Mytek
Digital Stereo192 DSD DAC
Many words
have been spoken and written about this
device creating big noise around it. The last couple of years D/A Converter
have claimed a strong position in the audio market among the audio friends,
being indeed of the most popular products being produced, in the new age of computers
claiming the role of Hi-end audio sources. But first lets speak some words
about Mytek. Mytek is an American audio
company being specialized in digital audio interfaces in professional level.
Its high quality products have won a place in many professional mastering
studios in the United States pushing aside many established audio firms and
taking their place! Its professional
personality is also strongly present in the looks, mentality, sound and
architecture of its home audiophile products, which were presented the last
couple of years. So, Mytek went home audiophile also to continue its success,
among audiophiles.
The
nationality of the device is clear from the moment you look the device. High
build quality with minimal looks, stating its professional origin. Well
equipped with inputs and outputs, making it able to support a wide range of
connectivity option allowing us, to fully take advantage of the device and
technology capabilities. It also comes with a firewire input which proves to be
the best connection method in order to listen to music from our personal
computer. With 192/24 bitrate support,
DSD bitsream support, excellent internal clock and upsampling, the device
promises flexibility and an excellent investment in terms of format options support. High grade audio parts compose a high quality
circuit board with attention also to the pre amp stage making clear that Mytek
is serious all around the implementation of its products.
Lately I
had the chance of auditioning Mytek thanks to a friend of mine who owns it.
After a communication we had, we arranged a meeting in my place with the
popular Mytek digital D/A Converter.
This happened a Saturday evening. Mytek was in my place and with it came
also a Macbook equipped with a special firewire cable, with Audirvana software
installed to manage and play digital audio files. My friend also brought a lot
of DSD material plus high resolution flac and wav files, plus my own digital
library with flac and wav files.
Listening
sessions started after carefully installing the device in my audio system,
using my cd player source as transport to check the device’s behavior-capabilities
as a DAC of red book standards. Mytek was set to upsample and reclock the
incoming digital signal of the cd player using the coaxial spdif input. The
first thing I noticed from the first seconds is the 3D capabilities of the
converter and the excellent imaging of the musicians. Holographic imaging
across the tree dimensions of stereo image, with rich information of recording
space-room. Each recording had 100% its own character with no interventions concerning
its character. Tonally the converter was neutral but not clinical at all
leaving the music to breath without removing or adding anything in the original
signal. High level analysis presenting all the information being stored in the
12cm aluminum discs or cd’s. Across the
whole session of the auditioning through the cd player I had the clear sense that
I was listening the character of the my digital source, it’s sonic personality,
better said, making me wonder for the high level capabilities of Mytek. It was surprising
to me think that I have in front of me a converter that can even reproduce the
characteristics of sonic identity of the transport, thinking before that it’s
something impossible maybe…. But after
this came the computer audio listening sessions… And then, came the real surprise.
Something like ‘ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seatbelts; we are ready
for take of’. First song was the kings
version of ‘fever’ (Elvis Presley). Holographic presentation of Presley’s voice
and instruments wit realistic dynamics. The instruments and music were
transparent enhancing the analysis and richness of detail. Tonally the device was again natural but
music flow was more constant and more cohesive.
I would never suggest this device to someone who is not a fun of
neutrality. The professional mentality of this devices is defined by a
reproduction that never adds or removes anything from the recording and brings
on surface anything, from detail, to digital reading errors or artifacts. So,
medium quality recordings will be exposed. Not in excess but in way that Mytek
shows you the real fact. But in good recordings you just forget yourself in
music. As for High resolution playback
and DSD format the converter shows its teeth! It really is a high skilled representator
of the new digital age. As for the price? For my opinion is at least modest!
If you want
to invest in a serious digital to audio converter without spending a fortune
Mytek Digital 192/24 is simply, solution!
If you are interest in investing on a source that respects itself and
music, carrying out the mission of reproducing the music respectively in terms
of tonality and recording characteristics Mytek is of the best choices out there.
If you like extra sauce, salt or pepper, look somewhere else.
