dCS Varèse Music System

JASON VICTOR SERINUS - D/A PROCESSOR

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It was during a visit to my music room by five members of the small Off-Islanders Audio Society that the magic of the dCS Varèse Music System ($267,500 as reviewed; $305,000 with CD/SACD transport) became clear.

One member had requested the 24/192 version of "Splendido Sundance" from Saturday Night in San Francisco (24/192 FLAC, Columbia-Legacy/Qobuz), performed by AI Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucía and recorded live in the Warfield Theatre on December 6, 1980. I'd attended the unveiling' of the LP remastering of this recording, presented by the album's co-executive producer, Abey Fon, in the Audio Reference room at High End Munich 2024. The system, which was first class, included a VPI Titan turntable, D'Agostino Relentless preamplifier and Relentless 800 mono amplifiers, a VTL TP-6.5 Series II Signature phono preamplifier, Wilson Audio XVX loudspeakers, Nordost cabling, a Stromtank power generator, and an unheard three-piece dCS Vivaldi APEX music system.² Because many of these components or their smaller relations populate my reference system-I use D'Agostino Momentum M400 MxV mono amplifiers and a Relentless preamplifier, a dCS Vivaldi APEX music system, Wilson Audio Alexia V loudspeakers with Lōke subwoofers, Nordost cabling, and a Stromtank S-4000 MK II XT-I found the system's sonic signature quite familiar.