Brooklyn DAC+ Anyone?

Hey Folks,

One of you pm'ed me asking for more thoughts on the DAC+. 

I have now listened to MQA files and streams and SACD's converted to PCM by the OPPO 105 as well as more 16/44.1 material.   As I somewhat alluded to, the real eye opener is how good it is with 16/44.1 sources.  I am an analog guy primarily and have not been a fan of CD except in the beginning when I was impressed by it's clarity compared to most analog of the time.  As I listened more I realized 16/44.1 was not enough bits to capture all the overtones and sustain we are accustomed to hearing with most analog sources. 

Listening to a 16/44.1 stream from TIDAL as I type this, the electric Jazz guitar sounds nice and full and textural.  Texture and high frequency detail are the two most noticeable improvements over other DACs I have had.  The last time I heard 16/44.1 this good was in a MUCH higher priced system with a MUCH higher priced DAC.  And I am not sure that presentation was as good in the mids as the DAC+.  When a stick or mallet hits a drum you hear not only the hit but the reverberation around the hit.  Clarity is there as well, such as delineation of voices in harmony.  Also more sense of the space or air is retrieved compared to what I am used to with low resolution sources. 

Of course higher resolution audio is better, more analog like, more air, pretty much more everything that is good.  MQA is wonderful on most encoded recordings.  As I believe JA (John Atkinson in Stereophile) said, MQA does not provide a benefit in every case but it does in most that I have heard.  As I said elswhere in these forums,  MQA brings one closer to the music.  The old, "like lifting a veil" adage is applicable.

I hope to have time tomorrow for cable swapping and more direct comparison to the DAC in the OPPO.  All my DAC+ listening so far has been over the Parsec XLRs.

My expectations were high but have been surpassed.  It would be interesting to see what they could do by removing the phono section and spending the money on the analog out and an outboard power supply. 

Hope you folks are well and good,
Robert

Why are you running such a good DAC through a preamp and a dated one at that?

Hi OP,

Yes, the original Brooklyn has the same "weird symptom" of playing back Redbook far better than one would expect any DAC to.

However, a couple of other new DAC's also have this peculiarity. :) Something has happened recently, perhaps with the clocks, or digital filters, but we may be past the need for high rez music.

Bet,

E

@erik_squires
Hi resolution audio is still better.

@shadorne
The CP-500 sounds really good and I cannot afford to replace it with something that might be better.  Remember, newer is not necessarily better.  Also the interface and I/O compliment are very nice as well.  Who offers a tape loop?  And yes,  I have tried others.

@pkaram. I have not directly compared it to my Explorer2 for MQA but because the DAC+ has a better analog stage, it should be better.
I have not tried the phono stage yet.

Y'all take care,
Robert

Robert,
Thanks for the detailed impressions.  Keep 'em coming if you don't mind posting. Like @kb54 above, I've been interested in the DAC-3 and the Brooklyn.  Now that the DAC+ has come out it just makes the decision harder and the speed at which this sector is advancing leads to paralysis.  I wish that I could listen to both but that's not an option for me.  Also, I don't use MQA now but I'd like the flexibility if I were to switch to Tidal down the road.
Dick