Mytek Digital Stereo192 DSD DAC

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.

Only for purists!

YPSILON ELECTRONICS

ΎΨΙΛΟΝ

ELECTRONICS

Ypsilon Electronics is a Greek,  globally established ultra high end company of state of the art audio masterpieces. You might find my words exciding but a close encounter with the devices, created by mr. Baklavas, the man behind the company, is a live proof of my words. 

A close look of any of the machines of the Greek manufacturer is enough to realize the high quality design and assembly of this machines. High level of musical reproduction in any price level has made a lot of High End loudspeaker designers to use Ypsilon Electronics as Reference machines for tuning. Also many reviewers around the world have chosen Ypsilon Electronics as Reference Machines.

Now to the point. I was invited a Saturday evening from a friend of mine to audition his Ypsilon system. Stunning looks of his components suprised me. His system was consisted of SET 100 Ultimate Monoblock power amplifiers, PST - 100 mono pre-amplifier version (dual chassis one for each channel) with built in dac module and CDT -100 CD Transport. In a few words, top of the Ypsilon line components. The loudspeakers were the bulky GKF Exclusive flagship heavily modified.

I could describe the system's sound only in a few words....! Amazing drive capabilities, uncompressed  dynamics, realistic speed, lifelike sizes, and ultimate transparency! 

The blend of deep knowledge and passion define the implemetation of state of the art components that are worthly representors and performers of music!

I think is a waste of time to describe of sonic behaviour of these machines. Give them an audition! You ought it in yourself!

Electro Harmonix 6CA7 Tube

Electro Harmonix 6CA7

The 6CA7 tube is a beaming tetrode tube and commonly said is the American version of the classic EL34 tube. 6CA7's are also called EL34  fat bottle. They can replace usually any EL34 pentode because they have very similar electric characteristics. In my tube amplifiers power section are Electro Harmonix tubes from which I was not that excited in highs and lows as much as in excellent mids, of this tube. So I started searching for a tube with an extended frequency range, dynamics and energy. So once I came across the Electro Harmonix 6CA7 tubes for which I read all this characteristics I wanted. I made e search in ebay and I found a nice offer of a matched quad. I ordered them and in a week and a half time they arrived nicely packed.

Next move was a communication with Luxman international to ask them if my Luxman SQ-38U is compatible with this tube type. The answer was positive  and then I asked them what I should do for the fixed bias of my amplifier and I got no answer. So I had to take some advice from a tube expert and I chose somebody who knows a lot. Tsakiridis Brothers owners and  designers of Tsakirides Devices Company of tube products. They told me to just install them and run them. And this is what I did. 

I turned on the amplifier waited for the start up delay relays of tube warm up and when the amp was ready I started some listening.

First impression was mixed. Great Dynamics I never could thing that my amp was capable of. Low frequency extension with excellent tonal of low end, performance, with body and fine lows articulation! Extended higs that were very transparent also with great tonal performance. But mids were transistor like sounding. This was my first objection. Mids no were a bit less musical an harmonics had a feeling of quick attenuation in time, plus swallower depth of soundstage but with larger width and height..  An hour later these characteristics gave their place to better behaviour. So after some discussions with tube friends I was advised to give an amount of 50 hours at least before making my mind and this is what I did again.

And they were right.  Mid frequencies became more refined and transparent. Voices became more realistic and harmonics were rich creating a charming result. Great musicality with fine tonality across the whole spectrum. Great energy and dynamics creating the impression of a power solid state amplifier but with musicality and transparency. Excellent soundstage especially in depth creating  a fine instrument positioning in depth. Excellent focusing of each musician in soundstage regardless of  volume levels. Ok mids were not as musical as a great  EL34 can do it, but more musical than a 6550 or KT88. Charming voices and instrument reproduction with transparency and lot of energy, providing any time an excellent dynamic behaviour.

Highly recommended if you want something extra from your EL34 amplifier!

Harmonic Audio Labs SE 100

Harmonic Audio Labs SE 100

Integrated Amplifier

Harmonic Audio Labs is a new established audio firm founded in Greece by a talented man called Kostas Kourkounis. He has been around audio for many years and he is passionate with his subject. He is characterised by his love for music and his vision is to design audio machines that serve this purpose. Musi Reprodudction.

He has made lot of designs for friends and he became famous around the Greek audio circles for his skills. So he went proffesional and now his designing and manufacturing products.

One of his best designs is an parallel single ended solid state intagrated amplifier which is designed and manufactured with no cost limits.

It is capable of delivering 50watts per channel in Class A by parallel  MosFets. It has 16 (PSU's) one for each stage and the pre apmplifier and power amplifier stages are seperate. 

I've done some auditions of this huge amplifier and the first contact was shocking indeed! 

If you listen to this baby you will not believe its rated output is true! The driving capabilities and ease creates a sense of owe when thinking it gives 50 watts per channel at 8 ohms!

The characteristics of Class A are present in huge doses creating a huge soundstage full of micro and macro information as if the amplifier is digging in every detail. Dynamics are instant and they do not appear any sense of compression at all. Music is expressed in the finest way with rich harmonics and excellent attenuetion versus time creating a natural sound feeling. It is indeed a piece of art in terms of music and sound reproduction and it is clearly a result of  a great R&D of  K. Kouskounis based on his beliefs about music reproduction.

The Harmonic Audio Labs SE 100 is a great representative of the solid state single ended designes that difines its category presenting many characteristics found in tube amplifiers combined with the advantages of MosFet technology.

Musicality, Transparency, Drive and Dynamics given in huge amounts that come with Harmonics and esoteric music reproduction that delivers the feeling of each music act recorded on any medium.

State of The Art!

COPLAND CTA 405

COPLAND CTA 405

Tube integrated amplifier

The Copland CTA 405 is a 2x50W Class-AB

 Valve Amplifier featuring integrated RIAA Phono Amplifier for Moving Magnet

 and High Output Moving Coil Cartridges.

I recently had the chance to make an audition of this great valve amp, in my system in which I'm using my favourite Luxman SQ-38U with 6CA7 power tubes.  Now, the Copland Valve intgrated amp is using 4 KT-88 valves at the power stage  to deliver 2x50 Watts supported by a high standard construction for its price range. Three big transformers from which one is toroidal make us sure that this amp is well fed any time and in any case with plenty of power. The internal architecture is great and everything is well placed, in order.
The design is quite minimal and personally I would prefer a better in terms of quality, casing for the machine, to be in balance with the high quality internal construction. Also a better ventilated chassis would be fine, because during function top plate of the machines becomes so hot that you cannot touch it.

CTA 405 replaced my Luxman Valve amplifier and it drove my Audio Physics Scorpio II's. The first impression I had was that I was in front of an amplifier of at least double of its nominal power output! Great control tight Bass with fine articulation and overall weight. Big bodies and a big soundstage was also someof its highlighted characteristics with an ability to present clear sound idols in the soundstage. Mids were clear with plenty of detail followed by  a transparnt feeling until the highs. Analysis was also in great amounts and generally the feeling was that I had in front of me an excellent machine. Tonally my Luxman sounds more musical but this is a characteristic of the 6CA7 tube which is more audio oriented in application then the KT-88 which was build for military application. That doesn't mean that the Copland is less musical. It goes more to the side of transistor like feeling, sound but it still more musical. Something that is felt in voices which have this charming tube like sense. The amp is remote controlled and offers 5 inputs, phono stage for MM and MC cartridge.

The truth is that CTA 405 focuses in music and performance and not in fancy looks and tricks. Having a fine functionality with remote, enough inputs, and the option to tweak it's sound by changing its 11 tubes, is a fine machine and it is more than sure that it will please its buyer! Give it an Audition!

PRIMARE DAC 30

PRIMARE DAC 30

 

Generally 

The Swedish company is well known in the circles of  Audio friends. It has become known by the high price-performance ratio but also on the qualitative realization of devices always giving emphasis and attention on the part of all power devices. Always focuses on the substance of the target is the sound quality rather than gimmicks. Last renewed its range of products to all levels presenting devices that conform to the requirements of the time and especially the digital sound.From the range of products, could not miss of course, a D / A Converter the time when a large percentage of the audience is no longer large digital music library. The new Primare DAC 30 So is the proposal of the Swedish manufacturer reproduction and utilization of valuable intangible digital music and materials (CD) files that have.

Description

The first impression created by the DAC 30 is the sense of solidity of weight (8.5 pounds), not a few, since we are accustomed to lighter and smaller devices of its kind. Implemented in 'normal' sized chassis follows the known design company line with the thick part of the facade of brushed aluminum to 'stand' from the rest of the main section, with a metal piece which connects the housing to the remainder of the device, leaving a gap, which together with three metal mountings, gives a distinct feel to the device, followed and in other embodiments of the company, and features. The sense of construction is very good in all respects. The implementation of the parts is flawless, like weighing - balance the three support points of the inverter. At the front there are the basics and the feeling that prevails is of minimalism. So there are two buttons, one on the left, which is the switch / standby accompanied by a soft white with blue led, which lights up when the device is in standby. Right there is the option button of the digital inputs of the device which is five. Between the two buttons located above the company logo and below are two lines led us to update mode. The top line informs the longer of the five inputs is active with equal led and bottom row with six led us shows each time the frequency of the incoming digital signal at levels of 44, 48, 88, 96, 176 and 192khz respectively. And here ends the facilities as I think it would be useful to have a regulatory level, or maybe some options of digital filters. On the back side now the first thing one notices is the completeness Connections - inputs that has the inverter making it very versatile, able to accept up to a large number of devices that can have one of the rack. So from right to left we have the plug to the main ignition switch, followed by a digital coaxial output, a USB port asynchronous Level 24/192, an input AES / EBU (XLR) and then the remaining three inputs, which consist of an optical input and an omaoaxoniki each, all level 24/192. On the left side there are two pairs of end analog outputs, an Unbalanced (RCA) and a Balanced (XLR). Passing inside the device come in front of a quality implementation with emphasis on correct and more than adequate provisioning of circuits, based on past experience of the Swedish manufacturer with options and solutions are mistaken and in other constructions. So find a transformer type R-Core with special wrap for the analog and digital circuitry. The capacitance of the capacitors on the digital stage of the device reaches the number of 48.000mF and the number of analog Mf 74,000 (!) Numbers encountered in integrated medium power amplifiers. For users and / or computers, the USB input which as we said is asynchronous, using the XMOS Chipset which requires the installation of this driver (driver software) to operate at USB 2.0. H software installation is easy downloading from the site of primare. The digital signal from the remaining inlets and from the chip of the XMOS USB, driven in a SRC4392 sample rate converter which implements upsampling level 24/192 to all incoming signals to the accuracy of the information and zeroing the jitter . After this signal is fed to a Chip of Crystal, for transformation, the CS4398 DSD DAC (however not supported by the DAC playback DSD) which delivers the analog signal to MOSFETs for outputs RCA and OpAmps for weighted outputs (XLR) . These elements predispose least positive for the sound effect.

Impressions 

The DAC was placed on my system, consisting of the speakers Audio Physic Scorpio II, the amplifier Luxman SQ 38U and fed digitally alternately from both Laptop I have a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo (Windows XP), one Lenovo (Windows 7) and in my Desktop which is setarismeno to play music only (Windows 7). The software was foobar2000 player with the necessary components, but also a DAW program with native players algorithms. Occasionally used and the player that I have, Marantz CD 6000 OSE Limited Edition. The wiring was VDH, Ultralink and Audio Agile.This is the first minute is clear musicality of the converter but not in the sense of a colored effect, but the extroversion of the middle and especially mesoupsiles frequencies. The sound is effortless flow regardless of the level of analysis of the incoming signal across something that favors the reproduction of acoustic instruments such as the piano or the guitar that the notes almost naturally fade in time domain unhurriedly with harmonic completeness. Bites strings and percussion, have speed and cue that impresses and gives strong sense of listening live. Generally across the inverter has vitality and speed that comes naturally without the slightest feeling of anxiety and michanikotitas. Heard it has high levels of transparency in the mid and high frequencies reinforcing a sense of three-dimensional sound recordings, leaving her to breathe on our site and not among our speakers. The DAC 30 has great soundstage in all axes, leaving bodies in hearing between sets to breathe without creating confusion or blur in bright passages or richer ensembles. Each instrument is focused and firm, very well in the imaginary space of the regenerated sound stage and I could not ever noticed any ambiguity. The atmosphere of each recording alleging comfortable making hearing have immediacy. In no case, however forgave mistakes recordings, but not expose any mediocrity so ostentatious but as a result of high-resolution features and rich tile and tiniest micro and macro detail. Wealth of detail in recording quality allows you to observe the slightest movement, scratching chord, the musical breath, ie all those little details that make listening to music exciting. To this end let the low frequencies were Mrs. cue excellent volume without excessive detriment of frequency balance with the rest of the spectrum. Have fist volume and high tension vibrated space featuring very good and clear articulation and performance personally charmed.
  As I listened to the inverter input or USB, either coaxial or optical from PC or CDplayer, performance was high with high resolution files to show their teeth. The manufacturer's design choices and experience in the area created a converter that gives basis to the essence of music and not unnecessary (maybe) functions perfectly capable of supporting the immaterial and material music library and to cope with the digital age. Great!

Naim Nait XS

Naim Nait XS

The British Naim company is well known among the audiophilers all over the world for its design and sceptic around Hi-Fi. Minimal looks fine build quality and performance in all products, plus flexibility of upgrading through a range of external transformers. This time I had the chance to come across and audition the affordable Naim Nait XS amplifier. The Nait XS replaced my tube amplifier for about a week and I made a lot of listening!

Naim is also known for the low nominal output of its amplifiers which behave like they have the double output. Result of fine power supply design. So the Naim nait XS was called to drive my Audio Physics Scorpio II with 60 watts at 8ohms per channel rated power output.

Nait XS did it fine. Well controlled and tight bass,clear mids and highs wit analysis and fine articulation.
High frequencies were detailed and presentation of detail was very good. Mids were clear and detailed as well and well integrated with highs and mids. I would prefer a more transparent performance across the spectrum. Tone was neutral but without the feeling of cold sound.

Surely a more than decent choice for someone who likes neutral sound and wants driving capabilities in a modest price level. Very good.