The true experimental tweak thread

[austinpop]

29 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Thanks a lot Rajiv! ?

What a pity though! Still considering Altair as my best option, even though many things favours the Brooklyn (sq and looks). The main two advantages with Altair are no USB and no external DC power. Just good old AC power into a floating IT is a very appealing solution for me. I also think that I can lure out some extra sq from the Altair with my existing setup, especially with the grounded Aqvox.

I really appreciate your and Moussa's opinions and suggestions, but other things like bit-perfect group play and upsampling favours the Altair and will most likely make me choose that option. I might get wild & crazy and buy a SonicTransporter and try out Roon when I suddenly have two Roon-Ready devices, but I doubt it. I would rather invest in a Entreq Minimus Silver! ?

 

 

Best of luck! These are not easy choices, and you have to weigh the factors that matter the most to you. 

[Cornan]

1 minute ago, austinpop said:

 

Best of luck! These are not easy choices, and you have to weigh the factors that matter the most to you. 

 

Thanks!

Damn, I did'nt think it would be this hard to spend $2600.-. I normally do it in smaller amounts, and that is a LOT easier!?

 

Looking at the stunning Brooklyn again makes me wonder.

 

Will I not be happier if I buy this? I just hate Altair's remote. I love Brooklyn's apple remote. I will get closer to audio nirvana, but it will be more hassle to just listen to music (battery USB injection & two devices to switch on). I can sell off my Pioneer U-05 and hope to find a Aries femto second hand in the $900 region. &#@*!  ?

 

[austinpop]

5 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Thanks!

Damn, I did'nt think it would be this hard to spend $2600.-. I normally do it in smaller amounts, and that is a LOT easier!?

 

Looking at the stunning Brooklyn again makes me wonder.

 

Will I not be happier if I buy this? I just hate Altair's remote. I love Brooklyn's apple remote. I will get closer to audio nirvana, but it will be more hassle to just listen to music (battery USB injection & two devices to switch on). I can sell off my Pioneer U-05 and hope to find a Aries femto second hand in the $900 region. &#@*!  ?

 

 

I was going to keep my mouth shut, but since you opened the door... 

 

If it were me, I'd absolutely buy the Brooklyn. I would drive it with the Mini initially, and look for a good deal on an Aries Femto.

 

Thr Altair is a jack of all trades, but to my mind, master of none.

[mozes]

One idea out of the blue, I used to have Chord Mojo which is also an amazing dac for $600, it performes like 90-95% of the Brooklyn without a power chord or an external LPS. It was my main Dac for one year and no one believed that the sound was coming from this tiny box. With the new Poly you have a superb system in the palm of your hand and 100% isolated  

 

[Cornan]

1 minute ago, austinpop said:

 

I was going to keep my mouth shut, but since you opened the door... 

 

If it were me, I'd absolutely buy the Brooklyn. I would drive it with the Mini initially, and look for a good deal on an Aries Femto.

 

Thr Altair is a jack of all trades, but to my mind, master of none.

 

I will ofcourse think about it for a while longer, but I actually think that you have managed to change my mind. Not many are capable of that I can tell you. Not even my GF (@ times)! ?  If Moussa love that Brooklyn DAC I am pretty sure I will as well! ? 

Not to forget. It will mean that I can continue to improve my ChromeCast Audio setup, and all the things that I have recently bought for it (DC banana terminal, Canare, banana plugs, DC plugs, router, D-Link switch, power bank, Oehlbach DAC, Gophert floating psu, XLR ground isolator, GA05 TRS to XLR cables etc) is not in vain! ?

 

I do still think that Auralic is a top notch choise for DAC & Streamer. I am mostly suspicious about the headphone amp. Now, I have got Fostex TH900 which is a quite easy load...but will I keep'em forever? Probably not! I actually already have a problem with them. The cable is a bit defect since my son ran all over them recently and got tangled in the cable. Every time I listen to the headphones I'll have to twist one of the cables to get it to sound right. I'll need to send the headphones to Poland to get new wiring or buy a new pair of headphones in the near future. I'll need to be prepared for greater load! ?

[mozes]

11 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

I will ofcourse think about it for a while longer, but I actually think that you have managed to change my mind. Not many are capable of that I can tell you. Not even my GF (@ times)! ?  If Moussa love that Brooklyn DAC I am pretty sure I will as well! ? 

Not to forget. It will mean that I can continue to improve my ChromeCast Audio setup, and all the things that I have recently bought for it (DC banana terminal, Canare, banana plugs, DC plugs, router, D-Link switch, power bank, Oehlbach DAC, Gophert floating psu, XLR ground isolator, GA05 TRS to XLR cables etc) is not in vain! ?

 

I do still think that Auralic is a top notch choise for DAC & Streamer. I am mostly suspicious about the headphone amp. Now, I have got Fostex TH900 which is a quite easy load...but will I keep'em forever? Probably not! I actually already have a problem with them. The cable is a bit defect since my son ran all over them recently and got tangled in the cable. Every time I listen to the headphones I'll have to twist one of the cables to get it to sound right. I'll need to send the headphones to Poland to get new wiring or buy a new pair of headphones in the near future. I'll need to be prepared for greater load! ?

@Cornan don't you have dealers there? the best thing is to listen to the gear if you want. Sometimes this changes our perceptions. BTW, I have only used the Brooklyn as a DAC and never tried it as a headphone amp which I think how you are planning to use it. It seems that it is also excellent as a headphone amp as well

[Cornan]

27 minutes ago, mozes said:

One idea out of the blue, I used to have Chord Mojo which is also an amazing dac for $600, it performes like 90-95% of the Brooklyn without a power chord or an external LPS. It was my main Dac for one year and no one believed that the sound was coming from this tiny box. With the new Poly you have a superb system in the palm of your hand and 100% isolated  

 

 

Chord Mojo, Chord Hugo, Chord 2Qute, Naim DAC-V1, Linn Sneaky music DS, Musical Fidelity Clic M1 etc is examples of the DACs that I already have checked out. However, no MQA...and no go! I think that I will buy a Brooklyn after all. In black despite the huge price difference. At least I know I'll have a DAC that I can retire with! ? I'll just need to find a streamer with the same retire potential! ?

[Cornan]

2 minutes ago, mozes said:

@Cornan don't you have dealers there? the best thing is to listen to the gear if you want. Sometimes this changes our perceptions. BTW, I have only used the Brooklyn as a DAC and never tried it as a headphone amp which I think how you are planning to use it. It seems that it is also excellent as a headphone amp as well

 

I am still in the investigating mode. If I'm lucky I choose a streamer/DAC/HPA that is available at a local dealer. Brooklyn is not! Unfortunately I will have to make the investigation into the crucial part to succeed! As far as I can tell from reviews Brooklyns headphone stage is outstanding and much better than Altair. In terms of DAC it is a close call. ?

[mozes]

9 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

Chord Mojo, Chord Hugo, Chord 2Qute, Naim DAC-V1, Linn Sneaky music DS, Musical Fidelity Clic M1 etc is examples of the DACs that I already have checked out. However, no MQA...and no go! I think that I will buy a Brooklyn after all. In black despite the huge price difference. At least I know I'll have a DAC that I can retire with! ? I'll just need to find a streamer with the same retire potential! ?

Great the Brooklyn will never disappoint you, I bet my money on that!

It will be great when you get it and then you will explore which external LPS sounds the best (other than the expensive usual suspects JS-2 and VR Mini) and if a car battery may be a good option as well . I feel that the Chinese LPSs are getting better and better and with someone technically knowledgeable like you, you may be able to request some features for very affordable cost (Ebay or Aliexpress)

[austinpop]

Just now, Cornan said:

 

I am still in the investigating mode. If I'm lucky I choose a streamer/DAC/HPA that is available at a local dealer. Brooklyn is not! Unfortunately I will have to make the investigation into the crucial part to succeed! As far as I can tell from reviews Brooklyns headphone stage is outstanding and much better than Altair. In terms of DAC it is a close call. ?

 

Yeah I was also going to say I have not looked into the headphone amp section of the Brooklyn, so it's good if the reviews are positive. In any case, you can always upgrade at a later point to a dedicated headphone amp. That is what I did with my Codex. The key is to pick a DAC that punches well above its weight class, because then you can build your chain out from there, and the system will scale up. You can upgrade to the left - with better streamers/endpoints - and to the right - with better amps and headphones!

 

Are you sure that Mytek doesn't give you a 30-day trial?

 

BTW - when it comes to headphones, the Brooklyn supports balanced mode, so that can give you a nice bump in SQ. When you are ready to upgrade your headphones, we should talk. I recently added the Focal Elear to my collection, and I've been highly recommending them to all my friends whose musical tastes are NOT classical - for which I still say the HD800S reigns supreme. And yes, even compared to the Focal Utopia.

 

But that is a whole 'nother topic.

[Cornan]

2 minutes ago, mozes said:Great the Brooklyn will never disappoint you, I bet my money on that!It will be great when you get it and then you will explore which external LPS sounds the best (other than the expensive usual suspects JS-2 and VR Mini) and if a car battery may be a good option as well . I feel that the Chinese LPSs are getting better and better and with someone technically knowledgeable like you, you may be able to request some features for you at a very affordable cost (Ebay or Aliexpress)

 

Thanks Moussa!

My cheeks gets all red by your kind words! ☺️ However, our choises depends on the size of our wallet. My wallet is not thick enough to choose what I want. I'll need to figure out short-cuts to gain the same results. That is why my budget is strictly $2600.- and not more until I can sell some stuff off! ? As you already know I have a lot of non-audio expenses coming up pretty soon and I am really digging deep into my piggy bank to afford a new streamer/DAC/HPA solution. I want it to be as good as possible, and would hate to end up with something I'll want to change in a year or two. If I choose the Brooklyn (very possible) I will surely experiment with it as much as my wallet accepts, and surely with everything I already have got. 

BTW. Do you know the min/max voltage input of the Brooklyn? Maximum A?

[mozes]

The Brooklyn can take 7-14V as per the label on the DC and input. BTW I just ordered an $90 LPS from eBay. It is called Astron RS-12A, it is rated at 7.5amps, and you can also get it used for $40!!

 

I will compare this to my other flagship LPSs and report my findings. The idea here is that you really don't need to spend crazy $$$ for the Brooklyn. Last month, there was a used Brooklyn for around $1200 if I knew you were interested I would have got it for you

[mozes]

The Brooklyn can take 7-14V as per the label on the DC and input. BTW I just ordered an $90 LPS from eBay. It is called Astron RS-12A, it is rated at 7.5amps, and you can also get it used for $40!!

 

I will compare this to my other flagship LPSs and report my findings. The idea here is that you really don't need to spend crazy $$$ for the Brooklyn. Last month, there was a used Brooklyn for around $1200 if I knew you were interested I would have got it for you

[Cornan]

23 minutes ago, austinpop said:

Yeah I was also going to say I have not looked into the headphone amp section of the Brooklyn, so it's good if the reviews are positive. In any case, you can always upgrade at a later point to a dedicated headphone amp. That is what I did with my Codex. The key is to pick a DAC that punches well above its weight class, because then you can build your chain out from there, and the system will scale up. You can upgrade to the left - with better streamers/endpoints - and to the right - with better amps and headphones!

 

Are you sure that Mytek doesn't give you a 30-day trial?

 

BTW - when it comes to headphones, the Brooklyn supports balanced mode, so that can give you a nice bump in SQ. When you are ready to upgrade your headphones, we should talk. I recently added the Focal Elear to my collection, and I've been highly recommending them to all my friends whose musical tastes are NOT classical - for which I still say the HD800S reigns supreme. And yes, even compared to the Focal Utopia.

 

But that is a whole 'nother topic.

 

Well, to be honest I am trying to avoid to add a headphone amp later on, even if I know it could possibly make a difference. I want to find a solution where I do not feel the need to add a new DAC or HPA.

 

I am not much for returning stuff. Even if Mytek accepts a return I will stand by my final choises, in good or bad! ?

 

I have two very knowlegable friends at Head-Fi that both swear by the Stax SR-009 or, very surprisingly, the cheap Beyerdynamics TD-880 Pro 600 ohm. They have both tried just about any headphones in the market. The SR-009 is way out of my league (price wise), but I will surely buy the TD-880 Pro 600 ohm sooner or later. I am personally still over the moon with my Fostex TH900, so I will first of all send them to Poland and gets then rewired into balanced. They suit my kind of music perfectly (indie, electronic, pop, hardcore, sing-a-song-writers etc) and have an authority unmatched by any other headphones that I have tried (incl HD700/HD800). I have never tried SR-009, TD-880 pro 600 ohm or any Audeze headphones though.

[Cornan]

18 minutes ago, mozes said:

The Brooklyn can take 7-14V as per the label on the DC and input. BTW I just ordered an $90 LPS from eBay. It is called Astron RS-12A, it is rated at 7.5amps, and you can also get it used for $40!!

 

I will compare this to my other flagship LPSs and report my findings. The idea here is that you really don't need to spend crazy $$$ for the Brooklyn. Last month, there was a used Brooklyn for around $1200 if I knew you were interested I would have got it for you

 

That is really great news my friend!  This means that I most likely can power it with a 7,4-8,4v unregulated battery pack. It makes me even more interested in the Brooklyn! ?

I will check out that Astron as well tomorrow. Now it is bed time for me!  ?

Please do report back with your findings. Very interesting for me right now! ?

 

In a way I want to buy the Brooklyn brand new to enjoy it to the full. Any other device will be just fine second hand. The Brooklyn is very appealing device to get "untouched" by others! It is that stunning! ☺️

 

[mozes]

22 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

That is really great news my friend!  This means that I most likely can power it with a 7,4-8,4v unregulated battery pack. It makes me even more interested in the Brooklyn! ?

I will check out that Astron as well tomorrow. Now it is bed time for me!  ?

Please do report back with your findings. Very interesting for me right now! ?

 

In a way I want to buy the Brooklyn brand new to enjoy it to the full. Any other device will be just fine second hand. The Brooklyn is very appealing device to get "untouched" by others! It is that stunning! ☺️

 

Yes you need to get some sleep

I am afraid the LPS is only 120v but will keep you posted!

[Cornan]

02:26. Checking out! Thanks @mozes and @austinpop! You've convinced me now. I will buy a black Brooklyn DAC. I will just start looking for the best offer before robbing my piggy bank!

I will also try to squeeze into the ISO Regen line!

 

[mozes]

10 minutes ago, Cornan said:

02:26. Checking out! Thanks @mozes and @austinpop! You've convinced me now. I will buy a black Brooklyn DAC. I will just start looking for the best offer before robbing my piggy bank!

I will also try to squeeze into the ISO Regen line!

 

Hold on to the ISO Regen, I have one ordered so let me try it and give you my impressions. It may or may not add anything to my system with the tX and two VR minis (2nd one to be plugged in, right now I am testing it somewhere else for another purpose, details will come when I have comprehensive results to share)

[Cornan]

I am not asleep just yet. I just found something about the Brooklyn DAC that troubles me a bit. Can it be powered with AC only, DC only or does it have to be powered with both with AC and DC at the same time? A bit of a make it or brake it to these eyes depending on the answer (which I will read when I wake up tomorrow. Now it is check out for real) ?

[Cornan]

4 minutes ago, mozes said:

Hold on to the ISO Regen, I have one ordered so let me try it and give you my impressions. It may or may not add anything to my system with the tX and two VR minis (2nd one to be plugged in, right now I am testing it somewhere else for another purpose, details will come when I have comprehensive results to share)

 

Thanks Moussa! I will wait for your report before I pull the plug. Luckily I am not in a hurry! ?

[mozes]

5 minutes ago, Cornan said:

I am not asleep just yet. I just found something about the Brooklyn DAC that troubles me a bit. Can it be powered with AC only, DC only or does it have to be powered with both with AC and DC at the same time? A bit of a make it or brake it to these eyes depending on the answer (which I will read when I wake up tomorrow. Now it is check out for real) ?

The Brooklyn can be powered either with AC or DC only. I power it with DC only, so no worries about that. I think you should not power it with both and I have never tried that.

 

[austinpop]

Now you must both listen to at least one AC/DC album in penance.

 

[austinpop]

4 hours ago, Cornan said:

I have two very knowlegable friends at Head-Fi that both swear by the Stax SR-009 or, very surprisingly, the cheap Beyerdynamics TD-880 Pro 600 ohm. They have both tried just about any headphones in the market. The SR-009 is way out of my league (price wise), but I will surely buy the TD-880 Pro 600 ohm sooner or later. I am personally still over the moon with my Fostex TH900, so I will first of all send them to Poland and gets then rewired into balanced. They suit my kind of music perfectly (indie, electronic, pop, hardcore, sing-a-song-writers etc) and have an authority unmatched by any other headphones that I have tried (incl HD700/HD800). I have never tried SR-009, TD-880 pro 600 ohm or any Audeze headphones though.

 

There are so many good headphones. Like all other gear, the only way to tell is to try as many as you can. I went to CanJam SoCal last year, and it was great to try so many in one place.

 

Given your taste in music, I just don't see the Stax being right for you - not to mention being quite expensive. The Beyers are always reliable. Definitely listen to Audeze's, Focal's, even the Audioquest NightHawk/Owl's.

 

Balanced cables are highly recommended. I bought mine from Moon Audio here in the US. I'm sure there are many other great choices in Europe. The key is to get the terminations right for the specific headphones and the Brooklyn. Heck - you could probably build your own headphone cables.

[Cornan]

6 hours ago, mozes said:

The Brooklyn can be powered either with AC or DC only. I power it with DC only, so no worries about that. I think you should not power it with both and I have never tried that.

 

Thanks, that was a releif! A very clever option then! ?! 

[Cornan]

3 hours ago, austinpop said:

 

There are so many good headphones. Like all other gear, the only way to tell is to try as many as you can. I went to CanJam SoCal last year, and it was great to try so many in one place.

 

Given your taste in music, I just don't see the Stax being right for you - not to mention being quite expensive. The Beyers are always reliable. Definitely listen to Audeze's, Focal's, even the Audioquest NightHawk/Owl's.

 

Balanced cables are highly recommended. I bought mine from Moon Audio here in the US. I'm sure there are many other great choices in Europe. The key is to get the terminations right for the specific headphones and the Brooklyn. Heck - you could probably build your own headphone cables.

 

When I bought my Fostex I was 100% prepared to change it to balanced right away, but it never happend due to various reasons. Now I have a stronger reason than before to do so! ?

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Audeze is definately up there with the options I want to listen to!