Varèse Core vs Boulder 2120
The 2120's bit depth is 32-bit against the Varèse Core's 24-bit, its signal-to-noise 115 dB against 118 dB, and its output impedance 100Ω against 1.5Ω. Both share max sample rate (384 kHz).
AI-generated product photo — not official manufacturer imagery.
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Estimated price (community-sourced)
$250,000
Around — community and catalog average, updates slowly
About the Varèse Core
The dCS Varèse Core is the heart of the five-box Varèse Music System — the signal-processing and streaming hub that handles high-resolution audio decoding, network streaming of the major services, digital input, upsampling, noise shaping and filtering before passing audio to the dedicated Varèse Mono DACs. Built on dCS's latest digital processing platform, it supports PCM up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD up to DSD512, and connects to the other Varèse units (Mono DAC Pair, Master Clock, I/O Module and CD/SACD Transport) over dCS's proprietary ACTUS interconnect for unified audio, control and timing. As the base component of the Varèse system, the Core is the reference-grade streaming and processing front end around which the rest of the system is built.
Specifications
Digital Audio
DAC capabilities and digital audio processing
- Bit Depth
- 24-bit
- Max Sample Rate
- 384 kHz
- DSD Support
- DSD512
- MQA Support
- No
- DAC Chip
- dCS Differential Ring DAC
Analog Output
Analog signal output specifications
- SNR
- 118 dB
- Output Voltage
- 0.2V RMS
- Output Impedance
- 1.5Ω
- Max Output Voltage
- 6.0V RMS
Connectivity
Input and output connections
- Bluetooth
- No
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Ethernet
- Yes
- Digital Inputs
- Ethernet, USB Type A, USB 2.0, AES/EBU
- Digital Outputs
- S/PDIF
- Analog Outputs
- XLR, RCA
Streaming Services
Supported streaming platforms and protocols
- AirPlay
- No
- Chromecast
- No
- Roon Ready
- No
- Spotify Connect
- No
- TIDAL Connect
- No
Physical Dimensions
Size, weight, and appearance
- Weight
- 18.7 kg (41 lbs)
Specifications are community-contributed and may not be accurate or complete. Verify all details with the manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Terms & Conditions