[watchdog507]

I have a Mytek Brooklyn and I use it with a V281 and HEX phones.  I heard that an external Linear PSU does some good things for this DAC.  Michal, the Mytek founder approves of this kind of upgrade.  I've narrowed my choice to an HDPLEX 100W Linear Power Supply.  I like the fact that it has numerous connectivity options if I want to use it elsewhere.  There is a 400W Supply available, but that is an overkill for what I need.  Has anyone gone down this path and can share their results?

 

[smartin]

  I have a Mytek Brooklyn and I use it with a V281 and HEX phones.  I heard that an external Linear PSU does some good things for this DAC.  Michal, the Mytek founder approves of this kind of upgrade.  I've narrowed my choice to an HDPLEX 100W Linear Power Supply.  I like the fact that it has numerous connectivity options if I want to use it elsewhere.  There is a 400W Supply available, but that is an overkill for what I need.  Has anyone gone down this path and can share their results?

I didn't find an appreciable difference.  The Brooklyn's PS is remarkably good (can check the stereophile measurements, no AC hum at all).  I tried an Uptone JS-2, and because Mytek mentioned it, a car battery.  I tried to convince myself the JS-2 was better, as I use it anyway (I use the other output to power a Adnaco Fiber-USB extender), but in all honestly, it sounds as good running directly off AC (not just subjectively, I did blind testing...)

 

[watchdog507]

  I didn't find an appreciable difference.  The Brooklyn's PS is remarkably good (can check the stereophile measurements, no AC hum at all).  I tried an Uptone JS-2, and because Mytek mentioned it, a car battery.  I tried to convince myself the JS-2 was better, as I use it anyway (I use the other output to power a Adnaco Fiber-USB extender), but in all honestly, it sounds as good running directly off AC (not just subjectively, I did blind testing...)

Thanks for sharing your experience.  You've saved me some money and time!

 

[Kerwin515]

Thanks for starting this thread! I got a chance to listen to the Brooklyn at CanJam NYC and was truly impressed with it.  I'm surprised that it didn't have it's own thread until now.  Lack of funds prevent me from getting one now, but it's my next big audiophile purchase.  I'd love to hear your experiences so far.  Especially with the following:
 

1. Does it play nicely with Roon?  JRiver?
2. I only had a chance to hear it with Tidal streaming (was still non MQA) back then, but how does it sound with 24/192 content and above? Is it really as neutral sounding as the various reviews have said?
3. For headphone output, how does unbalanced output sound compared to balanced?
4. I've read about occasional lockups that require a hard reset and in some applications it has trouble during resolution switching.  Have you experienced this?
5. How warm does it feel after extended use?
6. Is there an audible difference between using the analog volume control vs. digital?

 
Thanks!  I think I'm a little too excited about this DAC and I really want to temper my expectations so I don't drive myself nuts or let myself down.

 

[watchdog507]

  Thanks for starting this thread! I got a chance to listen to the Brooklyn at CanJam NYC and was truly impressed with it.  I'm surprised that it didn't have it's own thread until now.  Lack of funds prevent me from getting one now, but it's my next big audiophile purchase.  I'd love to hear your experiences so far.  Especially with the following:
 

1. Does it play nicely with Roon?  JRiver?
2. I only had a chance to hear it with Tidal streaming (was still non MQA) back then, but how does it sound with 24/192 content and above? Is it really as neutral sounding as the various reviews have said?
3. For headphone output, how does unbalanced output sound compared to balanced?
4. I've read about occasional lockups that require a hard reset and in some applications it has trouble during resolution switching.  Have you experienced this?
5. How warm does it feel after extended use?
6. Is there an audible difference between using the analog volume control vs. digital?

 
Thanks!  I think I'm a little too excited about this DAC and I really want to temper my expectations so I don't drive myself nuts or let myself down.

My observations and response to your questions:  My use of the Brooklyn is strictly as a DAC acting as a source for a Violectric V281.  So my observations are limited.  This is not a review, merely some observations.
 

1. Does it play nicely with Roon?  JRiver?  I've only done one test with JRiver and it worked as expected. I only use Tidal and my own source files.
2. I only had a chance to hear it with Tidal streaming (was still non MQA) back then, but how does it sound with 24/192 content and above? Is it really as neutral sounding as the various reviews have said? I use upsampling 32/192 and it sounds exceptional.  Native MQA sounds really good. I'm surprised that you can get as much detail as MQA offers considering the encoding technique. It sounds detailed and I don't suffer from fatigue during long listening periods.
3. For headphone output, how does unbalanced output sound compared to balanced?  I've only tested single ended headphone output once and it sounded fine.  I didn't do extended listening. I'm using balanced output on the V281.
4. I've read about occasional lockups that require a hard reset and in some applications it has trouble during resolution switching.  Have you experienced this?  I've never experienced this problem.  I'm running latest firmware V2.22.  Possibly this has been addressed in the updated firmware. 
5. How warm does it feel after extended use? Warm never hot. The DAC is never covered and has good air circulation.
6. Is there an audible difference between using the analog volume control vs. digital?  I've never toggled between volume controls as I use the fixed output on the DAC.

 

[smartin]

  Thanks for starting this thread! I got a chance to listen to the Brooklyn at CanJam NYC and was truly impressed with it.  I'm surprised that it didn't have it's own thread until now.  Lack of funds prevent me from getting one now, but it's my next big audiophile purchase.  I'd love to hear your experiences so far.  Especially with the following:
 

1. Does it play nicely with Roon?  JRiver?
2. I only had a chance to hear it with Tidal streaming (was still non MQA) back then, but how does it sound with 24/192 content and above? Is it really as neutral sounding as the various reviews have said?
3. For headphone output, how does unbalanced output sound compared to balanced?
4. I've read about occasional lockups that require a hard reset and in some applications it has trouble during resolution switching.  Have you experienced this?
5. How warm does it feel after extended use?
6. Is there an audible difference between using the analog volume control vs. digital?

 
Thanks!  I think I'm a little too excited about this DAC and I really want to temper my expectations so I don't drive myself nuts or let myself down.

I use it with Roon, works fine.
 
Sounds great with higher res stuff, both native and upsampled.  I also listen to both native MQA via Tidal (sounds good, a few albums are fantastic, probably due to a new master), and upsampled Tidal streams via Roon-HQP (to 32/352 or DSD256).  No Sabre glare that I can appreciate, though I think that is less a deal than a lot of people make it out to be...
 
I'm not sure if the balanced output is different...  I got the adapter, but the cable is also different.  My current headphones (Edition X and Utopia) are both really easy to drive, so don't need the added power of balanced.  I preferred the balanced output, but it wasn't night and day, and the ergonomics of my balanced cable are better, so that may of played a part...
 
No lockups, not very warm at all (mine is also well ventilated).  There are subtle differences in volume control.  I have a Violectric 281 now also (so use bypass mode), but used the built in HP amp for a couple months.  I preferred the analog control, though I am sure I'm biased from knowing the signal path differences...
 
I tried a lot of DACs before getting the Brooklyn and am very happy (though I have been considering 'upgrading' to something that does dsd512...).

 

[thegabe]

I just recently had a Brooklyn but did not keep it due to hiss on the headphone amp outputs. Does anyone have some low ohm headphones they could try? I could hear it with my 25 ohm headphones and extremely well with my 8 ohm earphones.

 

[watchdog507]

I just recently had a Brooklyn but did not keep it due to hiss on the headphone amp outputs. Does anyone have some low ohm headphones they could try? I could hear it with my 25 ohm headphones and extremely well with my 8 ohm earphones.

I have HEX's and their nominal impedance is 25 Ohms and I heard no artifacts when I tested the headphone outputs.

 

[Kerwin515]

My observations and response to your questions: My use of the Brooklyn is strictly as a DAC acting as a source for a Violectric V281. So my observations are limited. This is not a review, merely some observations.

1. Does it play nicely with Roon? JRiver? I've only done one test with JRiver and it worked as expected. I only use Tidal and my own source files.
2. I only had a chance to hear it with Tidal streaming (was still non MQA) back then, but how does it sound with 24/192 content and above? Is it really as neutral sounding as the various reviews have said? I use upsampling 32/192 and it sounds exceptional. Native MQA sounds really good. I'm surprised that you can get as much detail as MQA offers considering the encoding technique. It sounds detailed and I don't suffer from fatigue during long listening periods.
3. For headphone output, how does unbalanced output sound compared to balanced? I've only tested single ended headphone output once and it sounded fine. I didn't do extended listening. I'm using balanced output on the V281.
4. I've read about occasional lockups that require a hard reset and in some applications it has trouble during resolution switching. Have you experienced this? I've never experienced this problem. I'm running latest firmware V2.22. Possibly this has been addressed in the updated firmware.
5. How warm does it feel after extended use? Warm never hot. The DAC is never covered and has good air circulation.
6. Is there an audible difference between using the analog volume control vs. digital? I've never toggled between volume controls as I use the fixed output on the DAC.

I use it with Roon, works fine.

Sounds great with higher res stuff, both native and upsampled. I also listen to both native MQA via Tidal (sounds good, a few albums are fantastic, probably due to a new master), and upsampled Tidal streams via Roon-HQP (to 32/352 or DSD256). No Sabre glare that I can appreciate, though I think that is less a deal than a lot of people make it out to be...

I'm not sure if the balanced output is different... I got the adapter, but the cable is also different. My current headphones (Edition X and Utopia) are both really easy to drive, so don't need the added power of balanced. I preferred the balanced output, but it wasn't night and day, and the ergonomics of my balanced cable are better, so that may of played a part...

No lockups, not very warm at all (mine is also well ventilated). There are subtle differences in volume control. I have a Violectric 281 now also (so use bypass mode), but used the built in HP amp for a couple months. I preferred the analog control, though I am sure I'm biased from knowing the signal path differences...

I tried a lot of DACs before getting the Brooklyn and am very happy (though I have been considering 'upgrading' to something that does dsd512...).

Thanks for your responses!

I have HEX's and their nominal impedance is 25 Ohms and I heard no artifacts when I tested the headphone outputs.

Yikes...didn't even consider any hiss. I have LCD-XCs that have a 20 Ohms impedence...I hope the background is still dead silent. A hiss would be a bit of a deal breaker for me.

Another question for you all: Where did you buy your Brooklyn's? I happen to live in Brooklyn not too far from the Mytek office and I ordered directly from them, I would incur quite a bit in sales tax, which I'd rather avoid.

 

[thyname]

Brooklyn does not see to have Balanced headphones output, correct?
 
Also, does anybody know what the rated output power is at 300 Ohms impedance?

 

[captblaze]

  Another question for you all: Where did you buy your Brooklyn's?  I happen to live in Brooklyn not too far from the Mytek office and I ordered directly from them, I would incur quite a bit in sales tax, which I'd rather avoid.

​try Music Direct in Chicago

 

[Kerwin515]

 
​try Music Direct in Chicago

Yup I saw that they sell it.  So does Moon Audio. Have you had good experiences with Music Direct?  I believe Music Direct doesn't stock them outright, but will have Mytek drop ship it.

 

[Kerwin515]

  Brooklyn does not see to have Balanced headphones output, correct?
 
Also, does anybody know what the rated output power is at 300 Ohms impedance?

It does have balanced headphone output, using an adapter that plugs into both headphone jacks.

 

[thyname]

  It does have balanced headphone output, using an adapter that plugs into both headphone jacks.

Thanks! So basically the two outputs can be used for balanced mode with some internal settings? It sounds like Pono Player

 

[captblaze]

  Yup I saw that they sell it.  So does Moon Audio. Have you had good experiences with Music Direct?  I believe Music Direct doesn't stock them outright, but will have Mytek drop ship it.

 
I've made at least 3 purchases from Music Direct before and never had any problems. and yes for items they don't have in stock they order and then either have it drop shipped or it goes to them and they ship it
 
update - shows in stock at Moon and 2-3 weeks at Music Direct