Coming very soon, the day of the DAC’s

[Guest Sime]

@wolster at the moment, the Mytek has a gain issue that can’t be fixed until they do another firmware update, so the Mytek Is bordering on distortion on my pre. Most tracks are ok, but you get a sense that the signal is to hot. It’s all good if your pre can take a hot signal, but there are some tracks I’ve played that’s made the pre distort. But they are aware of the issue and are working on it. 

But so far the Chord is very detailed but very musical as well, where the Mytek is probably more detailed but kinda sterile, but it’s mqa playback is darn good. Once the gain issue is fix, I’ll then compare the two on a level playing field. 

 

 

[Guest Sime]

On 28/02/2018 at 10:27 AM, georgehifi said:

Just be careful with a/b'ing this, as with the $8k Aurender dac, Stereophile reviewed, the MQA filter was still active even with non MQA PCM files and was hobbling them to sound worse,  even after different firmware updates. Stereophile didn't make to much fuss over it as they advertise with them. (see mine and other comments) at the end.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/aurender-a10-network-music-playerserver-measurements

 

Cheers George

 

   

Funny you say that, even when not playing MQA on the Mytek, the MQA light is still on, but no blue or green dot next to it. Next time I’m using it, I’ll toggle MQA decoding on and off. 

[Guest Sime]

@wolster but the Qutest compared to the 2qute, well it’s like the 2qute grew up and got a job:)

Female vocals has vastly improved, this DAC has more backbone. 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Sime

[Guest Sime]

Just listening to Vanessa Fernandez “when the levee breaks” and in my room, there’s more of a sense of space in the recording, better put together and a better sense of strength. Noise floor, what noise floor. Gotta love digital. 

 

This all about the Qutest btw, the Mytek is being ignored till it’s fixed. 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Sime

[georgehifi]

9 hours ago, Sime said:

the Mytek has a gain issue that can’t be fixed until they do another firmware update, so the Mytek Is bordering on distortion on my pre.

Why use preamp, probably sound better without it? as the Mytek has 75ohm output impedance and can drive any power amp direct, and has as you say high gain, so no need for any more gain from your  active preamp.

 

"BUILT-IN ATTENUATOR: Choice of 1dB step analog attenuator, separate for main out"

 

Cheers George

Edited March 1, 2018 by georgehifi

[Guest Sime]

@georgehifi true, it might sound better but it’s one of two dacs, the chord is the one that’ll be used 95% of the time and I’m not one to cable swap when needs be. Its a drama just getting behind my system at the best of times. 

[Guest Sime]

@georgehifi have to thank you George, your last post made me think of a get around for the hot input problem, just put the Brooklyn in pre-amp mode and turn it down to -4 from zero ( this level matches the chords volume) and thankfully the distortion disappears. Just need Mytek to implement a gain control for this DAC like they have with the Manhattan like they promise next week…………

Now I just gotta be careful when I plug the headphones in, -4 is a tad hot for any headphone lol. 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Sime

[georgehifi]

Good way to do the A/B, if the Mytek is the winner for you to keep, then make sure you listen to it direct to poweramp using it's volume control.

 

Cheers George

[Guest Sime]

@georgehifi one day maybe, I live in a tight space so getting to the back of my system is a nightmare, and I only have one useful arm atm. 

[Guest Sime]

A few days in, and after I’ve settled down with my initial angst with the Brooklyn, have to say, it’s a pretty tight race between the Brooklyn and the Qutest, but if I had to keep only one, I think I’d look at the Brooklyn, simply because it does more, and is goddam pretty, not the the Qutest is a wallflower. 

[Guest Sime]

Well so far, the Brooklyn seems to be loving playing metal/hard rock over the Qutest. 

[Guest Sime]

And I would have never have bet on it, the Brooklyn overall is starting to be my favorite. 

 

I don't know how to accept this news. 

Edited March 6, 2018 by Sime

[Rob181]

6 minutes ago, Sime said:

I don't know how to accept this news.

A bex & a lie down...

[Guest Sime]

Still waiting for Mytek to update the firmware they promised would happen last week 

[Guest Sime]

Haha, finally  

ive been preaching for 3 years now at Miranda hi-fi that the Qute series of DAC’s (2qute, Qutest) we’re superior to its Fathers the Hugo 1 and 2, but been looked at as if I was crazy. 

 

So I read this this morning on the front page of their website 

Quote

 

The new Chord Qutest is a standalone DAC whose performance belies its compact dimensions. As the replacement for the talented 2Qute, the new Qutest has DAC architecture based on the award-winning Hugo 2,  the Qutest offers class-leading digital conversion with support for a massive range of digital signals. Being based on the Hugo 2 they have removed the battery so this guy is no longer portable, it is however better than the Hugo 2. We don't know how, or what they did, but it is better.

Has to be magic.
 

 

 

i should be listened to more often 

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Sime

[astormsau]

On 16/03/2018 at 8:40 AM, Sime said:

Haha, finally  

ive been preaching for 3 years now at Miranda hi-fi that the Qute series of DAC’s (2qute, Qutest) we’re superior to its Fathers the Hugo 1 and 2, but been looked at as if I was crazy. 

 

So I read this this morning on the front page of their website 

 

i should be listened to more often 

 

So Sime did you finally get a fix for the issue of not being able to adjust the internal jumpers on the Brooklyn without it crapping itself?

I have been reading your thread with interest as I have a NAD M51 now and upgradeitis has hit in since I setup a Roon NUC with Tidal streaming and began listening to MQA - the Brooklyn has me interested.

 

Any thoughts between a good high res FLAC version of a track vs the MQA?

 

Ta

Drew

[Guest Sime]

@astormsau Mytek did a firmware update to add a gain level in software. Works better than the jumpers being you have more control over the levels. 

 

If your interested in buying a Brooklyn, I “May” be interested in selling, maybe……………

Edited May 29, 2018 by Sime

[Raffinator]

And if you move on the Qutest, I “may” be interested in this too...

[Guest Sime]

@Raffinator this will only happen if I get the new Hugo TT2 or a few years down the track when the Qutest is upgraded.  

[jackyrud]

Any chance you wanna sell that Brookyln+ of yours?