dcs

Puccini CD/SACD Player

Puccini is a revelation - a high end system in one box - combining the aesthetics of the Paganini with all of our upsampling, DAC, clocking and CD/SACD player technology in a single, easy to set up unit which delivers unbeatable performance.

Built to the highest specifications, Puccini features a sleek solid aluminium fascia, high grade aluminium casing, all metal buttons and a smooth transport mechanism. CD or SACD, Puccini will extract every last bit of detail from your discs, bringing a reality to your music that you never heard before.

In common with our Scarlatti and Paganini ranges, Puccini uses our proprietary DSD signal processing and patented dCS Ring DAC, which oversamples all incoming data to 5 bits at 2.822 or 3.07 MS/s. Puccini uses an enhanced version of our dCS Ring DAC, improved through increased processing power, faster FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), improved power supplies and a quieter electrical environment.

Puccini has 3 DSP Filter choices for reconstructing PCM data. The Classic Filter gives good all-around performance.  The Long Filter is a symmetrical filter with more taps, offering improved anti-imaging performance. The Asymetrical Filter is an apodising asymmetric filter, featuring a similar frequency response to the Long Filter, but with no pre-ringing. The best DSP Filter is a personal choice that may depend on the type of music you are playing. The 4 DSD Filters progressively reduce the out-of-band noise level (which is inherent in the 1-bit nature of DSD).

When playing a CD or receiving audio via the DAC digital inputs, Puccini can upsample conventional PCM data to DSD. 

Puccini is the fastest, most precise sounding player you will hear and it also features a digital volume control (allowing you to connect directly to a power amplifier). as well as two digital inputs allowing other digital sources in your system to benefit from the onboard dCS Ring DAC. A precision VCXO clock generator is housed in Puccini, but it can also be synchronised to an external master clock to further reduce jitter and improve performance.

Puccini benefits from our ‘soft' approach to programmable logic, which allows new software to be loaded from a dCS update disc to add new features and adapt to changes in digital formats.

The Puccini range now features a patent pending (GB0817141.5) Puccini U-Clock which is separate grade 1 system clock to further reduce jitter and improve performance. Puccini U-Clock also features a USB to SPDIF converter, which enables Puccini owners to present sound files from a PC or Mac to the legendary dCS Ring DAC inside the Puccini.

 

 

Puccini CD/SACD Player: Front View
  • type
  • Upsampling CD/SACD Player
  • finish options
  • Silver or Black
  • dimensions

  • (W) 460mm x (D) 400mm x (H) 110mm/

    (W) 18.0” x (D) 15.8” x (H) 4.4”

    Allow extra depth for cable connectors.

  • weight
  • 12.1kg/26.6lbs
  • CD mechanism
  • Dual laser CD/SACD mechanism. (Esoteric UMK-5™).
  • converter type
  • Patented dCS Ring DAC topology, oversampling to 5 bits at 2.822 or 3.07 MS/s. CD data may be upsampled to DSD before oversampling.
  • analogue outputs

  • Output Levels: 2V rms or 6V rms

    Balanced Outputs - 1 stereo pair on 2x 3-pin male XLR connectors

    Unbalanced Outputs - 1 stereo pair on 2x RCA Phono connectors.

  • digital I/O

  • INPUTS

    2x SPDIF on 2x RCA Phono connectors accepts 24 bit PCM at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 & 192kS/s.

    OUTPUTS

    2x SPDIF PCM interfaces on RCA Phono connectors, output CD format when a CD is playing only.

    When playing a CD, the data may be upsampled to DSD before oversampling (set in the menu). Upsampling of data from the Digital Inputs to DSD may be activated by loading a license, avaiable from dCS.

  • word clock I/O

  • INPUT

    Word Clock Input on 1x75Ω BNC connector. When playing a disc, accepts standard word clock at 44.1kHz. When using the Digital Inputs, accepts standard word clock at the data rate.

    OUTPUT

    Word Clock Output on 1x 75Ω BNC connector. Outputs 44.1kHz when playing a disc and not locked to an external clock.

     

  • clock frequencies
  • 44.1kHz in Master Mode.
    Calibrated within +/-10ppm,
    not temperature compensated.
  • residual noise
  • DAC mode: Better than -110dB0
    @ 20Hz - 20kHz unweighted.
    (6V Setting)
  • spurious responses
  • Better than –100dB0 @ 20Hz - 20kHz.
  • filters

  • DSD mode (playing an SACD or upsampling a CD) - 4 filter options.

    PCM Mode - 3 filters available; Classic, Long and Asymetrical

  • software updates
  • Updates loaded by CD-R
  • software version
  • 1.30
  • local control
  • Metal-cased IR remote control provided or RS232.
  • power supply
  • Factory set for 100, 115, 220 or 230  V  AC, 49 – 62Hz
  • power consumption
  • 30 Watts typical/ 40 Watts maximum

‘I can't overstate how much I enjoyed music through the Puccini/U-Clock; it was absolutely enthralling on CD, SACD and high resolution sources. This is a digital front end I could live with for the rest of my life."

Robert Harley, The Absolute Sound

"Overall there was something very right about the sound of the dCS Puccini system, not only when playing SACDs or well recorded CDs, but also when playing PCM data sourced from my Mac Mini via USB and the U-Clock"
 
John Atkinson, Stereophile

Key Features

  • Puccini upsamples Red Book CDs to DSD and plays SACDs in their native format.
  • Puccini uses the latest version of our patented dCS Ring DAC, which has several detail improvements over earlier versions.
  • The dCS Ring DAC is a discrete balanced design which does not use any off-the-shelf DAC chips commonly found in other manufacturers' products.
  • Our proprietary 5 bit oversampling topology produces exceptional linearity across the dynamic range.
  • All dCS products use a sophisticated multi-mode phase locked loop (PLL), which significantly reduces clock jitter.
  • Faster, 100% accurate Digital Signal Processors (within the bounds of their resolution) give improved filters, revealing yet more fine detail.
  • Higher capacity FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) give more logic capacity and increase the scope for additional features and enhancements.
  • Improved power supplies give lower running temperature and increased tolerance to AC supply variations.
  • Our ‘soft' approach to programmable logic allows dCS products to adapt to changes in digital formats and add new features by loading new software from a CD.
  • High grade aluminium chassis and laminated acoustic damping panels reduce magnetic effects and vibration.
  • Puccini features a low-power LCD display that makes the user interface easier to read, keeps the power requirements down and minimises electrical noise.