Does anyone know when it will be available for current owners? Thanks. |
I emailed dCS a couple of months back after John Atkinson's follow-up report in Stereophile on the new firmware version. They are still in the process of working out all the kinks in the software and the CD would probably be available from your local distributor maybe early next year. Can hardly wait! |
Info I got from dCS today:
Whats new in v1.21?
The new software adds some useful new features to the Puccini Player. The new features added since v1.12 are:
1. In addition to the 4 DSD filters, this release adds a choice of 3 DSP filters when playing CDs or receiving 44.1kS/s data. These are:
Classic (the same as the original filter),
Long (a symmetrical filter with improved anti-imaging performance) and
Asymmetric (an apodising filter with a similar frequency response to the Long filter but with no pre-ringing).
When changing filters using the remote control, the MUTE button flips between setting the DSD filter (if available) and setting the DSP filter.
2. The performance in DSD mode has been improved.
3. Occasional problems with the Display-Off timeout have been corrected.
WOW ! Cannot wait ! |
Asymmetric (Asym on display) filter raises the redbook performance to new level. |
Elberoth2,
Was there an update on the release date - like, much sooner than next year? |
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hi Elberoth,
can you please elaborate on point 2: "The performance in DSD mode has been improved" ? do you know how?
thank you! |
No idea. Need to ask dCS. |
Any updates on the release date? Sure wish that it would be available before Christmas. |
I just got mine in the mail yesterday. Didn't have the time to upload it though. |
Elberoth2,
You probably would have uploaded the new version by now. Tell us the exciting news.....! I am still waiting for mine. |
It will take a while. I have Reimyo CDP-777 connected in my system right now, need to put the Puccini back, get re-accustomed to its sound first, and then try the new software. |
I up graded my set (the 1.2.1 version) one week ago.
When I purchased my DCS puccini with u-clock against Meridian 808.3 because DCS can play SACD but the sound of CD was good but not that good. However, now with this new DSP filter, all my CD now sound very musical and the music flow is great, the impact, sound staging improved and it sound less HiFi (Krell-KPS25SC) & more musical (Meridian 808). The effect was very much like what was mention in the Oct Stereophile follow-up by John Atkinson (the 1.2 Verson).
Please make sure you set the unit to "Asym filter" (not the Classic or Long filter but the third filter, the Asym filter = Apodizing filter) to get it sound as good as the Meridian 808 signature CD if not better. The Asym filter will not set automatically.
I am very happy I purchased DCS because now I have the best for SACD & CD.
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Hi Loycheekiong,
Congrats! Did you get yours from High End Research?
Hope to get mine soon.
Best regards from a fellow countryman, Jon. |
Yes, I got it from High End Research.
Regard,
Loy
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I couldn't see any mention of the upgrade on the dCS website. Did I miss it? Do I ask my dealer for it or can it be downloaded? |
It should be available from dealers in about a week. |
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I got the CD uploaded a few days ago and it's the best Christmas present ever.
Just to add to loycheekiong's set-up tips :-
1) When playing Redbook CD's, do not upsample to DSD. Go to the setup menu and choose PCM and then use the remote to choose the Asymmetric Filter. This gives a better sound than going through DSD upsampling.
2) When playing SACD's, the result may vary - some discs sound better with DSD Filters than with DSP Asymmetric Filter, and some others vice versa. But most SACD's sound better with DSD upsampling. After this step, either the DSD or DSP Filter choice is yours, keeping in mind that some SACD's are not pure DSD but remastered from PCM. |
But most SACD's sound better with DSD upsampling. There is no 'DSD upsampling' when playing SACD. SACD discs are already is DSD format ;) |
Elberoth2,
There is indeed no DSD upsampling with SACD. That said, with the Puccini, when playing an SACD, you can go to the set-up menu, and still switch between what dCS describes in the manual as DSD upsampling or PCM oversampling modes. And then from the remote, one can choose from the various DSD filters or DSP filters. In DSD mode, dCS calls it DSD upsampling in general, but of course, when playing an SACD, there is no DSD upsampling. I guess dCS uses the term generally but more in reference to redbook CDs, recommending that redbook CDs be upsampled to DSD for best results. But now with the Asymmetric filter in PCM mode, the game has changed by leaps and bounds. |
A few more interesting observations as I play through more and more Redbook CD's :-
1. For JVC XRCD recordings - better with PCM -> Asymmetric Filter
2. For regular CD's
- if system is warm/tubey, better with PCM -> Asymmetric Filter
- if system is lean/bright, better with DSD -> Asymmetric Filter
Hope this helps. Enjoy! |
I agree with most of the comments however,
I discovered XRCD recordings are supposed to be better with PCM turned on, not the DSD. I have shared my findings with Martin Reynolds of dCS in 2008 and he agreed and stated ''with some XRCD recordings it could be beneficial to turn off the DSD''.
3 Years later, I see PCM conversion has 3 different mods.(I have upgraded to version 1.21 as well)
But, please make sure you have turned on to PCM from DSD.
Otherwise new filters will not function. It can not be done by cycling from remote.It has the made in main menu of dCSs itself.
I urge the fellow dCS owners to re-check the main menu.
Remote does cycling to Filter 1-4, classic to Asym. It does not mean that you can change immediately by pressing the remote button.
As far as John Atkinson's latest comments on latest upgrade concerned, he stated that ''Asym filter was close to what he remembered of the Meridian 808i Signature player's sound: Individual acoustic objects were that bit better modeled and less like theatrical flats on the soundstage, and there was a greater ease to the sound.''
I need to ask the question where his mind has been?
Dcs Puccini was already a better performer than Meridian 808.2 back in 2008. I wonder why he had been waited until 2011 and declared A+ for dCS and rated as digital Product of year? |
