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Mytek Stereo 192


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I on the other hand have just sent back my Mytek for refund.

 

300h+ on the clock and listened on few systems from entry to high-end both speakers and headphones with always the same results and 100% accuracy of agreement in opinions of variety of listeners including trained ears.

 

What is good about the Mytek is bass control and a bit of overall analogue feel plus support for DSD (however hindered with Mytek limited sound quality). Also inputs and outputs are great plus remote control support but all of those are just bonuses.

 

Just OK is HP amplification.

 

What is bad is recessed mids. Very flat overall presentation with extremely small and 2d sound stage without any depth what so ever. Also separation is very bad and small scene makes the instruments seat on top of each other in one very short straight line which is always placed in between the speakers or in case of headphones in your head between your ears (initially placed behind the head, however with the burn-in progress it has moved a bit forward from behind my head into my head, again not the best sensation for listening of the music).

 

The laud tumph on turning on and off the DAC is rather also not acceptable at this price tag, at least to me.

 

I am sorry but this DAC well over hyped in my opinion. It should has less focus on features and more on sound quality IMHO.

 

It was tested against few DACs both cheaper and more expensive and on number of speaker including Avantgarde Duo set (what an amazing set of speakers they are).

 

I will miss native DSD playback as I will probably move on to Eximus but I am still looking for appropriate replacement.

 

Also I am sorry to bring this rather negative opinion / review to the table but those are not only my opinions about this DAC.

 

Thanks

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Sebna, a couple of questions:

 

1. Did you use a preamp with the Mytek or did you drive amp directly?

2. And what is your current DAC and do you use a preamp with it?

 

Thanks.

Dan

Mac Mini 5,1 [i5, 2.3 GHz, 8GB, Mavericks] w/ Roon -> Ethernet -> TP Link fiber conversion segment -> microRendu w/ LPS-1 -> Schiit Yggdrasil

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Hi,

 

We tested with both PC and Mac.

 

On PC with foobar / jplay / jriver /media monkey in both FW and USB modes.

 

On Mac with Audirvana and Fidelia only through FW

 

Speakers were Avantgarde DUO (round 30k price range), Neat cannot remember which version exactly but from 2.5 - 3k range and some Equador Q10 monitors.

 

It was tested in both preamp and with external preamp.

 

Music choice was across the board through poorly produced to true marvels in all possible resolutions and formats.

 

Cheers

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Folks, I've read quite a few pages of this discussion, and enjoyed every one. On good recommendation (from no less than ted_b) I bought a Mytek 192, and took receipt today. I've been in heaven for hours. DSD is brilliant, as expected, but PCM sounds truly phenomenal as well. If anyone is one the fence, don't be put off by the chintzy-looking pictures -- this unit is hefty, like it was made of solid metal. Not necessary, sure, but reassuring.

 

This is 100% true.

I recently bought a Mytek 192.

My previous DAC Eximus DP1 loses all before Mytek 192.

In Mytek 192 above detail, deeper scene, natural and correct.

Winner Mytek 192!

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Folks, I've read quite a few pages of this discussion, and enjoyed every one. On good recommendation (from no less than ted_b) I bought a Mytek 192, and took receipt today. I've been in heaven for hours. DSD is brilliant, as expected, but PCM sounds truly phenomenal as well. If anyone is one the fence, don't be put off by the chintzy-looking pictures -- this unit is hefty, like it was made of solid metal. Not necessary, sure, but reassuring.

 

 

This is 100% true.

I recently bought a Mytek 192.

My previous DAC Eximus DP1 loses all before Mytek 192.

In Mytek 192 above detail, deeper scene, natural and correct.

Winner Mytek 192!

 

This dac is what it is, a wonderful and powerful addition to a CA music reproducing system. Received on Friday. It performed very well right out of the box. Great sound stage, instrument positions well defined, resolution of complex classical pieces excellent.

 

Bass, mid, and highs, all far superior to my previous Dacit, and extremely accurate. Percussives are a real joy to listen to. There is a depth to the music that adds a feeling of it being real and not digitized, a richness. As has been stated before, this dac is very transparent so you get what has been recorded, good or bad.

 

Am using for PCM, JRiver-JPlay (latest version) combination. For DSD just using JRiver. My Pangaea USB cable is modified to input a very pure 5 v., and isolate the Mytek from the pc 5 volts. This along with JPlay added more richness and depth, or should I say allowed more accurate representation of the original music.

 

DSD is fantastic, and I think adds a slight smoothness and analog element, albeit these changes are slight. A good PCM high res is just as good, but they are different. Hard for me to define.

 

Looks. The style is technical, not artistic. It's a well constructed black box with cool green indicators measuring input voltage levels, clear and sharp blue descripters of output dB, and the sample rate the dac see's as input. The 'art' of the Mytek Dac is in what it does with sound, not what you see. Pictures taken and used to advertise the Mytek 192 fail to do it justice. I like the style very much.

 

Am looking forward to changes that occur with 100-200 hours of usage.

 

 

Jim

PC (J River-Jplay) > USB > Mytek 192 - DSD > XLR > Adcom GFP-750 Pre > XLR > Emotiva XPA-5 > Snell C/V's (bi-amped) / Klipsch Sub <100 Hz

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Just wanted to share my updated experiences with the Mytek DAC.

 

I am now playing DSD files via a Mac Mini/PM and am absolutely thrilled with the performance. I have no regrets in selling my vinyl setup, or my $4000 modded SACD player. The performance is simply stunningly good across the board.

 

A big thanks again to Ted_b for ripping my SACDs.

 

It will get even better once I can play my 2x DSD Korg vinyl rips, but the 30 or so SACD rips I have will keep me satisfied for some months, that is for sure.

 

Thanks, Mytek, for making a hell of a product at a price that established a new price/performance standard IMO. (I've had the $7K Marantz machine and the $10K EMM, as well as modded players, and the Mytek playing DSD is in the same league.)

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Just wanted to share my updated experiences with the Mytek DAC.

 

I am now playing DSD files via a Mac Mini/PM and am absolutely thrilled with the performance. I have no regrets in selling my vinyl setup, or my $4000 modded SACD player. The performance is simply stunningly good across the board.

 

A big thanks again to Ted_b for ripping my SACDs.

 

It will get even better once I can play my 2x DSD Korg vinyl rips, but the 30 or so SACD rips I have will keep me satisfied for some months, that is for sure.

 

Thanks, Mytek, for making a hell of a product at a price that established a new price/performance standard IMO. (I've had the $7K Marantz machine and the $10K EMM, as well as modded players, and the Mytek playing DSD is in the same league.)

What was your $4000 modded CD player? I only ask as a source of comparison against your mytek.

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What was your $4000 modded CD player?

 

It was a $100 Denon with a $3900 interconnect.

 

Just kidding: It was the all-out Modwright Oppo 95.

 

Mind you, the Mytek DAC does need a stellar line stage for top-notch performance. It seems its output stage is not suited for directly driving power amps with maximum sonics.

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It was a $100 Denon with a $3900 interconnect.

 

Just kidding: It was the all-out Modwright Oppo 95.

 

Mind you, the Mytek DAC does need a stellar line stage for top-notch performance. It seems its output stage is not suited for directly driving power amps with maximum sonics.

So you prefer the Mytek's Sabre over the Oppo's Sabre + tube output?

 

Personally I did not care for the 95 that I tried in my system, finding it to be dry and uninvolving. Since they use the same DAC, I've seriously wondered if the Mytek actually sounds all that different than the stock Oppo 95.

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So you prefer the Mytek's Sabre over the Oppo's Sabre + tube output?

 

Personally I did not care for the 95 that I tried in my system, finding it to be dry and uninvolving. Since they use the same DAC, I've seriously wondered if the Mytek actually sounds all that different than the stock Oppo 95.

 

I said in the same league. I haven't A/Bed - and I trust long-term impressions more anyway.

 

Obviously there is a lot more to a DAC/CDP than the chip. I have never found the Sabre uninvolving at all - always very dynamic.

 

The stock Oppo has a bit of harshness and thinness that is largely done away with with the mods. I don't really think the Mytek has that quality at all. Who knows why.

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Just wanted to share my updated experiences with the Mytek DAC.

 

I am now playing DSD files via a Mac Mini/PM and am absolutely thrilled with the performance. I have no regrets in selling my vinyl setup, or my $4000 modded SACD player. The performance is simply stunningly good across the board.

 

A big thanks again to Ted_b for ripping my SACDs.

 

It will get even better once I can play my 2x DSD Korg vinyl rips, but the 30 or so SACD rips I have will keep me satisfied for some months, that is for sure.

 

Thanks, Mytek, for making a hell of a product at a price that established a new price/performance standard IMO. (I've had the $7K Marantz machine and the $10K EMM, as well as modded players, and the Mytek playing DSD is in the same league.)

 

My pleasure; this post is what this computer audio hobby is all about. :)

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Are you sure the DAC needs to receive 5V.?

 

 

 

Espirit, what'd you have to ask a question like that for? LOL, actually that was a very good question.

 

I had "assumed" that, like my other setups, the Mytek uses the 5 v. from the pc, and filters it well - isolation, etc.. As a result of this assumption, and some things that happened while I was setting it up (I listened with a non doctored USB cable), I hooked up my modified cable. Voila!, Seems that my 2uv noise level, 5 volt ps gave the new Mytek a little boost in sq.

 

Well I disconnected my ps, and the doctored cable has no 5 v. on the cable from the pc. With all disconnected the Mytek continued on with it's beautiful music. For those not familiar with all of this kind of stuff, that means that Mytek supplies there own 5 v. from that beautiful transformer and filtering for the main power supply.

 

This would be a perfect example of expectation bias in action. Thanks espirit for the great question. Now I can use my doctored cable and ps with my Dacit again up in the bedroom. :0)

 

 

Jim

PC (J River-Jplay) > USB > Mytek 192 - DSD > XLR > Adcom GFP-750 Pre > XLR > Emotiva XPA-5 > Snell C/V's (bi-amped) / Klipsch Sub <100 Hz

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Maybe Mytek does not use 5v from USB cable but that does not prevent PC or MAC to pollute the transmission with 5v on the cable.

 

We were testing ifi USB Power and it brought quite an improvement to Mytek sound quality.

 

Cheers

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Maybe Mytek does not use 5v from USB cable but that does not prevent PC or MAC to pollute the transmission with 5v on the cable.

 

We were testing ifi USB Power and it brought quite an improvement to Mytek sound quality.

 

Cheers

 

That would be correct Sebna, which is why I will presently be putting another Pangaea cable with insulators (made with pieces of a matchbook cut to size) fitted over 1 and 4 at the pc usb port. One can only hope that the shielding for data lines will prevent further EMR from compromising the data stream

 

Jim

PC (J River-Jplay) > USB > Mytek 192 - DSD > XLR > Adcom GFP-750 Pre > XLR > Emotiva XPA-5 > Snell C/V's (bi-amped) / Klipsch Sub <100 Hz

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Still impressed with the sound quality, but it turns out that PM is giving me fits with DSD files. Sometimes at the beginning of the track there is severe distortion, as if the track is still being read or something (my Mac Mini has 8 MB of RAM and PM does not complain about insufficient memory).

 

Worse, some of the track I imported suddenly cannot be found by iTunes. Even after playing. Restarting and even re-importing doesn't fix this. This is really a show-stopper. I am using the latest versions of both PM and iTunes.

 

How is Audirvana for playing DSD on the Mytek via Firewire?

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How is Audirvana for playing DSD on the Mytek via Firewire?

 

A+ plays DSD files flawlessly through my Mytek connected by FW. You should try the free trial of A+. I think you will be surprised by how well it both sounds and operates.

Digital:  Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet > Antipodes K30 > Shunyata Omega USB > Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120

Amp & Speakers:  Spectral DMA-150mk2 > Aerial 10T

Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra, Shunyata Denali v1 and Typhon x1 power conditioners, Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation and Infinity power cords, QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation XLR interconnect, Shunyata Sigma Ethernet, MIT Matrix HD 60 speaker cables, GIK bass traps, ASC Isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels, Quadraspire SVT rack, PGGB 256

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I am personally a HC PC user but recently I was presented with all most popular players available on MAC and by far the best was Fidelia it is also dirt cheap.

 

IMHO it does much better job then Jplay and I am seriously thinking about getting myself a mac only because of that player.

 

If you would be trying it, the dither has to be unticked.

 

Good Luck guys.

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Thanks Esprit I read about it before but I have already returned my Mytek so there is nothing to try it on.

 

However whatever I will be getting next I will also buy ifi USB power as the results are well worth the 200e they want for it.

 

Thanks

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