Some products arrive quietly.
Some arrive with anticipation.
And some arrive and immediately reset the bar.

The dCS Varèse is the latter.

When we hosted the Pacific Northwest debut of Varèse in November 2024, we knew instantly that we were witnessing something rare — a music system capable of revealing the emotional truth in a recording with a clarity and depth that stops you in your tracks.

It was one of those moments where the room goes silent, everyone sits a little straighter, and you feel the music more than you hear it.

Now, the rest of the world is feeling that impact too.

2025 has become a landmark year for Varèse.

Stereo Sound Grand Prix 2025: Golden Sound Award

The dCS Varèse has been awarded the Stereo Sound Grand Prix 2025 Golden Sound Award — the highest honor issued annually by Stereo Sound Japan, given to only one product each year.

One system.
One award.
One pinnacle of achievement.

This year, that honor belongs to Varèse.

Announced in the December 2025 print issue, the award recognizes not just technical brilliance but musical mastery — a system that brings recordings to life with breathtaking realism and emotional immediacy.

Stereophile: Joint Overall Product of the Year 2025

Varèse has also been named Joint Overall Product of the Year 2025 by Stereophile.

This is one of the most influential recognitions in high-end audio. Jason Victor Serinus’s review highlights how Varèse blends precision with soul — digital playback that feels natural, effortless, and deeply human.

Few products sweep both the technical and emotional categories. Varèse does.

dCS in the Wild: The Love Dancin’ Experience

Beyond the listening room, dCS is shaping experiences in unexpected places.

As featured in the dCS Edit, dCS Lina DACs and Master Clocks powered a high-performance sound system inside the Love Dancin’ Tent at the We Out Here Festival in Dorset, UK.

Created by DJ and broadcaster Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy and DJ Adam Dewhurst, the Love Dancin’ system brings reference-level sound into live venues and festivals — proving that great audio belongs wherever people gather to celebrate music.

Their story is a reminder that high-fidelity is not a luxury. It is a connection.

Our Partnership With dCS Continues to Deepen

For decades, Definitive has championed dCS as a brand that understands the emotional core of great sound. Our relationship has grown through countless listening sessions, system builds, and shared standards for what music reproduction can and should be.

Hosting the PNW debut of Varèse in November 2024 was a proud moment for our team and our community. We knew the Varèse was special the moment we heard it — the kind of special that changes expectations.

Today’s awards confirm what we already felt.

Come Hear Why Varèse Matters

The only way to truly understand the Varèse is simple:
Experience it.

Sit down in our listening room.
Play something you love.
Let the system disappear, and let the music take over.

Awards validate excellence — but listening reveals truth.

The Varèse is here.
And it is extraordinary.