This is the official discussion thread for the Mytek Brooklyn DAC/DAC+.
4 Likes
I guess I should kick this off with my own experience with the DAC/DAC+. I donāt remember exactly how Brooklyn or Mytek in general entered my consciousness, but it was around the end of 2016. I think I heard it mentioned in passing a few times on the Head-fi forum, also this thing called MQA (what the hell is that??). I did my due diligence and read reviews and asked questions. The general consensus was that it was great for the price and offers so many features and punches above itās weight class. Fine. Also, itās about $2,000.
At the time I was (and still am) the proud owner of an Apogee Groove. CanJam NYC 2017 (my first CanJam) comes around and I spend the majority of my time at the Audeze booth. Then talking about Schiit. Then there was the Sony MDR Z1R, which I totally loved.
Ready to call it a day, I was strolling to the exit and saw the Mytek table. It wasnāt terribly busy. I saw the MDR Z1R hooked up to the Brooklyn. Sure, why not? I was too lazy to scroll through Roon so I just picked something I recognized, Take Five at 24/192.
BOOM.
Night and day. Veils lifted. Diana Krall be praised!! This thing was resolving! I heard those opening cymbals shimmer. Iāve never heard that kind of detail before! So I spent some more time listening to some personal reference tracks from St. Vincent, Pearl Jam, Michael Jackson, Norah Jones, Spice Girls (Iām kiddingā¦no, Iām not).
I left determined to save up the money for one. Cut to Fall 2017. The Brooklyn DAC is dead. Long live the Brooklyn DAC+, which was also well reviewed and considered a respectable upgrade for the price.
CanJam NYC 2018. This time I had the nerve to bring my own headphones ā Audeze LCD-XC. I listened to some Schiit. I was impressed by the Jotunheim, but more of a lateral purchase than an upgrade to my Apogee Groove. The multibit Yggrasil was nice, though I donāt think I could tell the difference between that and the Jotunheim.
Due diligence out of the way, I went to the Mytek table, hooked up my XCs and listened. Yup, this was the winner, the end game. Better than what I remember of the original Brooklyn.
I left, made a few more rounds just to be sure the DAC+ was it. I went back to the table, talked to Michal (President of Mytek) and asked if there was a show discount. Yes, there was! Too bad he didnāt have any to sell right there. I told him to shut up and take my money (no I didnāt, but I wish I did). One Square transaction later, I was the proud future owner of a Brooklyn DAC+. He said a new shipment from Poland was coming in that week and I should call him on his cell so I could come by the office to pick one up. Two agonizing days later, I finally call him. āNo, they havenāt arrived yet.ā So as to NOT seem like Iām stalking him, I decide to e-mail two days after that. Finally, in stock!
A longish G train ride from work and I was there at their āofficeā. Really doesnāt look like much from the outside. Honestly, it looked abandoned. Their office was interesting. A huge pallet of recently opened DAC+ās in the middle of the room. Think old timey New York grungy, but with an engineering theme and headphones of all makes strewn about like socks. Michal wasnāt there, but someone else had me sign a blank piece of paper with a transaction number on it (this isnāt your usual high-end audiophile transaction, is it?) and I finally had my DAC+.
I think the first thing I noticed, besides how resolving it was, was that the sound was not fatiguing at all. With the Groove, Iād have to take regular breaks. I guess they sounded harsh in hindsight. On the Brooklyn DAC+ (which I shall henceforth refer to as the B+) the highs were crisp, yet gentle on my ears. The mids and bass were exactly where I wanted them. Truly my end game DAC/Amp.
Though I did read good things about the Manhattan IIā¦
6 Likes
I canāt wait to try the Brooklyn!
1 Like
Thatās B+!!!
1 Like
I finally have my Woo Audio 6 dialed in with my Concero HD BUT with the things I see regarding the Brooklyn I have my eyes/ears on at very least trying this setup! I didnāt like the Audeze LCD2 but perhaps you have the magic bullet.
1 Like
Over the past week, I started powering my B+ with an Sbooster BOTW P&P Eco MKII linear power supply and itās made a big improvement ā totally quiet noise floor, wider and deeper soundstage, with a bit more detail retrieval. I wasnāt expecting this kind of leap in sound quality, but it was noticeable right away.
I would definitely recommend running your B+ with a linear power supply.
1 Like
Itās interesting that the B+ also contains a phono stage. At some point, a B+ could replace my aging TEAC DAC and my entry level (but entirely adequate) Musical Fidelity phono stage. And with a local theme, since the VPI turntable is from New Jersey.
All I need to do is justify price.
Greetings, new to the boards here. Do you regularly listen to MQA music through your B+? Iāve been using the inboard dac on the Bluesound Node 2i and MQA via Tidal sounds amazing. Mytek is at the top of my list for dacs, and they seem to be a great value in the space. If only Benchmark got onboard with MQAā¦ 
Hi Kerwin, thanks for sharing! Iām thinking of purchasing a set of LCD-XCās to pair with my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I want to listen to some great headphones at the office, but I would be disturbing those around me if I used my LCD-3āsā¦ so closed-back it is! 
Were you using an unbalanced single 1/4" connection during your tests or a balanced connection? Moon Audio will custom-build premium Audeze headphone cables with balanced dual 1/4" Furutech terminations for use with Mytek DAC/headphone amps, and it would effectively double the volume output of our amp! Curious to know whether youāve tried any of this out.
4 Likes
Welcome @analogman20xx to the forums. Iāve been curious of Mytek gear. They seem to make a real quality product thatās under reviewed/rated. I havenāt heard the LCD-XC, but I do own the LCD-X and love them. ZMF Verite Closed backs seem to be the popular closed back choice right now, though the wait is long. Good luck with your search.
2 Likes
Hello and welcome @analogman20xx.
I owned a Brooklyn DAC+ for almost a year: drank the MQA kool aid. It wasnāt a bad DAC. The built in headphone amp was not as good as a Schiit Magni 3 though. It is a Swiss Army Knife trying to be good at everything and excelling at nothing in my opinion. I also powered it with an SBooster LPS.
I had a problem with periodic drop outs when playing MQA using Tidal. Sent the DAC+ back to Mytek New York for a bench test they said it was fine. I doubt they even took the time to listen to it as it came back to me so fast. Never could tell if the drop outs were due to the Brooklyn, Tidal or both.
I finally got fed up with MQA, sold it, bought a Yggdrasil and switched to Qobuz. If I had to have MQA I would pass on the Brooklyn DAC+ and go straight to a Matrix Audio X-SABRE Pro MQA. Costs less than the Brooklyn DAC+ and does not need an outboard LPS. The Matrix is I think just about the only DAC that has fans at both SBAF and ASR.
3 Likes
Iāve had a Brooklyn Bridge for about two months now. I absolutely love it. I purchased it from headphones.com.
I was torn between it and the Matrix X but Coronavirus was likely to affect that order so I went with the Bridge. I also preferred U.S. based because of the chance of repairs or after sales support.
I highly recommend it. Itās a fine piece of equipment with a neutral sound that powers my Stellia, lcd-i4, and lcd-i3. I donāt see any reason to upgrade my setup after this.
Curious if anyone else has the Bridge?
4 Likes
Just recently switched to Roon with the Brooklyn Bridge. The roon app is a perfect addition to this device. Loving using the Audeze lcd-4 with these.
1 Like
Hi,
While headamp section of Bridge is fine, I feel I am lacking something. Indeed connecting simple iFi iCan SE revealed a lot of potential, so I am looking for an compact size amp that would pair well with Mytek. Iāve heard good but somehow limited opinion about Headamp GS-X Mini paired with Mytek. Another possible option is iFi iCan Pro. Any other ideas / expirence?
3 Likes
Iām about 2 weeks in with my Brooklyn DAC+ and Iām very happy with it so far. For 90% of my listening, itās through active monitors with sub (Focal CMS + CMS sub) and it sounds great.
I am using the Sonos Port via COAX to stream SiriusXM, Pro-ject Bluetooth Box E connected to my Pro-ject Bluetooth turntable via optical, and from my Mac via USB.
When playing from my Mac itās usually Apple Lossless, FLAC or HD Tracks all through either Audirvana or iTunes.
I have a balanced adapter coming from Forza Audio that Iām looking forward to pairing with my HD600s and Focal Elagias using a custom Forza Audio cable as well.
I havenāt done any audio tests, I am just happy with the overall sound and features.
Cheers
3 Likes
Have you considered the Wyred4Sound upgrade to the Sonos Port? Iāve been thinking about it since I had to replace my older Connect with the Port.
I donāt often listen to headphones with my living room setup, which is where the Port lives. And I use ROON from the Mac probably more than native SONOS so Iām not sure how much it matters. Probably just when Iām streaming to my main speakers, rather than playing records.
I had no idea about this upgrade for the Sonos Port. Just not sure it would deliver $600 worth of sound upgrade.
Pretty cool though.
Thanks
1 Like
A quick update: Iāve went with ifi Pro iCan, overall it is a good amp but after some time with it I must say it can make you want more 
If you like detailed Mytek sound signature, the tube and tube+ mode will not make it less detailed (fortunately) but just a tab softer, but so far I mostly use it in ss mode. However before buying external amp checkout balance cable adapter. Depending on your needs, headphones and cables it may be all you would need. Adding Pro iCan just proved me how clean and great headphone amp section Mytek provides.
2 Likes