Jump to content
IGNORED

Mytek new dac Brooklyn.


Recommended Posts

rIt brings a smile to my face that I just sold my beloved and cherished 192 dsd dac last Monday in an effort to modernize my digital front end future proofing It feature and sound wise, and today just five days after the new dac Brooklyn has emerged shipping in December just in time for christmas!!!! :)

 

The very thought that I have managed to sell my 192 in a ver good price barely just in time before the inevitable price drop the new arrival would cause brings a wide smile to my face and makes my heart fly with joy and anticipation since tommorow i will ask the Locl dealer wether i will be able to hop on the pre order wagon..

 

Any way I didn't open this thread to talk about my self, even though I couldn't help it being so over joyed by the combination of occurring events .

 

The new Dac Brooklyn has Just appeared here: Mytek Digital | Passion Built Converters and Studio Solutions and so far It has been announced that 256dsd and 32/384dxd will be supported through driverless for Mac OS X USB2.0 as well as a very impressive 24/192pcm and DSD64 through all the other digital inputs!! All the digital inputs can be routed as outputs to a computer taking advantage of an ADC connected to the dac!!

 

The clock has been upgraded to femto precision by a new “Mytek Femtoclock Generator ™” 0.82ps

 

Gone are the Firewire input as well as the USB 1.0 universally driverless ports (the second one worked fine even with android phones as I have successfully tested) of It's predecessor.

 

There is also an analog input like It's predecessor which now can also function as a phono input that is built in and is relay controlled to energize!..

 

An impressive two socket headphone amplifier is also included (500ma 6 watts) . Also digital and analog volume attenuators that can be chosen or bypassed by choice like It's predecessor.

 

Also very interesting is the built in and certified support of the Meridian MQA streaming format a feature that might prove very handy in the very near future!!! Actually the Brooklyn is the first ever hi end dac that supports it since so far only the entry level Meridian Explorer II did so!... i guess they like firsts on Mytek Digital since the 192dsd dac was the first reasonably priced dac to support DSD back in 2011..

 

If you can recall people debated over the usefulness of dsd back then as they do now for Mqa and you know that mytek have been proven right that first time..

 

 

 

You can read for your self all at the announced data brochure here: http://www.mytekdigital.com/download_library/brochures/mytek_rooklyn_dac_brochure_sept2015.pdf and correct or add something I have missed, but since there is a three month wait untill December for a black one to get in my craving possession there are questions that remain to be answered.

 

Is the ESS silicon still being used and if yes what chip?

 

Have mytek opted for an XMOS based USB receiver, something that driverless OS X support suggests?

 

Have they replaced the TC electronic based dsp and antilitter signal processing with something else part of which is the trade marked “Mytek Femtoclock Generator ™" they have announced ?

Those and many other questions as well as some pictures especially of the inarrds of the new dac are missing to get a full first impression and I hope this thread will be the place of those information and updates to be posted as well as more opinions and impressions..

 

As for me being a already a fan who really enjoyed their previous dac for three years ( I already miss It but not too much now) and someone who believes that internet streaming to the likes of TIDAL is the future of the music industry where MQA has huge potential I san barely restrain my joy...

 

So what do you think?..

Link to comment

The "weakness" of the 192 is the preamp - it's good, but not on the level of the DAC itself. Would like to know what they did to upgrade the volume/analog in.

 

Universal driver for MAC is good, as that means it will be compatible with Linux also.

 

Firmware updateable over USB is a needed feature also.

 

The option for external PS is a big deal. Adding a quality external supply may bring the DAC to a higher level than many competitors.

 

I think you can place a big bet that ESS is being used. Mytek are big proponents of it and say that their familiarity with it is one of their advantages.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment

Universal driver for MAC is good, as that means it will be compatible with Linux also.

 

Not sure how you come to this conclusion.

Dedicated Line DSD/DXD | Audirvana+ | iFi iDSD Nano | SET Tube Amp | Totem Mites

Surround: VLC | M-Audio FastTrack Pro | Mac Opt | Panasonic SA-HE100 | Logitech Z623

DIY: SET Tube Amp | Low-Noise Linear Regulated Power Supply | USB, Power, Speaker Cables | Speaker Stands | Acoustic Panels

Link to comment

I think you can place a big bet that ESS is being used. Mytek are big proponents of it and say that their familiarity with it is one of their advantages.

 

My bet is on the ESS 9018. I mean I really liked the sound of the previous one with the 9016 can't see a reason not to be happy with an ESS chip.

Link to comment

A few more questions..

 

-There is no mention of any wireless technology input to the likes of APTX bluetooth right?. i know It is not the best connection for quality but is very handy though It's absence is not the end of the world since It's absence can easily be fixed with an outboard BT receiver.

 

-There also is no mention of Usb OTG compatibility but I already know that that function is featured so no worries

(I believe the we are on the verge of very efficient high quality audio servers specializing on audio running Android the tendency of high quality daps using this mobile os makes me think so..)

 

-That outboard power supply suggests a future in house upgrade me says what do you think?

Link to comment
No Firewire input ? hmm.. it is step back or forward ? what you think ?

 

Firewire though efficient has completed Its Life cycle as a Technology. After all It has been here for a long time since 1992.

 

It might still be useful for some professional applications but as a technology It cannot evolve any further.

 

In the 192 I owned FireWire's Pcm bandwidth was limited to 192KHZ since it was impossible to go any higher due to hardware limitation. You can be sure that FW is breathing It's last breaths since it's successor (and even of USB's) has already emerged in a glorious (and very expensive for the time being) infancy look here:

http://nadac.merging.com

Firewire is over even If It continues to be useful for some pro's but not for HI-END audio.

Link to comment
Not sure how you come to this conclusion.

 

If drivers are not needed for OSX (a kissing cousin version of Linux, frankly) then they are 99.9% certain to be UAC2 compliant, and therefore Linux-friendly. Not sure why you, someone who keeps up, are questioning this; we've made this cause-effect dozens and dozens of times here.

Link to comment
Not sure how you come to this conclusion.

 

Because that's often how it works. DACs that work driverless for MAC generally work with Linux also

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment

Some last thoughts and the last for today.

 

Could the built in certified MQA hardware decoder mean that inside the brooklyn the presence of meridian tech is being used even further? It is obvious that through the Brooklyn there is an attempt for an approach of the MQA format to the very competitive midrange dac market where Meridian for reasons unknown might not want to mess with for the time being.

 

What if the receiver and antilitter/dsp technology inside the Manhattan benefits form Meridians Apodising fitter coding?

What If the mysterious “Mytek Femtoclock Generator ™" is combined hybridly with digital technology form Meridian? After all using other manufacturer's top technologies and implementing them into their design is no strange tactic for Mytek who used top of the shelf technology from TC electronic in the Brooklyn's predecessor the 192.

 

Could this be? If yes that would mean a sure upgrade in the sound of the Brooklyn over to the 192. Meridian's apodising filters have the unique property of upsampling digital giving all the benefits of this intervention without adding any harshness whatsoever. I once owned the director dac and was truly impressed by how impressive and natural It always sounded at the same time, something rare when using conventional up sampling and digital filtering.

 

Could this all be wishful thinking? Well right now I am 90% decided to choose the Brooklyn over other manufacturer's propositions. If any of my wishful thinking comes true I will be 110% certain. If I take into account what the Meridian Director was able of using a very basic and cheap dac chip, a Crystal one also used in game consoles, the combination of ESS silicon with Mytek experience and knowhow and Meridian tech implementation could mean probably one of the best dacs In the category If not the very best..

 

Well I guess that I/we will know soon enough..

Link to comment
Now that I think of It I also hope that the USB 2.0 input of the Brooklyn will be galvanically isolated.. The previous model the 192 I owned was very USB cable sensitive due to the lack of such a feature..

 

That is point, with 192 model and firewire the sound is better,

and there is no hardware limitation with firewire 800 speed,

Link to comment
Some last thoughts and the last for today.

 

Could the built in certified MQA hardware decoder mean that inside the brooklyn the presence of meridian tech is being used even further? It is obvious that through the Brooklyn there is an attempt for an approach of the MQA format to the very competitive midrange dac market where Meridian for reasons unknown might not want to mess with for the time being.

 

What if the receiver and antilitter/dsp technology inside the Manhattan benefits form Meridians Apodising fitter coding?

What If the mysterious “Mytek Femtoclock Generator ™" is combined hybridly with digital technology form Meridian? After all using other manufacturer's top technologies and implementing them into their design is no strange tactic for Mytek who used top of the shelf technology from TC electronic in the Brooklyn's predecessor the 192.

 

Could this be? If yes that would mean a sure upgrade in the sound of the Brooklyn over to the 192. Meridian's apodising filters have the unique property of upsampling digital giving all the benefits of this intervention without adding any harshness whatsoever. I once owned the director dac and was truly impressed by how impressive and natural It always sounded at the same time, something rare when using conventional up sampling and digital filtering.

 

Could this all be wishful thinking? Well right now I am 90% decided to choose the Brooklyn over other manufacturer's propositions. If any of my wishful thinking comes true I will be 110% certain. If I take into account what the Meridian Director was able of using a very basic and cheap dac chip, a Crystal one also used in game consoles, the combination of ESS silicon with Mytek experience and knowhow and Meridian tech implementation could mean probably one of the best dacs In the category If not the very best..

 

Well I guess that I/will know soon enough..

 

Rampant speculation. The presence of MQA means nothing about the filtering of the DAC or anything else about the DAC. How did you get this idea? MQA is going to be on lots of devices, it doesn't mean they have other Meridian tech. MQA is it's own licensing.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
That is point, with 192 model and firewire the sound is better,

and there is no hardware limitation with firewire 800 speed,

 

I am sorry but you are plainly wrong In my opinion.

 

I have owned the 192 for three years and know It like the palm of my hand.

 

The difference between usb and FW connection was not of quality but rather of taste.

 

The final months before I sold it the use of an Ifi gemini Usb cable made a significant improvement on the quality of the Usb 2.0 sound over the FW even If I've been using a very good Oyiade cable on the latter. Also the FW wouldn't play anything beyond 192k pcm, It could play dsd 128 but i doubt It could go up to dsd 256.

 

That would not change even when feeding the FW port of the dac through the FW800 port of my Mac mini. The dac can accept FW 400 only and even if it could accept FW800 the difference in speed or technology between the two is not stellar..

 

These limitations among other things were the main reason that made me sell my 192 even If i liked it and missed It the next day i sold It. The release of the Brooklyn has proven this bold move a wise one..

Link to comment
Rampant speculation. The presence of MQA means nothing about the filtering of the DAC or anything else about the DAC. How did you get this idea? MQA is going to be on lots of devices, it doesn't mean they have other Meridian tech. MQA is it's own licensing.

 

Of course It is speculation based of the fact that on the 192 dac Mytek also used technology licensed from TC electronic. Idid not say that it might be true.Iwas just speculating on wishful thinking.

 

There is much we don't know about this new dac besides that It has been designed from the ground up according to Mytek. So I guess that speculating is alright for the moment..

12036636_1015321178507692_8961415269140248133_n.jpg

Link to comment
Why not ? ...I mean the 192 did DSD 128 with ease through both ISB2.0 and FW ON MY Mac Mini/A+..

The Brooklyn will do DSD under OSX in DoP.

In order to deliver DSD256 in DoP it would require a USB receiver capable of 16x. Here it doesn't seem to be the case.

If OSX was able to support non-DoP like Linux does for certain receivers, then this DAC would have probably delivered DSD256 like it does for Windows.

You can confirm this with Mytek.

Link to comment

I've Just returned form the Local headphone show. https://www.facebook.com/events/419929858192450/

 

I talked to the Mytek dealer from whom I bought the 192 three years ago. The preorder program runs allright in Europe and the details about the procedure as well as the exact pricing will be determined in about two weeks.

He told me that the Brooklyn is a reworked/improved dac with many elements from the 192. The only Meridian element in It is the MQA support so no more speculation ;) He didn't know many details though

and he wasn't all that enthusiastic about the prospects of MQA either.. I couldn't ask him anymore because he was quite busy with all the people around him.

 

What he told me and was really interesting was that the sound of the brooklyn will be keeping all the good elements of the 192 with a smoother treble and better defined and more musical mid bass. I had a listen with the Manhattan they had running on the show and was convinced this could be true. Before listening to the Manhattan I thought that the differences between It and the 192 would be minor. I was wrong. Even though the the sound signature is of the same philosophy the Manhattan is far more musical and engaging even more impressive sounding and surely a lot more fun to listen to. I suppose the Brooklyn will be a significant step towards that direction.

Link to comment

I HATE to see vendor uses MQA codec! It was a failed format last time for a reason. One thing that they never tell you is that it cost MONEY.

 

There is no reason to pay for the greed of some particular vendor, since nowaday the open source formats are so capable, FLAC, Opus 1.1 (as being used in Google VP9 codec) are good examples.

Link to comment
I've Just returned form the Local headphone show. https://www.facebook.com/events/419929858192450/

 

What he told me and was really interesting was that the sound of the brooklyn will be keeping all the good elements of the 192 with a smoother treble and better defined and more musical mid bass. I had a listen with the Manhattan they had running on the show and was convinced this could be true. Before listening to the Manhattan I thought that the differences between It and the 192 would be minor. I was wrong. Even though the the sound signature is of the same philosophy the Manhattan is far more musical and engaging even more impressive sounding and surely a lot more fun to listen to. I suppose the Brooklyn will be a significant step towards that direction.

 

I'd like to hear a comparison of the Brooklyn powered by a quality external LPS vs the Manhattan; I'd bet the gap between the 2 will be partially closed.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

Link to comment
I'd like to hear a comparison of the Brooklyn powered by a quality external LPS vs the Manhattan; I'd bet the gap between the 2 will be partially closed.

 

Yes, IMO the same for Aries Mini vs Aries, BTW.

 

Matt

"I want to know why the musicians are on stage, not where". (John Farlowe)

 

Link to comment
I HATE to see vendor uses MQA codec! It was a failed format last time for a reason.

 

There never was a 'last time' for MQA...

Dedicated Line DSD/DXD | Audirvana+ | iFi iDSD Nano | SET Tube Amp | Totem Mites

Surround: VLC | M-Audio FastTrack Pro | Mac Opt | Panasonic SA-HE100 | Logitech Z623

DIY: SET Tube Amp | Low-Noise Linear Regulated Power Supply | USB, Power, Speaker Cables | Speaker Stands | Acoustic Panels

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...