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Lumin X1 or dCS Bartok

Both of these beasts look like they could be that “forever purchase”. These are basically the newest offerings from both well respected companies and are within spitting distance of each other price wise  (without the Bartok headphone option installed). Anybody heard both and able to comment?
spinaker01
schelle100's avatar
schelle100
7 posts
 
I upsampled pcm 44k to dsd 128. I hardly heard any difference. Maybe with top level headphones? Same applies to Bartok, settings do not have an impact for me
dznutz
139 posts
 
Biggest difference is that the X1 is the best that Lumin can do... meanwhile the Bartok is DCS’s entry level product.  The Lumin wins.
spinaker01 OP
491 posts
 
That’s some flawed logic right there, dznutz. How does that make the X1 the winner?
dznutz
139 posts
 
perhaps yes, but I have owned the X1 and I have heard the Bartok along with the Rossini.  To my ears, not only do they simply sound different but the Lumin sounds more refined.  At around $15K I would hope to be buying the best a company can do, not their cheapest implementation.
eziggy
137 posts
 
Dznutz, your argument can go both ways.  Sure if you have the top of the line you know you are getting the company’s best.  But if you get a lower model of a much higher line you will most likely be getting trickle down technology from 2-4x price gear but just be missing that extra 5-10%.
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