audio when streaming via Ethernet. Playback is easily managed via our Mosaic app, which allows you to access music from multiple sources and adjust the settings on your system through a single, intuitive interface. Available on all Android and iOS devices, the Mosaic control app is supported by a powerful processing platform that runs on custom code developed by dCS. This software-driven design means its performance can be upgraded and enhanced over time, allowing us to add new streaming functionalities as platforms and services develop.

Key Features

• Latest generation dCS Digital Processing Platform brings state-of-the-art signal processing and flexibility

• dCS Ring DAC™ fitted, as used in the dCS Vivaldi digital playback system

• High-quality streaming from TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer and internet radio via the dCS Mosaic Control app

• Roon Ready, AirPlay, Spotify Connect and UPnP compatible

• USB, AES, Dual AES and S/PDIF digital audio inputs

• Headphone amplifier with balanced and unbalanced outputs, suitable for high and low impedance headphones

• Accepts encrypted SACD data from dCS Transports via Dual AES inputs. Oversampling design with switchable DSD upsampling; user-selectable PCM and DSD filters

• Multi-stage DXD oversampling design with switchable DSD upsampling; user-selectable PCM and DSD filters

• Auto clocking system improves ease of use and minimises jitter

• Multi-stage power regulation and twin mains transformers to isolate the DAC section from the headphone amplifier

• Firmware-upgradeable for future functionality and performance upgrades

HeadFi Reimagined
The Bartók’s custom headphone amplifier is the embodiment of our uncompromising approach to design. Starting with the dCS analogue output stage, benchmark performance is maintained with true Class A operation through its balanced and unbalanced outputs. Engineered to deliver a spectacular experience on both high and low impedance headphones, in balanced and unbalanced formats, it is able to handle a vast range of headphone models regardless of efficiency or impedance. Its design also features dedicated power supplies for analogue and digital processing, which are isolated from the DAC section of the system for enhanced precision with minimal crosstalk and noise. This unique architecture allows us to deliver a powerful and transparent performance that uncovers the unique character and potential of your chosen headphones. Headphone use is simple: just plug in your chosen pair, switch the line output and adjust volume levels using the volume dial or our Mosaic control app (no need for a separate preamp). With a choice of four adjustable gain settings, you can adjust its performance to suit your setup, ensuring optimal sound across a vast range of systems. Along with its groundbreaking amplifier, the Bartók Headphone DAC features a unique processing platform that reimagines how sound is optimised for headphones. Expanse is an optional feature that can be engaged with a wide range of stereo recordings to provide a heightened sense of realism, and a greater sense of space and depth.

Specifications