Mytek new dac Brooklyn.

[zorntel]

Just out of curiosity, will the brooklyn run DSD256 using DoP as it stands now on Linux? I'm guessing not given it would need to be DSD512 capable? I'm using Linux HQplayer NAA's to drive my DACs...so I'm guessing this won't work for DSD256 from what you are saying.

 

Robert

[lmitche]

The Mytek Brooklyn USB input is currently limited to 384khz. DSD over DOP needs 768khz to play DSD256 due to the extra overhead with the DOP headers. So the answer is no, DSD256 DOP won't play.

 

However, native DSD256 plays from Windows via Asio. The Linux patch for native DSD256 is being tested now.

 

I understand that USB 768khz is potentially possible with the current hardware. Down the road a firmware patch may become available implementing native DSD512 and DSD256 DOP.

[bibo01]

Do you know what USB interface it has?

[zorntel]

Thanks this is very helpful. So theoretically mac users would be able to get DSD256 if they are using a Linux or Windows NAA with HQplayer?

 

Robert

[zorntel]

USB2

 

http://mytekdigital.com/download_library/brochures/mytek_brooklyn_dac_brochure_sept2015.pdf

[lmitche]

Thanks this is very helpful. So theoretically mac users would be able to get DSD256 if they are using a Linux or Windows NAA with HQplayer?

 

Robert

 

Yes

[mskalin]

zorntel

 

I would be very interested in your Brooklyn/Ifi comparison. I also considered the Ifi Micro iDSD, and also am interested in the yet to be released Ifi Pro DAC. So far I'm leaning towards returning the Brooklyn. In comparing it to my humble Oppo 103 I've noted the main sound characteristics from the Brooklyn to include tighter over control of all frequencies. Cymbals and chimes are more distinct and sparkly in the Brooklyn. Bass is more distinct. Closing my eyes I can more easily imagine different sound elements occupying different spacial places with the Brooklyn. If I were to describe it visually I could say it is like viewing two identical paintings side by side but the forms, colors and lines in the Oppo painting will bleed ever so slightly in comparison to the Brooklyn. But I mean very slightly to my ears. My level of enjoyment of the two components are fairly equal. In some instances, I even prefer the Oppo, probably due to file/recording characteristics.

And notable sound characteristics and overall enjoyment really is the deciding factor for me. I find so little difference between the Oppo 103 and Brooklyn that I'm thinking a $500 component that gives me most of the listening enjoyment I can get from a $2000 component is difficult to replace. I also auditioned the Yggdrasil a few months ago and returned that. In my totally subjective opinion, and as best as I can remember, the Brooklyn sounds better than the Yggdrasil, but neither one represented a huge step up in listening enjoyment over the Oppo 103. I guess this is either a testament to what an excellent value the Oppo is and/or a sign that either my ears are not capable of hearing enough of the differences or my humble system can't bring it out.

No final decisions yet for the Brooklyn. I'll give it another week at least to mature.

[Totsipaki]

zorntel

 

I would be very interested in your Brooklyn/Ifi comparison.

 

I have and enjoy both. The only thing they are comparable at is their common musical and entertaining sound character and that they both are very good for the price asked. Despite those two there is no comparison The Brooklyn is far better in every aspect (as It should) and even though the Ifi is very competent and competitive at It's price It is no match for the far more expensive dac which is the topic of this discussion.

[knopi]

I wanted one great unknown DAC from second hand but unfortunately it is very rare to see so I definitely ordered Brooklyn, in the end silver one because I think it will have better sound than black Marc

[mskalin]

I wanted one great unknown DAC from second hand but unfortunately it is very rare to see so I definitely ordered Brooklyn, in the end silver one because I think it will have better sound than black Marc

 

I got the silver also. I must say the Brooklyn is one of the most attractive DACs available. I really like the scalloped faceplate, and the display is fun to watch as well as being informative and functional. The whole cool factor is very high. Many other DACs look too serious/boring or too gimmicky. Of course I know you are joking about better sound from a silver Brooklyn but it doesn't hurt to have a component you enjoy looking at as well.

[mumsoft]

I wanted one great unknown DAC from second hand but unfortunately it is very rare to see so I definitely ordered Brooklyn, in the end silver one because I think it will have better sound than black Marc

 

Eh? Don't you know that black takes care for more black in the sound then? Anyway, that's the sole reason all the stuff I have in my audiorack is black.

Well, off course I'm kidding. The reason might be that my record player is black, and all the rest has to follow. Plus, there are many colours of 'silver', and black is always black.

 

Yesterday I did a bit of comparison with two downloads, one MQA file with Mozart, the other a 24/192 high-rez version. Pretty hard to tell them apart!

Having said that, I noticed that my vintage Olive 4 played the high-rez file as 24/96 (coax SP/diff), my tiny AV-streamer did only 24/48 (toslink), but my laptop with Win 10 could squeeze 32/384 out of it (USB).

 

I don't think that the Brooklyn showed me false numbers, but I can't be sure.

So, MQA to the rescue? Would it really sound better? I hope so, but by-and-by I tend to think that it won't.

 

Marc

[mskalin]

I have and enjoy both. The only thing they are comparable at is their common musical and entertaining sound character and that they both are very good for the price asked. Despite those two there is no comparison The Brooklyn is far better in every aspect (as It should) and even though the Ifi is very competent and competitive at It's price It is no match for the far more expensive dac which is the topic of this discussion.

 

Thanks, appreciate your feedback.

[mskalin]

Eh? Don't you know that black takes care for more black in the sound then? Anyway, that's the sole reason all the stuff I have in my audiorack is black.

Well, off course I'm kidding. The reason might be that my record player is black, and all the rest has to follow. Plus, there are many colours of 'silver', and black is always black.

 

Yesterday I did a bit of comparison with two downloads, one MQA file with Mozart, the other a 24/192 high-rez version. Pretty hard to tell them apart!

Having said that, I noticed that my vintage Olive 4 played the high-rez file as 24/96 (coax SP/diff), my tiny AV-streamer did only 24/48 (toslink), but my laptop with Win 10 could squeeze 32/384 out of it (USB).

 

I don't think that the Brooklyn showed me false numbers, but I can't be sure.

So, MQA to the rescue? Would it really sound better? I hope so, but by-and-by I tend to think that it won't.

 

Marc

 

And did you notice any difference between those files at various bits and kHz? I'm assuming from same original file?

 

I'm also wondering whether MQA stream would be noticeably better than what you can now get from Spotify premium?

[mskalin]

Hello All, from the first day I plugged in my Brooklyn I noticed the power cord does not sit firmly in the socket at the back of the Brooklyn. It gets power without problem but I've never experienced this issue before. It feels like the female end does not insert all the way so it Is too easily removed. I'm wondering if they sent me the wrong power cord?

Has anyone else experienced this?

[zorntel]

I have and enjoy both. The only thing they are comparable at is their common musical and entertaining sound character and that they both are very good for the price asked. Despite those two there is no comparison The Brooklyn is far better in every aspect (as It should) and even though the Ifi is very competent and competitive at It's price It is no match for the far more expensive dac which is the topic of this discussion.

 

 

I agree that these comparisons are useful, but ultimately whether one experiences differences will be system dependent. I purposefully maintain two very different systems...they have very different characters. One is more laid back and expansive with airtight imaging and deep bass. This is where I choose to listen to large orchestral recordings, organ music, and sonic spectaculars. Its also where my main turntable resides. While the other system is more intimate for nearfield listening. Its fantastic with a vocal soloist and piano, or a acoustic jazz quartet. The music is very present and focused. I tend to listen to this system later at night after the kids have gone to bed...maybe my mood is different at this time of day, too. I'm curious to see how these two different systems resolve differences both between the Mytek and the IFI...but also with the much more similar Auralic Vega. I believe I saw a comparison between the Mytek and the Auralic somewhere at one point. These two DACs are much more comparable, using the same DAC chips (I believe). I paid about $1000 more for a used Auralic a year or two back. I'm intending to do the comparison both with the Mytek running at DSD128 (which is what my Auralic can currently do) and also with the Mytek at DSD256 (what the Auralic will hopefully do later this spring after its firmware upgrade). Now that Mytek seems to be getting caught up with Brooklyn shipping, hopefully the MQA/Linux kinks will get worked out and we will start to see some formal reviews coming out that help to place the unit in the DAC hierarchy.

 

Robert

[jkenton]

You might want to try wrapping some electrical tape around the female power cord end to make a more secure coupling in the socket.

Not a bad tweak with other cords with other components either.

[jkenton]

See my comment about wrapping electrical tape around female end of power cord for more secure connection in socket.

[mumsoft]

Hello All, from the first day I plugged in my Brooklyn I noticed the power cord does not sit firmly in the socket at the back of the Brooklyn. It gets power without problem but I've never experienced this issue before. It feels like the female end does not insert all the way so it Is too easily removed. I'm wondering if they sent me the wrong power cord?

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Yes, me. Inmediately I sought a better fitting one and found one in my computer left-overs. That one doesn't fit very much better but it suffices.

 

Marc

[yummie]

Hello All, from the first day I plugged in my Brooklyn I noticed the power cord does not sit firmly in the socket at the back of the Brooklyn. It gets power without problem but I've never experienced this issue before. It feels like the female end does not insert all the way so it Is too easily removed. I'm wondering if they sent me the wrong power cord?

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Mine was cutting the power with only a slight touch, so replaced it with a stock one at hand.

[mumsoft]

And did you notice any difference between those files at various bits and kHz? I'm assuming from same original file?

 

I'm also wondering whether MQA stream would be noticeably better than what you can now get from Spotify premium?

 

As said, quite hard to hear differences. But I did not do my best for it, I'm still waiting for the MQA-activation. I also can't hear differences with the internal dac of my Olive 4 (not very surprising for me) and the only reason for me to buy an external dac is the promised MQA-feature. Once it comes, I can do real/better comparisons. I still have no streaming options, and I don't know anything about the quality of Spotify. I remember that when I tried it, it wasn't available for Linux. Goodbye then.

I just want to try MQA in my own set, playing from the hard disk of my Olive. If it makes a difference it may stay, if not... well I love the Brooklyn, and maybe the phono function can lure me te keep it.

 

Marc

[nc1688]

May I ask why mac files in folder directly with the amount of sound will be played with the implementation of such a big player with itunes difference? mac Portfolio playback volume and there is a big noise, but with itunes executing the play has changed whispered also clear? Same .wav file! These sources are from mac after mytek brooklyn dac play out of it?

[DP77]

Hello,

has anybody done any serious listening with good headphones. I'm interested in the Brooklyn as a headphone amp, but have not found much information on the internet. Mytek has not reported output impedance for single ended headphone operation, anybody has clue. Since I have OPPOs at 32 Ohm, it is an information I'd like to have before the purchase.

 

Mytek also says that XLR and RE output can be connected simultaneously and that output volume can be separately regulated for all outputs - anyone tried that .

 

DP

[mumsoft]

Hello,

has anybody done any serious listening with good headphones. I'm interested in the Brooklyn as a headphone amp, but have not found much information on the internet. Mytek has not reported output impedance for single ended headphone operation, anybody has clue. Since I have OPPOs at 32 Ohm, it is an information I'd like to have before the purchase.

 

Mytek also says that XLR and RE output can be connected simultaneously and that output volume can be separately regulated for all outputs - anyone tried that .

 

DP

Serious listening to my headphones is not my favourite business, but of course I tried my Beyerdynamic DT770 headphones a while. No complaints. There is not much info in the manual about them, only 'more than 500mA, 6 Watts' and I remember 'can drive difficult headphones'.

In the ouput section you can choose "MAIN", "HP", "BOTH" and "AUTO" (firmware 1.44). In my ignorance I thougth at first that HP stands for Hewlett Packard, but of course it stands for HeadPhone. The output level is seperate for main (speakers) and headphone. In the auto mode the output switches to the headphones when you plug them in.

 

Marc

[yummie]

1.45 is on support site

[mumsoft]

Thanks! If someone knows what it does, please report. MQA?

 

Marc