I own a DCS Bartok apex and have been very satisfied with the purchase. In my system to my ears, it is rock solid reliable and delivers a sound that is detailed and musical- the opposite of clinical. I’ve owned mine for a few years and there have been two significant upgrades, The first was free and the second had a cost, which upgraded my unit to the Apex version. Both of these upgrades were substantial improvements, and DCS has a good record of making upgrades available as technology Improves. This provides you with a certain degree of future proofing, which is very important considering that digital technology improves pretty quickly. The first upgrade was in the software which made available improvements that originally appeared in more expensive versions of the product line. The second upgrade was both hardware and software and really was a significant leap forward.
Before I made a decision I auditioned the Bartok against a few others and obviously preferred it, but as with most every component, sound is entirely subjective and I encourage you to listen for yourself if at all lpossible., Unsurprisingly, most folks will recommend what they chose for their system, but what I like and what you like may be very different. While the DCS sound is, to my ears, superb, that is just a subjective opinion. Objectively, I can tell you that my ownership experience has been very positive. The Bartok has been very reliable and the commitment to making significant upgrades available is appreciated. Other manufacturers might do this as well, and I think that is an important consideration,
good luck!
