Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

**jdandy** · May 20, 2017, 04:41 PM

I've been thinking it might be fun to play with the new Mytek Brooklyn DAC. I'm curious to know if someone here owns the Mytek Brooklyn and what are your impressions. It comes in black or silver, provides two headphone jacks, and can be used as a preamplifier with switchable analog or digital volume control. It is also MQA certified. It is designed in the USA and manufactured in Poland. The reviews have been positive but I am looking for owner comments.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/...hone-amplifier

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/arti...ompatible-dac/

**joeinid** · May 20, 2017, 05:06 PM

Dan,

I almost pulled the trigger a few times but held off. I know Andy aka La Dolce Vita here has one and seems to love it. The reviews have been great and looks like the best way to get into MQA.

If I could find a little bit of a deal, I'd get one now.

**La Dolce Vita** · May 20, 2017, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by joeinid

Dan,

I almost pulled the trigger a few times but held off. I know Andy aka La Dolce Vita here has one and seems to love it. The reviews have been great and looks like the best way to get into MQA.

If I could find a little bit of a deal, I'd get one now.

Hi! Yes indeed I own the Brooklyn dac. To cut to the chase...for the money you cannot lose! It's feature set is great and I enjoy listening to MQA. Now does it sound as pleasing as my Lampi GG? I'd venture to say it falls short a bit, but candidly the tubes alone in my GG cost more than the Brooklyn and it is a solid performer. MQA is fun to listen to fully decoded... hope this helps.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**jdandy** · May 20, 2017, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by joeinid

Dan,

I almost pulled the trigger a few times but held off. I know Andy aka La Dolce Vita here has one and seems to love it. The reviews have been great and looks like the best way to get into MQA.

If I could find a little bit of a deal, I'd get one now.

Joe.......I know what you mean about a little break from the $1995 retail price. That would be nice. Still, I am curious about the Mytek performance. It uses the ESS SABRE 9018K2M DAC designed for mobile audio application. It is a 2-channel audio D/A converter rather than an 8-channel D/A converter like the ESS ES9028PRO SABRE DAC in Benchmark's DAC3 HGC, retail $2195. The extra $200 for the Benchmark gets you the second best ESS DAC chip but no MQA decoding like the Mytek.

I am not really looking for another DAC since my digital bases are covered. I'm just curious to play with this DAC to see what the MQA decoding is all about when streaming Tidal Master files. It might work well with my Sennheiser HDVA headphone amplifier in my office. I can stream Tidal from my office PC and enjoy it with my HD800 headphone. I don't have to have it, but I do want to mess around with it. Perhaps one will turn up on Audiogon or US AudioMart.

**jdandy** · May 20, 2017, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by La Dolce Vita

Hi! Yes indeed I own the Brooklyn dac. To cut to the chase...for the money you cannot lose! It's feature set is great and I enjoy listening to MQA. Now does it sound as pleasing as my Lampi GG? I'd venture to say it falls short a bit, but candidly the tubes alone in my GG cost more than the Brooklyn and it is a solid performer. MQA is fun to listen to fully decoded... hope this helps.

Andy.......Thanks for chiming in. As usual, I will be procrastinating on this for awhile. Maybe a pre-owned will pop up for sale.

**joeinid** · May 20, 2017, 07:34 PM

Dan,

I know, let's get Mike to do a group buy

**La Dolce Vita** · May 21, 2017, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by jdandy

Joe.......I know what you mean about a little break from the $1995 retail price. That would be nice. Still, I am curious about the Mytek performance. It uses the ESS SABRE 9018K2M DAC designed for mobile audio application. It is a 2-channel audio D/A converter rather than an 8-channel D/A converter like the ESS ES9028PRO SABRE DAC in Benchmark's DAC3 HGC, retail $2195. The extra $200 for the Benchmark gets you the second best ESS DAC chip but no MQA decoding like the Mytek.

I am not really looking for another DAC since my digital bases are covered. I'm just curious to play with this DAC to see what the MQA decoding is all about when streaming Tidal Master files. It might work well with my Sennheiser HDVA headphone amplifier in my office. I can stream Tidal from my office PC and enjoy it with my HD800 headphone. I don't have to have it, but I do want to mess around with it. Perhaps one will turn up on Audiogon or US AudioMart.

Agreed it'd be best to find one when it pops up on Audiogon etc. it's very difficult to find these at a discount unless you are buying demo gear...probably due to relative low cost there's really not much money in it for the dealer in the first place. Food for thought...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**johndoe21ro** · May 21, 2017, 09:58 AM

A pre-owned one would be a good idea. Although I've never owned it, I've heard it a few times (even against an exaSound e20 Mk III) and I think it's a good DAC with an impressive set of features. You definitely need a linear power supply for it as the wall wart included one sucks... You can even try to bypass the preamp and use this directly with your power amp (just for fun, to see what's going on, what do you lose or what you gain in this configuration). The USB interface is not its strength but if you find a good offer you should give it a try!

**jdandy** · May 21, 2017, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro

A pre-owned one would be a good idea. Although I've never owned it, I've heard it a few times (even against an exaSound e20 Mk III) and I think it's a good DAC with an impressive set of features. You definitely need a linear power supply for it as the wall wart included one sucks... You can even try to bypass the preamp and use this directly with your power amp (just for fun, to see what's going on, what do you lose or what you gain in this configuration). The USB interface is not its strength but if you find a good offer you should give it a try!

johndoe21ro.......The Mytek Brooklyn has its own onboard switch mode power supply so there would be no reason to use a wall wart type power supply. It does have provisions for powering it with external DC voltage which would allow one to use an external linear power supply or a 12VDC battery to power the Mytek Brooklyn. The reviews I read make it clear the internal switch mode power supply is well filtered and quiet. I would be interesting to determine if there are additional performance advantages with a separate external linear power supply.

**jdandy** · May 21, 2017, 11:19 PM

**Randy Myers** · May 22, 2017, 11:12 AM

Delete

**jdandy** · May 22, 2017, 12:37 PM

Randy.......If I was interested in the Benchmark DAC3 HGC, I would have started a different thread. In fact, if I wanted a DAC3 HGC, I would have bought yours.

I have already made it clear I just want to play with the Mytek Brooklyn on my headphone rig in my office. I don't need a fancy remote, a plethora of digital inputs, or internal jumpers, yada yada. I could care less who blesses a component in the audio rags. Evidently that impresses you, but not me. Nice of you to drop by and run down the Mytek Brooklyn while promoting the Benchmark DAC3 HGC. I don't think you could have thought that highly of your DAC3 HGC, you sold it, remember? Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to comments from Mytek Brooklyn owners and users.

**Randy Myers** · May 22, 2017, 12:41 PM

"Randy.......If I was interested in the Benchmark DAC3 HGC, I would have started a different thread. In fact, if I wanted a DAC3 HGC, I would have bought yours.

I have already made it clear I just want to play with the Mytek Brooklyn in my headphone rig in my office. I don't need a fancy remote, a plethora of digital inputs, or internal jumpers, yada yada. I could care less who blesses a component in the audio rags. Evidently that impresses you, but not me. Nice of you to drop by and run down the Mytek Brooklyn while promoting the Benchmark DAC3 HGC. I don't think you could have thought that highly of your DAC3 HGC, you sold it, remember? Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to comments from Mytek Brooklyn owners and users."

Trying to delete (doesn't seem to be working)... don't want to offend Dan.... thought I was being helpful, but obviously not.

No reason to be a jerk... I was not putting down the Mytek only pointing out the differences with the two units YOU had mentioned. The Benchmark is a great unit, as I also assume the Mytek is. I sold it because I was not using all of its functions, not because it was not great. Ask Tom how good it is... he has posted this in the other forum... he has also giving me excellent feedback on the unit...

**jdandy** · May 22, 2017, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

Sorry Dan, you had mentioned it above so I thought you were comparing the two.

Randy.......No, if I was comparing the two, the thread title would have read Mytek Brooklyn versus Benchmark DAC3 HGC. Actually, I mentioned the DAC3 HGC here because you made essentially the same kind of post promoting the Benchmark in my Mytek Brooklyn thread on another forum, so I made mention of the different DAC chips here hoping you wouldn't then feel it necessary to jump in here with another DAC3 sales pitch. Evidently I miscalculated. My purpose with this thread is to hear from Mytek Brooklyn owners or those who have had time auditioning one.

**jdandy** · May 22, 2017, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

No reason to be a jerk...

Randy.......I couldn't agree more, so please stop.

**jdandy** · May 22, 2017, 02:31 PM

Joe.......It is evident from watching the video that Michal Jurewicz, one of the Mytek design engineers, is very proud of the Mytek Brooklyn DAC. It is quite a unique product considering the various ways it can be employed in a system, both at the consumer and professional level. My interest centers around the DAC and playing with MQA streaming to my headphone rig, but for someone looking to assemble an entry level system with a lot of bang for the buck the Mytek Brooklyn offers useful versatility. A pair of powered speakers like the Mackie HR824's or JBL LSR6328P's, a Clearaudio Concept turntable, and the Mytek Brooklyn connected to a laptop would be a great way to get up and running with high quality sound without having to go into debt. The more I look at and learn about the Mytek Brooklyn the more I like it.

**jdandy** · May 22, 2017, 02:41 PM

**joeinid** · May 22, 2017, 02:42 PM

I agree and WANT the MQA streaming part of it. Watching the video was entertaining and made me want one even more. Patience is key and maybe we can find a bit of a deal soon.

Originally Posted by jdandy

Joe.......It is evident from watching the video that Michal Jurewicz, one of the Mytek design engineers, is very proud of the Mytek Brooklyn DAC. It is quite a unique product considering the various ways it can be employed in a system, both at the consumer and professional level. My interest centers around the DAC and playing with MQA streaming to my headphone rig, but for someone looking to assemble an entry level system with a lot of bang for the buck the Mytek Brooklyn offers useful versatility. A pair of powered speakers like the Mackie HR824's or JBL LSR6328P's, a Clearaudio Concept turntable, and the Mytek Brooklyn connected to a laptop would be a great way to get up and running with high quality sound without having to go into debt. The more I look at and learn about the Mytek Brooklyn the more I like it.

**jdandy** · May 22, 2017, 05:13 PM

Joe.......If you find a deal on the Mytek Brooklyn, let me know and I will do the same for you. It looks like the USA dealers are locked on $1995 with no wiggle room. I haven't found any local dealers near me that have the Mytek line so no chance to hope for a local dealer discount. I am keeping an eye on the usual pre-owned sites but it appears those who own the Mytek are keeping them. In a way I guess that's a good sign.

**Randy Myers** · May 23, 2017, 03:25 AM

Here is one that just went up for sale...

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/6...n-dac-perfect/

**CPP** · May 23, 2017, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by jdandy

Joe.......If you find a deal on the Mytek Brooklyn, let me know and I will do the same for you. It looks like the USA dealers are locked on $1995 with no wiggle room. I haven't found any local dealers near me that have the Mytek line so no chance to hope for a local dealer discount. I am keeping an eye on the usual pre-owned sites but it appears those who own the Mytek are keeping them. In a way I guess that's a good sign.

Dan, my neighbor has one, its the first place I ever heard MQA fully. He also has a Codex and a Metrum Pavane ( $$$ and a whole lot better) . The Codex sounds so much more real. We found the Brooklyn still after 400 hours of use couldn't match the Codex on PCM or to us DSD. the pre-amp section is decent but we kept his ARLS27 in the loop as it just sounded right. The headphone supports his HD 600, HD650 really nicely and sounded pretty darn good. Of course MQA well its MQA depending on the music you download,the MQA light lites and bingo MQA. The phono section you know wasn't that bad ( very natural w/Denon 103) for a jack of all trades dac, I say a positive with the right table and cartridge.. He added an aftermarket Sbooster power supply and it seemed to open the unit up some. We put my old broken in Mytek 192 DSD dac in his system which to me is just bright, lean whatever you call it. The Brooklyn is a huge step up as far as dynamics and I thought the bass of the old dac was a tad tighter. For a dac at $1995 and what it has included is pretty much a bargain when you match to compatible components.

**jdandy** · May 23, 2017, 02:59 PM

Chris.......Thank you for the insight into the performance of your neighbor's Mytek Brooklyn DAC, especially in comparison to a more costly and unique DAC like the Metrum Pavane. I would expect a ladder DAC with no oversampling like the Metrum to sound entirely different than a typical chip based DAC. It is also intriguing to hear the Ayre Codex headphone/DAC bested the Brooklyn, especially since they both use the same ESS ES9018K2M DAC. It may well be the linear power supply in the Codex versus the switch mode power supply in the Mytek that makes the difference. It doesn't surprise me that a clean linear power supply like an Sbooster would improve the Mytek performance but that adds another $300.00 to the package.

All things considered the Mytek Brooklyn has more features than I have any need for but it is these features that make it unique. Thanks for posting your impressions.

**jdandy** · May 23, 2017, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

Here is one that just went up for sale...

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/6...n-dac-perfect/

Randy.......Thanks for the link. Appreciate it.

**CPP** · May 23, 2017, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by jdandy

Chris.......Thank you for the insight into the performance of your neighbor's Mytek Brooklyn DAC, especially in comparison to a more costly and unique DAC like the Metrum Pavane. I would expect a ladder DAC with no oversampling like the Metrum to sound entirely different than a typical chip based DAC. It is also intriguing to hear the Ayre Codex headphone/DAC bested the Brooklyn, especially since they both use the same ESS ES9018K2M DAC. It may well be the linear power supply in the Codex versus the switch mode power supply in the Mytek that makes the difference. It doesn't surprise me that a clean linear power supply like an Sbooster would improve the Mytek performance but that adds another $300.00 to the package.

All things considered the Mytek Brooklyn has more features than I have any need for but it is these features that make it unique. Thanks for posting your impressions.

Dan for what this Dac can do it's a pretty nice unit for the price.

**Randy Myers** · May 24, 2017, 12:10 AM

You are welcome Dan... if you do end up getting it, I hope it gives you everything you want from it!

**Dr Tone** · May 24, 2017, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by jdandy

It is also intriguing to hear the Ayre Codex headphone/DAC bested the Brooklyn, especially since they both use the same ESS ES9018K2M DAC. It may well be the linear power supply in the Codex versus the switch mode power supply in the Mytek that makes the difference. It doesn't surprise me that a clean linear power supply like an Sbooster would improve the Mytek performance but that adds another $300.00 to the package.

Interestingly enough the Codex's ESS9018K2M is actually running off USB bus power, the rest of DAC is run off the linear power supply. There is allot to be gained by getting the absolute cleanest power into the Codex.

If I was to throw a guess to why the Ayre sounds better it's the analog back end and Charles's custom filters. AKA as Ayre voodoo.

FWIW: It's the also been confirmed that the Ayre AX-8 with the new ESS9038K2M chip will be implemented the same way, running off USB bus power.

**Edward** · May 24, 2017, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by jdandy

I've been thinking it might be fun to play with the new Mytek Brooklyn DAC. I'm curious to know if someone here owns the Mytek Brooklyn and what are your impressions. It comes in black or silver, provides two headphone jacks, and can be used as a preamplifier with switchable analog or digital volume control. It is also MQA certified. It is designed in the USA and manufactured in Poland. The reviews have been positive but I am looking for owner comments.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/...hone-amplifier

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/arti...ompatible-dac/

I have one and think it provides tremendous bang for the buck. As you point out, it can be a DAC only (with full MQA unfold) or DAC/preamp and has headphones and phono. I was a little worried about the array of features at the price point thinking it was too good to be true. I spoke with Chebon and Michael many times at the shows and they are passionate about great sound and solid engineering. I was intrigued. Then stereophile gave it class A (with very good measurements from JA from what I recall) and I decided to get it. Very solid performer. Solid construction. Setup was easy. Sound is quite good. I am still playing with MQA versus non MQA and comparing to my other DAC and am delighted. Your profile says north florida. How far north? I am part of the Tampa/Sarasota crew and will be having a meetup in November most likely and you are welcome to come down. Edward

**jdandy** · May 24, 2017, 08:35 PM

Edward.......Thank you for your insightful post. I have corresponded with Michal a couple of times about the Mytek Brooklyn DAC. I also appreciate the invite. I am about 4-1/2 hours north of you which makes it a bit of a stretch for driving. Should I find myself headed in that direction I will PM you to see if we can connect. I need to get down to Sarasota to visit Mike, too. Again, thank yo for the feedback on your Mytek Brooklyn.

**jdandy** · May 24, 2017, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

You are welcome Dan... if you do end up getting it, I hope it gives you everything you want from it!

Randy.......I messaged the guy selling the Mytek on US AudioMart and Audiogon. He deleted my questions on Audiogon without answering the first time I posted so I asked a second time and he answered through the email system rather than post his answers for all to see. I asked how old the Mytek Brooklyn was and whether he was the original owner. The Mytek Brooklyn he is selling is two years old and he is not the original owner. He wants $1700 including shipping. That is only $295 off a brand new Mytek Brooklyn with free shipping and a two year factory warranty to the original owner. His price doesn't strike me as a good deal.

**Randy Myers** · May 24, 2017, 11:01 PM

Yes I agree...

**nicoff** · May 25, 2017, 08:24 AM

There is an audio expo coming up in LA in a few weeks. If Mytek has an exhibit and you have a friend attending, he can check if Mytek has special deals for the event. Just a thought.

Thread: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Mytek Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytek Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytech Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Re: Mytek Brooklyn DAC, anyone using one?

Posting Permissions