Thread: Mytek Stereo 192

Thanks for suggestion- the idea to include driverless USB1.1 and Toslink is to cover less sophisticated user base and free them up from having to install drivers etc. Just plug and play using the current player they have.

Discerning users would install drivers, dedicated software in order to enjoy 192k/DSD

As for the SACD hardware support- we are looking into this but it does not look good at the moment. There are giant roadblocks in terms of strict anti piracy bureaucracy and very steep licensing fees associated with implementing Ilink or DSD over HDMI. This whole arrangement is really of the past. There is a clear writing on the wall, plastic disc is going away altogether with SACD already de-facto dead.

The prudent thing to do for a small company like ours is to focus on the growth and future instead. There is no question computer playback is the future.

In addition HDTracks.com and other hi-res websites offer _unprotected_ downloads and it seems natural all small labels who made SACD in the past would have interest in reviving these shelved recordings by putting them online as files.

Does it make sense?

Regards, Michal at Mytek New York

Yes, computer playback is the future of digital audio. But the larger music buying audience is still wedded to these optical discs. And for the high rez music of 24/88.2kHz and higher digital, the choices are limited.

The sa-cd.net website boasts over 7200 SACDs with approximately 1500 SACDs from original DSD recordings. What are the alternative number of available DSD recordings that you see from your perspective?

I got into DSD largely after my entry into computer audio and realizing that I already had thousands of excellent high fidelity music on LPs that I wanted to bring to computer audio in all their glory.

http://www.korg.com/services/products/mr/Future_Proof_Recording_Explained.pdf

I digitize my albums to DSD128. Why (like they say in the movie "Pretty Woman") - cause it's the best. I might come to say that DXD is just as good.

So IMO if you eliminate SACDs and digitized high fidelity vinyl or analog tape from DSD playback, the available high rez music for computer audiophiles is quite limited.

I would also add that the vast majority of computer audiophiles get their digital music from ripping plastic discs (RBCDs - lossless, but not high-rez like SACDs).

The brochure states “In mastering version the DSD SDIF in can also be input to computer.”

Does that mean DSD SDIF input from a computer or DSD SDIF output to a computer?

Is this SDIF-2 or SDIF-3?

What potential benefits do you imagine for computer audiophiles that opt for the mastering version?

I'll answer larger QQ invoked earlier as well.

Mytek Stereo192-DSD-DAC is one of the pieces which helps to resolve chicken/egg situation for computer playback of DSD files. You need the software to playback DSD files, you need hardware (Mytek) , you need drivers (win- asio, mac-?) and finally you need content (small labels putting their SACDs online). All these elements have to be in place for DSD playback to occur. Soo... we are just in the beginning but the vision is clear.

The mastering version of the DAC probably has little or no benefits for audiophiles unless you own an SACD player with DSD SDIF output which would be a professional player without copy protection.

However- if you are a mastering engineer who worked with SACDs you probably already have a Sonoma or Pyramix system and an SACD player like above to actually be able to convert discs/masters to downloadable files. Mastering Version of Stereo192-DSD-DAC potentially makes this work easier. If you are a recording engineer who likes live to 2 track DSD using Tascam DVR1000, you would use this function to get DSD off Tascam to computer (providing there will be a software app capable of recording DSD on the hard disk using ASIO driver for example)

(PS: the input would read both SDIF2 and 3)

I hope this doesn't sound too complicated.

Regards , Michal

Both outputs are copy of each other after the fader so yes you can use one to drive one destination and another something else. Regards Michal

Yes, The DAC converts DSD natively to analog without PCM in between.

Regards M

Absolutely, there is a lot of people who own great SACD collection and may not be excited to have to buy them again through downloads. However- it was a decision of big labels that created this situation, an excellent content ended up on a dead end medium. IMO the whole SACD "perfect" protection scheme greatly contributed to SACD demise as it could not compete with CD as far as owner ripping is concerned.

We do get asked for Ilink DSD support to enable SACD playback but no matter how I look at this the numbers just don't add up. The cost of licensing has been made prohibitive for small companies like our, I'm sorry to say- we'd love to support SACD, it could have been made easy but it is not.

But it's precisely this (death of format) that opens this new avenue for downloads that will happen (unless artificially/legally circumvented). You could not have released SACD with less than $15000 budget. You CAN release the same DSD master files online for virtually NO budget. I think this is an attractive proposition to many small labels who made SACDs with recording already existing and paid for. With limited resources we have to focus on the future.

Regards, Michal

on DVD-R data discs for virtually NO budget. I think some people are leery of setting up and managing computer servers for music downloads. Many small labels are also leery of using an outside firm to control of their music downloads especially with the number of customer complaints on some sites. By contrast I never hear any complaints from buyers of the Reference Recordings HRx discs, except we want more.

1) can SPDIF input be switched to a BNC

You could theoretically remove the RCA from back panel and put in a BNC. Or use BNC to RCA adapter. What would be the purpose of this?

2) will there be provision for a remote volume control in future?

Yes we should have it in a few months. Infrared receiver is already built into DAC.

Regards, Michal

There is an optional adjustment of gain, but it's simultaneous on both outputs due to circuit topology.

Regards, Michal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S/PDIF

A BNC to RCA adapter or a digital RCA connection is often deemed not to be as good. Though still much better than toslink connections.

Is the Mytek volume control analog or digital and can it be bypassed?

The DAC is switchable internally, we would typically send it set to the voltage and with power cord of country of destination.

I don't believe we have a dedicated dealer in Singapore yet. If you order the DAC trough our US store , the shipping is free, however you might be responsible for any import taxes upon arrival (I think it's around 10% altogether)

Best Regards, Michal, Mytek New York

Using BNC instead of RCA will definitely not hurt but it'd be debatable if it really helps. Advantage of BNC is that its physical dimensions (and thus its waveform performance) are well defined while RCA jacks vary depending who made them. However a well designed RCA SPDIF cable will do just fine. Combine this with over 60dB jitter attenuation in JET PLL

(http://www.tctechnologies.tc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&It emid=14)

or our 10ps internal clock, the issue of cable becomes negligible.

Hope this helps, Regards, Michal

Can you email me privately at mihow2008//mytekdigital.com ?

I'll suggest best solution. Regards M

This DAC uses an ESS sabre chip, would it be possible to know which one?