New Manhattan Dac from Mytek

[57gold]

Yup...the Mytek DSD 192 is the un-blingyest DAC imaginable.

 

Maybe they can make a black box version? Sort of like the inverse of the Swiss guy who put a studio DAC into a fancy box and doubled the price, Weiss.

 

Mytek would probably sell a ton of a plane Jane version for $2500.

[57gold]

Yup...the Mytek DSD 192 is the un-blingyest DAC imaginable.

 

Maybe they can make a black box version? Sort of like the inverse of the Swiss guy who put a studio DAC into a fancy box and doubled the price, Weiss.

 

Mytek would probably sell a ton of a plane Jane version for $2500.

 

Plain Jane...not the flight attendant.

 

Been doing that lately...old age???

[baddog]

Plain Jane...not the flight attendant.

 

Been doing that lately...old age???

 

Clearly the result of too many guitar amps. Consolidate and get a Bludotone. Then you can spend more on guitars and hi-fi!

[Boris75]

but then a little too, Disco?

 

Atrociously bling is how I would put it.

[Boris75]

Too much bling for my tastes- I think they would have been better off leaving the case alone and charging a grand less.

 

I fully agree. I would personally be interested in this DAC for its innards, but the "bi-metal fabrication" and "sculpted design" and "elevated and isolated" features are deal-breakers for me. I would bet that they easily add up $2k to the MSRP.

[mav52]

I fully agree. I would personally be interested in this DAC for its innards, but the "bi-metal fabrication" and "sculpted design" and "elevated and isolated" features are deal-breakers for me. I would bet that they easily add up $2k to the MSRP.

 

Yep its not what's on the outside that counts, it's whats on the inside. This thing is almost back to the Disco era

[Boris75]

Yep its not what's on the outside that counts, it's whats on the inside. This thing is almost back to the Disco era

 

My understanding is that Mytek is primarily a pro company. I would find it nice if they came up with a Pro version of their new DAC with the same technical specifications but without the bling, that is, replacing the heavy "elevated" machined case with a bland box as on the Mytek 192-DSD.

[57gold]

Clearly the result of too many guitar amps. Consolidate and get a Bludotone. Then you can spend more on guitars and hi-fi!

 

Played a Bludo recently, a Hi-Plains Drifter (Steel String Singer type). Nice sounding, like a great vintage Twin Reverb, but a loud SOB.

 

Enjoy my Carol-Ann amps, new one is an OD2r...20-35 Watts. More useable in rehearsals, small venue than a 100-120 watt beasts that Brandon makes. That being said, would love to try out a 50 watt ODS.

 

Also needed a solid state amp for a recurring gig on a pontoon boat. SS uses leads current, so SS is what is required. So picked up a Quilter Tone Block 200. Not bad sounding with some HQ effects. 5 lbs, class D and power output variable 10-200 watts...outdoor gig for a hundred + boats on Tampa Bay.

 

Have @35 guitars, mostly pre 1964 Gibsons and Fenders...so well covered in that regard.

[mav52]

Played a Bludo recently, a Hi-Plains Drifter (Steel String Singer type). Nice sounding, like a great vintage Twin Reverb, but a loud SOB.

 

Enjoy my Carol-Ann amps, new one is an OD2r...20-35 Watts. More useable in rehearsals, small venue than a 100-120 watt beasts that Brandon makes. That being said, would love to try out a 50 watt ODS.

 

Also needed a solid state amp for a recurring gig on a pontoon boat. SS uses leads current, so SS is what is required. So picked up a Quilter Tone Block 200. Not bad sounding with some HQ effects. 5 lbs, class D and power output variable 10-200 watts...outdoor gig for a hundred + boats on Tampa Bay.

 

Have @35 guitars, mostly pre 1964 Gibsons and Fenders...so well covered in that regard.

 

Tampa Bay, darn man we are almost neighbors ( Ocala and Palm Coast here) I still drive over there in Oct and November and fish for redfish, trout and snook in Cockroach Bay and Bishop's Harbor, Bunces Pass and the eastern side of Mullet Key.

 

ohhh pre64's nice.

[Kelly]

But there is a concurrent trend of high quality, inexpensive DACs like the new ifiDSD.

 

Yep. I still have an ifi iDAC that sounds good too. The cheaper stuff is getting good enough that I guess you just have to throw tons of resources to make the flagship stuff markedly superior (or else go a completely different rout like Chord.) So while it probably means I won't own any flagship stuff anytime soon the cheaper lines will be pretty darn superb and good enough for me (and small enough to fit in my pocket!)

[stormbringer]

I have an impression that its nothing more than the Stereo192 - with a lot of cosmetic changes ; the sound was very close to the DSD192 - had the usual "digitized" feel to it - nevertheless a leading manufacturer Mytek;- but i think they need to be in touch with their customers more, their approach is more pro-audio and we hi-fi-ers want some life into our music, not just bling.

[bmoura]

I have an impression that its nothing more than the Stereo192 - with a lot of cosmetic changes ; the sound was very close to the DSD192 - had the usual "digitized" feel to it - nevertheless a leading manufacturer Mytek;- but i think they need to be in touch with their customers more, their approach is more pro-audio and we hi-fi-ers want some life into our music, not just bling.

 

It will be interesting to compare the two. The Stereo192 is being offered at a great price. That could be hard to beat for the new jazzier unit.

[bmoura]

I have an impression that its nothing more than the Stereo192 - with a lot of cosmetic changes ; the sound was very close to the DSD192 - had the usual "digitized" feel to it - nevertheless a leading manufacturer Mytek;- but i think they need to be in touch with their customers more, their approach is more pro-audio and we hi-fi-ers want some life into our music, not just bling.

 

Hmm, heard the Manhattan DAC and the Stereo192 at The Show on Friday. The Manhattan DAC sounds like an upgrade sonically to me.

[matthias]

Hmm, heard the Manhattan DAC and the Stereo192 at The Show on Friday. The Manhattan DAC sounds like an upgrade sonically to me.

 

Surely you could have this with a less expensive case for half of the price.

 

Matt

[firedog]

Well, acc'd to the website, part of the reason for the expensive case is that it also provides electrical isolation/heat reduction.

 

Certainly you could get it for much less with a plain case, buy you can say that for most hi-end audio. Cosmetics sell, like it or not.

 

Surely you could have this with a less expensive case for half of the price.

 

Matt

[firedog]

Yup...the Mytek DSD 192 is the un-blingyest DAC imaginable.

 

Maybe they can make a black box version? Sort of like the inverse of the Swiss guy who put a studio DAC into a fancy box and doubled the price, Weiss.

 

Mytek would probably sell a ton of a plane Jane version for $2500.

 

Except that testing in actual sales in the marketplace genrally shows this not to be true. There seems to be a minority who will pay for high SQ in a plain box. The majority of the market (and don't forget the WAF) wants something that looks good on display, generally in the living room.

 

After a certain price point, most buyers also want something that looks like it cost lots of money. If it doesn't look good, they won't spend the big bucks on it. Not everyone who buys this stuff is a hard core audiophile. They want "good sound", but also something that looks cool and that they can show off.

 

In addition, sighted buying means what looks better tends to "sound better", and therefore sell better.

 

It's not an accident that most high end audio also has high end cosmetics.

[mav52]

It just looks to me Mytek is playing catch up with the other DACS out there. Seems they got behind on upgrades, so might as well introduce a new product and a new clock some new power supplies, improved headphone area, some isolation and bingo its $4,000 for the first 50 and $5000 for all the others. An interesting price in a "market" that is being hammered with new dacs in a whole lot of price ranges up to the insane Trinity Dac at $60,000.

 

I agree cosmetics sell, pretty always wins out when the WAF is taken into consideration

 

As some say, Build it and they will come and pay...

[firedog]

With all the negativity on this thread, have any of you considered that maybe the Manhattan sounds an order of magnitude better than the 192 DSD?

 

Mytek isn't known as a company with bullshit, fluffed up products - they are known as a company that gives value for the dollar. Whatever the looks of the new DAC, I doubt Michal would risk his reputation built up over 20 years for a product that cost 3X the 192 DSD and didn't sound noticeably better.

 

In any case they will be in the hands of consumers and reviewers soon, so we will have an answer.

[mav52]

With all the negativity on this thread, have any of you considered that maybe the Manhattan sounds an order of magnitude better than the 192 DSD?

 

Mytek isn't known as a company with bullshit, fluffed up products - they are known as a company that gives value for the dollar. Whatever the looks of the new DAC, I doubt Michal would risk his reputation built up over 20 years for a product that cost 3X the 192 DSD and didn't sound noticeably better.

 

In any case they will be in the hands of consumers and reviewers soon, so we will have an answer.

 

We will just have to see / hear how it sounds. My old Mytek 192 DSD is lying around my brothers somewhere.

[kennyb123]

With all the negativity on this thread, have any of you considered that maybe the Manhattan sounds an order of magnitude better than the 192 DSD?

 

Mytek isn't known as a company with bullshit, fluffed up products - they are known as a company that gives value for the dollar. Whatever the looks of the new DAC, I doubt Michal would risk his reputation built up over 20 years for a product that cost 3X the 192 DSD and didn't sound noticeably better.

 

I couldn't have said it any better. I don't get all the griping.

[ted_b]

With all the negativity on this thread, have any of you considered that maybe the Manhattan sounds an order of magnitude better than the 192 DSD?

 

Mytek isn't known as a company with bullshit, fluffed up products - they are known as a company that gives value for the dollar. Whatever the looks of the new DAC, I doubt Michal would risk his reputation built up over 20 years for a product that cost 3X the 192 DSD and didn't sound noticeably better.

 

In any case they will be in the hands of consumers and reviewers soon, so we will have an answer.

 

Great post. Michal called me last night and we got caught up on a lot of things. I will be getting the Manhattan toward the end of July (today's prototype not quite ready for prime time). He shared some things with me about it's design (which I will share in the review as they will be public by then) but rest assured this is not simply a stereo 192 in bling clothing. Mytek has too big of a reputation in the pro world to simply do that. And the pre-orders are pretty astounding, so he is in good spirits on that front, but knows they need to finalize the production version asap. Stay tuned.

[bmoura]

Great post. Michal called me last night and we got caught up on a lot of things. I will be getting the Manhattan toward the end of July (today's prototype not quite ready for prime time). He shared some things with me about it's design (which I will share in the review as they will be public by then) but rest assured this is not simply a stereo 192 in bling clothing. Mytek has too big of a reputation in the pro world to simply do that. And the pre-orders are pretty astounding, so he is in good spirits on that front, but knows they need to finalize the production version asap. Stay tuned.

 

I talked to Mytek at the show today and they ticked off all of the areas where the new Manhattan DAC exceeds the current Stereo 192DSD model by some margin. I suggested that they need to document the differences for those who question the pricing and fancier look of the new DAC.

 

As Ted notes, orders for the Manhattan have been strong. And some are coming from the Pro market (mastering engineers) as well as audiophiles.

 

Also worth noting that Mytek is leaving the Stereo 192DSD in their line for now. So fans of the current model - look, features and performance - can continue to order that one instead. (At The Show, the Stereo 192DSD is available for $1,300 through Sunday 6/1).

 

Now, if we could get Mytek to make a 6 Channel model for Multichannel playback.....

[lightminer]

These should primarily be paired with Jeff Rowland Amplification:

 

 

another:

 

 

 

On a more serious note per some of the more recent comments knowing what I know about them as a company, I'm sure this will have significant upgrades over the existing model - I have absolutely no question about that. I have to think he did the case at a decent price - if any of you had ever spoken to this guy (I've spoken to him a few times on different issues) this is an extremely down to earth, no bling, kind of guy. Wayyy on that side of things as people go. So I think he was able to do the case at a decent price somehow, and the real focus has most likely been on the insides.

 

The one thing I can think of is maybe he has been getting beaten up for 4 years on how spartan his other offerings have been, and the company overreacted. And/or maybe he has seen much, much less good sounding DACs costing 2 or 3X his have been doing as well, maybe better at the stores.

 

Anyhow, regardless of that, I'm sure this is an honest effort at a next level dac beyond what they've done so far.

[ted_b]

 

Now, if we could get Mytek to make a 6 Channel model for Multichannel playback.....

 

They do...my stack of three Stereo 192's! I'll replace the front l/r with a Manhattan. Tell Chebon hi from me.

[bmoura]

On a more serious note per some of the more recent comments knowing what I know about them as a company, I'm sure this will have significant upgrades over the existing model - I have absolutely no question about that. I have to think he did the case at a decent price - if any of you had ever spoken to this guy (I've spoken to him a few times on different issues) this is an extremely down to earth, no bling, kind of guy. Wayyy on that side of things as people go. So I think he was able to do the case at a decent price somehow, and the real focus has most likely been on the insides.

 

The one thing I can think of is maybe he has been getting beaten up for 4 years on how spartan his other offerings have been, and the company overreacted. And/or maybe he has seen much, much less good sounding DACs costing 2 or 3X his have been doing as well, maybe better at the stores.

 

Anyhow, regardless of that, I'm sure this is an honest effort at a next level dac beyond what they've done so far.

 

An observation or two on the comments - and appearance of the Manhattan DAC.

 

Buyers in the audiophile market often value products based on looks and price as well as performance. If a product, whether electronics or say a Vinyl LP (for example), is lower priced than the competition or looks "plain" some question how it could be "as good" as higher priced products in that category.

 

I recall one record label awhile back that had to substantially raise the price of their Vinyl LPs before sales increased! When they offered Vinyl LPs at a real low, bargain price, sales were very weak. Even though their sonics and quality were excellent.

 

So it's good to appreciate a good value and basic design. But it is also important to acknowledge that not everyone views products in the audiophile world that way.