My take on the Mytek

[Tom B.]

Mytek with Foobar, installation overview....

My current system is a laptop running FooBar ->> M2 Tech USB to PDIF ->> Benchmark DAC. This weekend I'll be replacing the Benchmark with the newly-arrived Mytek 192 DSD. If anyone can clear up a few points I'd appreciate it...

I already have WASAPI/ASIO drivers installed, but these should be replaced with latest for the Mytek, correct?

The 192 DSD-DAC manual describes two installation schemes, installation with DoP DSD or installation with native DSD. The DoP is recommended, but is this what I really need for my setup (DSD will be downloaded files)? Google couldn't answer the Dop part.

When all is said and done, can I expect seamless transition between playing hi-rez files and DSD? I am hoping that both Foobar and the Mytek will recognize and decode the different file types without any interaction on my part.

Thanks-
Tom

 

[flez007]

Fernando, no more excuses for not having DSD files to try out. See here:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?8708-Free-DSD-Download-Sera-Una-Noche

Thanks Gary! I am in the process of downloading the drivers to the Mytek! wish me luck!

 

[garylkoh]

Good luck, Fernando.

Tom,
I'm confused - DoP is DSD over PCM, so won't that mean that the DSD is converted to PCM first? Why would Mytek recommend that over straight DSD?

 

[Bruce B]

Good luck, Fernando.

Tom,
I'm confused - DoP is DSD over PCM, so won't that mean that the DSD is converted to PCM first? Why would Mytek recommend that over straight DSD?

No, DoP is not converting the DSD to PCM. It's just putting the DSD information in a wrapper to trick the DAC into thinking it's PCM.

Some programs can not stream native DSD so that's why they created DoP

 

[Tom B.]

Bruce,

It could very well that I an interpreting the Mytek instructions wrong, but the 'table of contents' page in the manual indicates that the DoP installation is preferred. Given a Windows platform with FooBar, is that what I want, or do I want the native DSD installation?

Tom

 

[edorr]

Is there any other way of getting native DSD into a USB DAC than over DoP? The EMM Labs DAC2X supports DSD streaming as well, but only over DoP. You would think the EMM labs DAC would not need to be fooled into thinking it receives PCM (which is apparently what DoP does), unless this is a contraint in the USB receiver chip architecture.

 

[mep]

Tom-I believe you want the native DSD. And yes, it will play seemlessly between hi-rez and DSD. I'm using Foobar on a Windows computer and it works just dandy. Happiness is seeing the the Mytek display reading "DSD."

 

[Bruce B]

Bruce,

It could very well that I an interpreting the Mytek instructions wrong, but the 'table of contents' page in the manual indicates that the DoP installation is preferred. Given a Windows platform with FooBar, is that what I want, or do I want the native DSD installation?

Tom

DoP is preferred because you don't need any special drivers for it. I use the Mytek ASIO drivers to stream native DSD. Some players can't use them, I've been told. That's why Mytek recommends DoP

 

[rbbert]

If you are still going to use the M2Tech, you don't want to change any drivers; your computer only "sees" the M2Tech, nothing further downstream from that.

 

[Tom B.]

Dsd NOW!

Spent a few hours last night installing the Mytek 192 DSD-DAC and configuring FooBar, and actually got to the point where I could try it out. With files previously handled by the Benchmark DAC1, the Mytek steps up to the plate and delivers(!) It integrates well with FooBar and replacement into the system was seamless, except for my *!#$*% laptop which decided to spend two hours updating Windows once the wireless was enabled. Arrrrrrggggghhhh.......



DSD files downloaded from 2L and Gary's offering of Sera Una Noche played with no problem on the Mytek; happily it reported 'dSd' upon selecting the first track. There is no comparison between DSD vs. hi-rez.....listening to a DSD file on the Mytek is as if you stepped into a room with a completely different playback system, with everything for the better. Gotta build up the DSD stable...MORE! MORE!

A few oddities came up, but none are verified as problems...yet. Foobar reports the Sera Una Noche files as .Wav files, although the Mytek correctly locks in as dsd. Are they in reality Wavs?

The FooBar component 'Peakmeter Spectrum' does not run with dsd files, so either it can't, or I have a configuration problem.

Lastly, the dsd files when loaded as a Foobar playlist, have incorrect titles. As I've yet to download an entire dsd album complete with data, perhaps this is just related to my current level of effort in storing and categorizing files.

Stayed up waaaaaaay too late last night listing to the dsd files....

Tom B.

 

[flez007]

Spent a few hours last night installing the Mytek 192 DSD-DAC and configuring FooBar, and actually got to the point where I could try it out. With files previously handled by the Benchmark DAC1, the Mytek steps up to the plate and delivers(!) It integrates well with FooBar and replacement into the system was seamless, except for my *!#$*% laptop which decided to spend two hours updating Windows once the wireless was enabled. Arrrrrrggggghhhh.......

View attachment 6860

DSD files downloaded from 2L and Gary's offering of Sera Una Noche played with no problem on the Mytek; happily it reported 'dSd' upon selecting the first track. There is no comparison between DSD vs. hi-rez.....listening to a DSD file on the Mytek is as if you stepped into a room with a completely different playback system, with everything for the better. Gotta build up the DSD stable...MORE! MORE!

A few oddities came up, but none are verified as problems...yet. Foobar reports the Sera Una Noche files as .Wav files, although the Mytek correctly locks in as dsd. Are they in reality Wavs?

The FooBar component 'Peakmeter Spectrum' does not run with dsd files, so either it can't, or I have a configuration problem.

Lastly, the dsd files when loaded as a Foobar playlist, have incorrect titles. As I've yet to download an entire dsd album complete with data, perhaps this is just related to my current level of effort in storing and categorizing files.

Stayed up waaaaaaay too late last night listing to the dsd files....

Tom B.

This is great news Tom, I plan to download the Mytek drivers tomorrow and see if I can enjoy DSD content at night!, wha would you describe as a revelation hearing DSD vs RB at the very top?

 

[Tom B.]

This is great news Tom, I plan to download the Mytek drivers tomorrow and see if I can enjoy DSD content at night!, wha would you describe as a revelation hearing DSD vs RB at the very top?

Flez-

"RB"...?

Tom

 

[amirm]

He means Red Book CD I think.

 

[flez007]

He means Red Book CD I think.

yep, I should have say PCM, sorry.

 

[Tom B.]

My standard for Red Book playback had been a Krell KPS25s, which remained unchanged until I put together a music server earlier this year. The Krell is no slouch; it is an excellent transport and the internal DAC left nothing out on 44.1 material. Moving my digital playback platform to a laptop-type server was mainly a convenience issue. Standard files, whether downloaded or ripped from the actual CD's and played through a Benchmark DAC1, compared in quality to that of the Krell. That pleased me, given that the Krell is an exceptional CD player which originally cost in the neighborhood of $20k, and the entire Laptop server project set me back less than $1500, which also allowed for the purchase of a handful of hi-rez albums.

Setting a premise that all music purchased going forward would be hi-rez if possible, the playback system as described above continued to be a great performer and the majority of hi-rez files were easily preferred over their 44.1 counterpart. The laptop gives the capability to quickly compare a standard file to that of which is supposed to be one of better quality; in some cases the improvement was only marginal but generally downloaded hi-rez files were worth the effort and investment.

Adding the Mytek to the system was an immediate improvement. The Benchmark was a highly regarded unit, but the Mytek takes playback up to a whole new level. It thrives on hi-rez files and spreads the gap between those and standard media. Had I just swapped it in place of the Benchmark and gone no further, I would have been quite impressed and (very) pleased.

In the previous post I noted that DSD playback on the Mytek was as if you 'stepped into a different room with a whole new system', and that would be a good description. The DSD files have an amazing depth; instruments seem to move more air and are presented with authority. There is a broader sense of realism to the playback...whatever it ultimately is, it's one of those 'hole sh*t' moments where you are quite impressed by your audio gear. DSD playback is so full and vibrant that it fills the room more efficiently, even at modest volume levels.

A few of my non-audiophile friends even gave DSD a 'Wow', which says quite a bit.

The Mytek/DSD combination puts you more 'in' the music, a statement which I can realistically justify. I am an amateur violinist, and belong to several quartets and small orchestras. Sitting amongst other musicians lets you hear music in a way that is (probably) rarely captured by even the best recording session. All instruments 'move' air...you can feel it while in the proximity of other players and it is a depth to music that is truly beautiful. I can give the Mytek/DSD no higher praise than to say that of the few files I've tried, all elicited that feeling at some point in the playback.

Tom B.

 

[cpp]

Since I'm about ready to order the DAC, can someone explain the difference between the Pre-amp and the Mastering version. I plan on using my existing pre-amp.

 

[Tom B.]

There's three versions of the 192-DSD DAC. The preamp version, which contains a pair of single-ended RCA input jacks which follow the volume control, is available with a black face & VU meters, and a Silver-face model that does not have the VU meters (LED's).

The 'Mastering' version has a black face, VU meters, and a pair of SDIF DSD inputs instead of the RCA input jacks.

I use mine with an existing preamp. Set the volume control on the Mytek (as suggested my Michal himself in this thread) to 'bypass' and you're all set.

Tom

 

[cpp]

There's three versions of the 192-DSD DAC. The preamp version, which contains a pair of single-ended RCA input jacks which follow the volume control, is available with a black face & VU meters, and a Silver-face model that does not have the VU meters (LED's).

The 'Mastering' version has a black face, VU meters, and a pair of SDIF DSD inputs instead of the RCA input jacks.

I use mine with an existing preamp. Set the volume control on the Mytek (as suggested my Michal himself in this thread) to 'bypass' and you're all set.

Tom

Thankyou Tom, I'm going to connect mine to my Quicksilver Stage Pre-amp

 

[speed65]

Hello Fellow Mytek Owners. I just purchased my Mytek and I wanted to know if the current drivers work with Windows 8 Pro?

 

[puroagave]

ive had time to evaluate the mytek vs berkeley Alpha Mk. 1 i used the coax input exclusively on both and played red book discs using a sony xa5400se as a transport. the BADA requires an outboard USb converter whereas the Mytek readily acepts USB 2.0 and firewire (advantage mytek). both dacs upsample, and have user selectable filters.

The Mytek excels in macro and micro dynamics, bass extension and retrieval of minute details that were somewhat obscured through the BADA. The fact they both can play together on the same field speaks well for the Mytek but the one area the BAdA flat out surpasses the Mytek is in trebble purity/extension. using the muscial fidelity USB 192 box in front of the BADA and playing 24/192 files yeilded similar results. The mytek's analog outputs have lots of gain in balanced mode and will directly drive an amp successfully whereas the BADA couldnt in my system. The BADA has a lower fixed output, allowing you to only fade the volume in the digital domian by robbing bits. using the myteks balanced output direclty into some preamps might be too much for proper gain matching, however it can be padded 6 db through internal jumpers.

The outcome may have been reversed using a Mk II and BADA's own outboard usb converter adding nearly $2000 more to the $5000 DAC's price - the point then became moot, comparing a 7k dac vs one thats 1.5k. I dont think the mytek will be my last dac but it certainly does the job well, handles USB 2.0 is DSD ready and an excellent value.