dCS

Bartók APEX Upsampling DAC/Network Streamer

Introduced 2018$24,100 MSRP

The dCS Bartók is a network-attached DAC and headphone amplifier that brought dCS's flagship Ring DAC™ topology, previously reserved for the multi-box Vivaldi system, into a single-chassis "entry-level" model for the British manufacturer. It combines an asynchronous USB, dual AES/EBU, S/PDIF and network streaming inputs with an optional Class A headphone stage, and has since been upgraded through "2.0" and "APEX" hardware revisions that add improved mapping, DSD128 upsampling, and refined analog output stages.

MSRP

$24,100

Used market · Excellent

$15,800

-34% vs MSRP

as of Aug 29, 2026

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MSRP to used market

From $24,100 at launch to $15,800 today.

Specifications

Weight: 14.8kg / 32.7lbs (base spec sheet) to 16.7kg / 36.8lbs (with headphone amp)
Max DSD: DSD128 native/DoP
Dimensions: 444mm x 115mm x 430mm (17.5" x 4.6" x 17.0")
DAC topology: dCS proprietary Ring DAC™
Launch price: £9,999 (DAC), £11,999 (with headphone amp) in 2018
Analog outputs: 1x balanced XLR pair, 1x unbalanced RCA pair, plus 4-pin XLR and 6.35mm headphone outputs on Headphone edition
Digital inputs: 2x AES/EBU (XLR), 2x SPDIF (RCA/BNC), 1x optical TOSLINK, USB 2.0 Type B (async), USB-OTG Type A, Ethernet/UPnP network
Published price: 24100 USD
Power consumption: 25–33W typical, 50W maximum
Current apex price: £19,000 (DAC), £21,500 (with headphone amp); $20,950 / $22,950 in the US
Max PCM resolution: 24-bit/384kHz (via USB/network); up to 32-bit/384kHz cited in some spec sheets
Signal to noise ratio: 116.0dB (line out, A-weighted, 0dBFS re. 6V)

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