I am checking out these DAC's for my system

@danager 

"I own the MOJO X SE and the USB input is really, really good.  Knowing what I do now the MOJO Y AM would have saved me some money and more than likely performed just as well"

I am admittedly behind the times on television audio connections and don't understand why/how @brbrock would run a digital television signal through a two channel DAC, but I can say that you  are spot on about the Mystique Y.  I have one here now for evaluation and I am and comparing it directly to my Mystique X SE NCZ. 

I am not ready to confirm that the Y performs "just as well"  in my system, but I will say that the performance doesn't seem to lag much behind the X SE.  In fact, after a couple of days with it, I suspect it is more a matter of shadings of different, rather than better or worse.  The test will be reconnecting the X SE NCZ but, after switching over to the Y, I can say that Benjamin's Mystique X and Mystique Y Comparison is pretty darn spot on.

One difference is likely the presentation of the AD1865 18-bit DAC Chip in the Y vs. the AD1862 20-bit chip (two of them) in the X (mine has the 1862-Z chip).  Writer Antonino Scozzaro with Soundbsessive in his DAC Chips List said of the AD1862 chip that it is "one of the best of the world’s Audio".  Also, I tend to like the "liquidity, texture, and harmonic content" of the AD1862 chips over the "slightly more lively, slightly more transparent, and slightly more dynamic" sound of the AD1865 chip, but I could understand how others might see it differently.  My main take-away so far is that the X SE probably didn't need any other inputs except for USB.

@mitch2 

Thanks Mitch.  The USB board that Mojo uses, the attention to power supplies and the focus on reducing both EMF and external vibration have created a top notch product.  I'm really happy with my Mystique X and hopefully it will serve me for many years to come.

I run the optical connection out of my TV to my two channel stereo because the only other option is the headphone jack. In the past I've used the headphone to RCA connector  which works but it has the potential of over-driving the preamp and causing damage.  I haven't  a clue about converters or how that would even work on a USB input.  you might be able to run the converter and the audio USB output through a USB hub but since I already have the second DAC  I really don't care to try.

@brbrock

I was told by Vlad the major difference between IV & V was

"Completely different tube stage and tube power supply."

But both still have transformer output (no capacitors... the III still uses capacitor output)

Look at the best Denafrips DAC you can afford. Anything Pontus 15th and above is brilliant. The 15th series are virtually the same as the next level up DAC. Most musical and fun DACs to my ears

Pontus 15th same as Venus II 12th

 Venus 15th same as Terminator II 12th

Terminator 15th same as Terminator Plus

They also are releasing the Terminator Plus 15th, and I have no clue what that is

@brbrock , 

You can always return the piece if you don’t like it. Vlad is very easy to work with.