[Review] Mytek Stereo96 DAC vs Cambridge 840c

Mytek Stereo96 DAC vs Cambridge 840c

Apologies if there is not much 'review' and a lot of rambling. I can't see the point of great detailed reviews except to say definitely worth/not worth an audition..

Morning all,

I haven't posted for many years because I haven't had anything new to mention. I was a happy Densen B400 owner [the original
flaky one with HDCD decoder] since 98, but it was always a bit temperamental and gradually worsened until it was not playing most discs. I contacted Densen and arranged a repair who attempted a fix and sent it back. It lasted a few months and then misbehaved again.

To give you the small print - Densen offer a lifetime warranty to the 1st owner. This is either a blessing or curse depending on your carriage charges [not under Densen's control I accept] and if they do fix it. The 1st year or 2 is return to dealer, after that it is a factory return. You cannot do anything yourself or you would lose the warranty. By now anyone in the UK will start to see the problem. A B400 is heavy and large when packaged. Since they were also too tight to give the owner a remote in the 1st place [if they only knew the bad feeling that causes..], and there was no confident resolution, I thought I would look at alternatives.

The point of this is - had the Densen not played up, I wouldn't have changed sources. I prefered my original to an XS400 comparison a few years ago.

Like most audio junkies over the years I have a few digital sources about: DVDs, DAT recorder, CD recorder, and a Marantz
CD63 that I still used for digital-out recordings. I figured I would try some DACs until I found something good.

1st I scrounged a Cambridge CA840c from Richer Sounds. As you probably know this has lots of inputs and outputs and so would
have done everything I needed. I had it for 2 weeks and it didn't do it for me. I found it polite, with fruity mid bass, odd timing [eg it could do toms OK, but not rimshot snare], clean treble and mid. It sounded like a slightly cleaner version of my Pioneer Cd609 CD recorder [which was about 1/2 the price].

The plan was to order a few DACs to compare over the 1 month return window that Richer Sounds offer. I must say much thanks
to Richer Sounds (Leicester - in this case) who are still my 1st choice retailer after 20+ years. All the shops have given superb service.

Anyway, I never got as far as the Benchmark or Lavrey..

I ordered a Mytek Stereo96 DAC from here:

http://www.mytekdigital.com/europe/store/

It arrived within 3 days from Poland [where they manufacture it]. I won't be returning it. Using the digital coax of the CD63 through any 'wet string' wire gives:

Lots of snap and 'thwack' as Tony might say, deep, fast bass - no tubby mid bass. Very detailed but relaxing. Generally just a clean and effortless dynamic sound.

I havent tried it unbalanced output yet, or the TOSlink, I also haven't bypassed the volume pot for the rear outputs or the output capacitors [on jumpers inside - DC reponse!]. I rarely swap any cables - life is way too short.

I do like the front panel switch to avoid the internal clock. This allows you to hear the incoming raw data decoded. Digital glare can be added or taken away with one button and it's not a subtle difference!

If you try it unbalanced output, you MUST leave the unused [usually cold] output disconnected, not shorted to ground like some balanced outputs require. Check any cables for this.

If you want to 15 day trial it, and don't have any easy way to return it [the Post Office have no suitable high value service] then I was going to try this:

http://www.parcel2go.com/sitemap.aspx

I haven't used them, but it looks as if it would be suitable [~£20 to return it]

Hell it even has VU meters! Hifi nowadays definitely needs more VU meters.

Apologies if I don't reply to questions, I only visit rarely.

Speakers were homemade 3 way floorstanders and old Morduant Short 908 3 way floorstanders. Primare A20 amp [I think..]. The room is tiny but sounds good anyway.