Review: Mytek Liberty DAC vs DC-1/Bas-x A-100 combo!
Mar 16, 2018 2:15:24 GMT -5
LCSeminole and novisnick like this
Post by garbulky on Mar 16, 2018 2:15:24 GMT -5
Oh mama!
Setup:
Liberty DAC using USB 2 in WASAPI push mode.
Comparing directly with the Basx A-100 and DC-1 RCA out combo with HD600 headphones run via BNC. A-100 has jumpers engaged bypassing the resistors to allow direct drive mode. This unleashes a huge amount of power to the HD600's. I think only the Ragnarok can compete in sheer power available in this category anywhere close to the price. I have to find my 1/8 inch cable so I can compare the DC-1 headphone amp section.
Another note the Sennheiser HD600's are 300 ohm headphones. I've only found very few headphone amps which I think I would want to stick with.
And all two of them are being compared in this review!
Initial impressions using headphones!. The Mytek is very good imo. Slight tonal differences between the two. It doesn't fall flat trying to run HD600 headphones. Right there is a probably the most important thing I can say about it! They didn't mess around with this headphone amp. Also can I mention - the USB vs the BNC connection sounds great. Probably the only time I thought this implementation sounded great! Usually I hear some sort of veil or something less than what I'd want.
There may be a slight Saber coloration on headphones. But this is probably the lightest coloration I've heard. It's almost inaudible. I have heard the Saber glare on nearly every Saber DAC I've tried - the Oppo 105, 205 (worst one), Geek Pulse Infinity (slightly different coloration than the usual glare). If this one had it, it didn't jump out at me. However there is a cymbal coloration in the treble in Pink's Try so maybe that's the Saber glare.
I can max the volume out all the way up to the max without trouble. It doesn't deafen you. But it DOES get very loud. Unless you are a bass head, I think this will satisfy you without needing to jump up and buy a bas-x A-100. These two are very surprisingly close in terms of headphone amps! Which if you know me, you'll probably know I fainted hearing this and writing those lines. Yes there are still times when the A-100 does some things at some times where you are just like wow that hooked me! And it does have more power at the extreme volumes. But seriously this is so close. So close! To the point, people would be asking what are you talking about? I don't even know, honestly. They are close.
The differentiator? Adele's when we were young on Youtube. The bass is slightly more in control on the A-100. And that's about it. Right now listening to it through the Lyberty, the bass is still huge and pretty fantastic and extended. Slight thinness on some cymbals on some songs. On oud songs like "The Greatest" by Sia there may have been just a bit of ease with which the A-100 did dynamics.
Hmmmm..... the way it presents the sound is hard to judge. The Liberty DAC may be more mellow, warmer wih a (very slightly) more relaxed open sound. It may produce slightly cleaner treble transients - or it may simply be a little more mellow. It may also produce a slightly cleaner left to right coherence. Or the DC-1 may be more up front with the in the upper mid and treble but may squash things together producing a treble artifact (which is very hard to discern, so I may be wrong). The DC-1 may also be more punchy and correct. Really hard to say. There is a difference. It's just small and hard to say which one is better.
The DC-1 did somethings slightly better. Sometimes when you are wanting that last bit of quality when somebody belts it out, the DC-1 may produce that edge that I look for - that overload of the ears. Also the voices have a smoother gloss which may or may not be a treble artifact. Either way it feels solid and clear.
The Liberty may smooth it out just a tiny amount than it should. The Mytek Liberty did a few things better too like a slightly more open sound and a slightly smoother treble.
As your ears "break in" and adjust to the positives of both DACs it becomes hard to pick a favorite.
Final initial impressions: Which one won? Undecided! But I LIKE the Mytek. The fact that it competes heartily with the basx a-100 is pretty shocking to me.
Only major con for a DAC of this quality - WHERE THE HECK IS THE REMOTE?!?!?
This would make a great travel dac to pack in a suitcase but not appropriate for carrying in your lap. I haven't tested it with speakers yet. But I think this can be part of a high quality speaker system having heard its performance with the HD600.
When I get a chance to go fully balanced, I hope to put this through the paces on the XPA-1.
Setup:
Liberty DAC using USB 2 in WASAPI push mode.
Comparing directly with the Basx A-100 and DC-1 RCA out combo with HD600 headphones run via BNC. A-100 has jumpers engaged bypassing the resistors to allow direct drive mode. This unleashes a huge amount of power to the HD600's. I think only the Ragnarok can compete in sheer power available in this category anywhere close to the price. I have to find my 1/8 inch cable so I can compare the DC-1 headphone amp section.
Another note the Sennheiser HD600's are 300 ohm headphones. I've only found very few headphone amps which I think I would want to stick with.
And all two of them are being compared in this review!
Initial impressions using headphones!. The Mytek is very good imo. Slight tonal differences between the two. It doesn't fall flat trying to run HD600 headphones. Right there is a probably the most important thing I can say about it! They didn't mess around with this headphone amp. Also can I mention - the USB vs the BNC connection sounds great. Probably the only time I thought this implementation sounded great! Usually I hear some sort of veil or something less than what I'd want.
There may be a slight Saber coloration on headphones. But this is probably the lightest coloration I've heard. It's almost inaudible. I have heard the Saber glare on nearly every Saber DAC I've tried - the Oppo 105, 205 (worst one), Geek Pulse Infinity (slightly different coloration than the usual glare). If this one had it, it didn't jump out at me. However there is a cymbal coloration in the treble in Pink's Try so maybe that's the Saber glare.
I can max the volume out all the way up to the max without trouble. It doesn't deafen you. But it DOES get very loud. Unless you are a bass head, I think this will satisfy you without needing to jump up and buy a bas-x A-100. These two are very surprisingly close in terms of headphone amps! Which if you know me, you'll probably know I fainted hearing this and writing those lines. Yes there are still times when the A-100 does some things at some times where you are just like wow that hooked me! And it does have more power at the extreme volumes. But seriously this is so close. So close! To the point, people would be asking what are you talking about? I don't even know, honestly. They are close.
The differentiator? Adele's when we were young on Youtube. The bass is slightly more in control on the A-100. And that's about it. Right now listening to it through the Lyberty, the bass is still huge and pretty fantastic and extended. Slight thinness on some cymbals on some songs. On oud songs like "The Greatest" by Sia there may have been just a bit of ease with which the A-100 did dynamics.
Hmmmm..... the way it presents the sound is hard to judge. The Liberty DAC may be more mellow, warmer wih a (very slightly) more relaxed open sound. It may produce slightly cleaner treble transients - or it may simply be a little more mellow. It may also produce a slightly cleaner left to right coherence. Or the DC-1 may be more up front with the in the upper mid and treble but may squash things together producing a treble artifact (which is very hard to discern, so I may be wrong). The DC-1 may also be more punchy and correct. Really hard to say. There is a difference. It's just small and hard to say which one is better.
The DC-1 did somethings slightly better. Sometimes when you are wanting that last bit of quality when somebody belts it out, the DC-1 may produce that edge that I look for - that overload of the ears. Also the voices have a smoother gloss which may or may not be a treble artifact. Either way it feels solid and clear.
The Liberty may smooth it out just a tiny amount than it should. The Mytek Liberty did a few things better too like a slightly more open sound and a slightly smoother treble.
As your ears "break in" and adjust to the positives of both DACs it becomes hard to pick a favorite.
Final initial impressions: Which one won? Undecided! But I LIKE the Mytek. The fact that it competes heartily with the basx a-100 is pretty shocking to me.
Only major con for a DAC of this quality - WHERE THE HECK IS THE REMOTE?!?!?
This would make a great travel dac to pack in a suitcase but not appropriate for carrying in your lap. I haven't tested it with speakers yet. But I think this can be part of a high quality speaker system having heard its performance with the HD600.
When I get a chance to go fully balanced, I hope to put this through the paces on the XPA-1.
