dCS Varèse Digital Playback System: A Sonic Revolution in Digital Audio

Experience the groundbreaking sound of the dCS Varèse digital playback system, where engineering brilliance meets musical magic.

The Spellbinding Introduction to Varèse

I still remember the thrill of discovering a musical icon that changed my listening world. Back in 1971, Frank Zappa shared a similar story about his youthful obsession with the French composer Edgard Varèse. Zappa’s relentless hunt for Varèse’s electronic sound explorations culminated in a euphoric moment—a treasure found in a record bin that would redefine his musical landscape.

Fast forward to today, and there's a digital equivalent to that magic: the formidable five-box dCS Varèse. This digital system doesn’t just play music—it conjures it. The Varèse casts a sonic spell so powerful that its enchanting sound stays with you long after the last note fades.

When I first heard it with my friend Michael Fremer at Innovative Audio in Manhattan, even a vinyl loyalist like him conceded, “The attack, sustain, decay, and imaging finally rival good vinyl.” Alan Taffel, another seasoned reviewer, chimed in during our session, “It doesn’t sound like streaming. It sounds analog.” After Mahler’s monumental “Resurrection” symphony blasted through the system, Taffel declared: “Your digital has taken a quantum leap.” And that’s exactly what it feels like—a giant leap forward.

The dCS Journey: From Radar to Revolutionary Audio

Founded in 1987 near Cambridge, England, dCS originally worked on radar and defense tech before shifting gears to audio. Their first big splash was the dCS 900 analog-to-digital converter so ahead of its time it’s still revered today.

My personal journey with dCS began with their Scarlatti stack in 2007—a sleek three-box trio of CD transport, DAC, and clock. In 2012, I upgraded to the Vivaldi stack after hearing it in Manhattan; it was a remarkable step forward. The 2022 Apex analog board upgrade, which drew from Varèse’s research, pushed the Vivaldi further still.

When company director David Steven invited me to Cambridge, I got an insider’s look at dCS’s heart and soul. Andrew Szelke, a passionate new Program Manager, gave me a tour of the headquarters and the dedicated listening room, where I first experienced the Varèse on Wilson Audio and Magico speakers.

Visiting the local factories that mill Varèse’s exquisite cases and build its circuit boards was eye-opening. Clad in a white lab coat and sporting an anti-static strip, I almost felt ready to jump into the engineering fray myself!

Engineering Marvels Behind Varèse’s Magic

At dCS, two engineering maestros, Chris Hales and Andy McHarg, have quietly revolutionized digital playback over decades. They tackled the tricky challenge of syncing mono DACs (instead of a single stereo DAC) with an ingenious clock system called Tomix. This, along with a slew of innovations like the Mosaic ACTUS app, improved power regulation, and a balanced Ring DAC, makes the Varèse a technological tour de force.

One standout feature is the continuous flex-rigid circuit board, which maintains constant impedance and allows components to sit right next to heat sinks—boosting performance and stability.

The Varèse Core is also a game-changer. Gone are the spaghetti-like bundles of cables common in multi-box systems. Instead, it uses a single ACTUS cable carrying audio and clock signals to connect components seamlessly—a neat, futuristic upgrade that makes setup feel almost sci-fi.

With the intuitive Mosaic ACTUS app, the tactile Varèse remote dial, and an LCD displaying album art and track info, every interaction with the system felt smooth and reassuring. No glitches, no fuss—just pure, confident performance.

How Much Better Is Varèse? Let the Music Speak

David Steven’s own words captured the Varèse’s allure perfectly: “I found myself interpreting songs I know in a different way. I was drawn in and began thinking deeply about the performers and how they were communicating.”

My first taste came at JS Audio in Bethesda, Maryland, where the Varèse’s crystalline treble instantly hooked me. But the real magic unfolded at home after a couple hundred hours of break-in. dCS says about 100 hours is needed, but trust me—the Varèse keeps evolving.

The noise floor drop of 5dB transformed the listening experience. Suddenly, music breathed with serene clarity. Transient accuracy was breathtaking, and legato passages flowed with a silky ease that made every tiny nuance audible, like the delicate quavers in Bach transcriptions by German trumpeter Matthias Höfs.

Imaging? Flawless. Instruments positioned with laser precision, no overlaps or muddiness. On the Es-Dur trumpet album, harpsichord and bassoon locked into their places like players in a chamber orchestra. It was a spatial realism that rivals the best vinyl recordings.

A solo piano recording of Valery Afanassiev playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata was another revelation. The Varèse captured every musical line, every pedal sigh, with stunning lucidity. The first movement’s ethereal decays seemed to stretch into infinity, delivering an emotional punch reminiscent of an 1837 salon gathering where Liszt’s candlelit performance moved listeners to tears.

“The rest of us remained rooted to the spot where we happened to be, no one attempting to move… I had dropped into an armchair, and above my head heard stifled sobs and moans.” – Stuart Isacoff

The Varèse may not have me sobbing, but the emotional depth it offers is undeniable. It doesn’t just close the gap with vinyl; it narrows it so much that vinyl fans might just reconsider their allegiances.

Power, Dynamics, and That Unmistakable Groove

Lower noise means the Varèse sounds louder and punchier at the same volume settings compared to the Vivaldi. This is no trick of perception—I confirmed it myself and witnessed it in a store demo with a trusty SPL meter.

When the Varèse kicked in on the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” from Sticky Fingers, Keith Richards’ electric guitar roar filled the room like a jet engine taking off. The drums hit with a decisive force rarely captured digitally. Though the original recording’s imperfections remain, the Varèse made the experience visceral and gripping.

Turning to a British classical gem, the London Philharmonic’s rendition of Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra was a stunning showcase. The trumpet fanfares expanded in real time, cymbal crashes shimmered, and pizzicato violins clicked with eerie realism. The Varèse not only catches the transient details but recreates their echoing presence within Kingsway Hall itself, like watching a contrail dissolve behind a soaring jet.

On a Delos recording of Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony with the Dallas Symphony, conducted by Andrew Litton, the Varèse delivered deep bass and stunning clarity. Some of this richness was thanks to my recent British invasion of subwoofers—four Wilson Benesch IGx infrasonic generators—that dug into frequencies below 40Hz, lifting the heavy bass load from my Avantgarde SpaceHorns. But the Varèse was feeding the signal with unmatched finesse.

A Majestic Soundstage That Transcends Technology

In sum, the dCS Varèse doesn’t just reproduce music—it creates a majestic, imperturbable soundstage that rivals live performances in force, ambience, and tonal realism. Beyond audiophile jargon lies an overwhelming generosity of sound—warmth, richness, and refinement that sweep you away from everyday concerns and elevate you to a higher musical plane.

A true quantum leap in digital audio.

Specs & Pricing

• Type: Varèse Music System
• Color: Silver
• D/A Converter: dCS Differential Ring DAC
• Analog Outputs: 2x pair balanced (4x XLR connectors, 1.5 ohms output impedance); 2x pair unbalanced (4x RCA connectors, 52 ohms output impedance)
• Maximum Load: 600 ohms (recommended 10k–100k ohms)
• Output Levels: 0.2V, 0.6V, 2V, 6V rms (configurable)
• Digital Inputs: Ethernet (RJ45) for streaming; USB Type A for mass storage; optional Digital I/O Module with USB 2.0, 3x AES/EBU (XLR)
• Digital Outputs: SPDIF on RCA (via Digital I/O Module)
• Word Clock I/O: TTL-compatible Word Clock output (44.1kHz or 48kHz)
• Sample Rates & Formats: 44.1–384kS/s PCM up to 24-bit; DSD64/128/256/512; FLAC, WAV, AIFF
• Residual Noise: Better than -118 dB, 20Hz–20kHz
• Spurious Responses: Better than -115 dB, 20Hz–20kHz
• Power Supply: Self-selecting 100-230V AC, 50-60Hz
• Dimensions: User interface: 131mm x 444mm x 450mm; Master clock and mono DACs around 17.5″ x 5.2″ x 17.3″
• Weight: User interface 14.6 kg; Master clock 15.7 kg; Mono DACs 18.7 kg each; Core 33.1 kg
• Price: $254,000

Associated Equipment Used in Review

• Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Trio G3 speakers with six Avantgarde SpaceHorns
• Subwoofers: Wilson Benesch IGx infrasonic generators (two pairs)
• Linestage: darTZeel NHB-18NS Mk. 2 linestage
• Phonostage: CH Precision P10 phonostage, DS Audio Grand Master phonostage
• Power Amplifier: darTZeel NHB-468 monoblock power amplifier, BWS 6384-SE monoblock
• Analog Sources: Wilson Benesch GMT One analog source, TechDas Air Force Zero
• Phono Cartridges: DS Audio Grand Master EX phono cartridge, Miyajima Infinity mono, Wilson Benesch Tesselate Ti
• Digital Source: Vivaldi SACD/CD playback system
• Cables & Interconnects: Transparent Magnum Opus, Nordost Odin 2
• Power Cords: AudioQuest Dragon, Nordost Odin, ESP Essence, Isoclean Supreme Focus
• Power Conditioner: Nordost QBase, Equitech 10WQ
• Supports: Stillpoints Ultra ESS, Harmonic Resolution Systems VXR

What do you think? Could the dCS Varèse be the digital system that finally matches the magic of vinyl? Or does it carve out its own extraordinary path in high-end audio? Share your thoughts below!

FAQs

• How long does it take to break in the dCS Varèse system?
  Generally, about 100 hours for the majority, but sonic improvements continue after several hundred hours.
• What makes the Varèse’s imaging so exceptional?
  Its precise positioning and separation of instruments create a lifelike spatial experience rivaling the best vinyl.
• Can the Varèse handle large dynamic range music well?
  Absolutely—it delivers powerful, uncompressed dynamics without strain or distortion.
• Is the Varèse compatible with streaming services?
  Yes, it has Ethernet for network streaming and supports various digital inputs.
• What sets the dCS Varèse apart from the Vivaldi system?
  Varèse offers smoother sound, greater detail, a lower noise floor, and a more expansive soundstage.

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