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Mytek Manhattan or Berkeley Alpha or PS Audio Direct Stream

Now that I have some extra time on my hands for listening, I have decided to upgrade my DAC.  My present DAC is the Naim DAC-V1, which cost around $2500.  While it has preamp & headphone amp functions, I am using it only as a DAC.  My source is ripped CDs, via a Naim Uniti Core ripper. I have no interest in streaming, so all the add ons that allow streaming are not important to me.  The DAC runs into a Conrad Johnson preamp into a Primaluna amp driving Maggies.  I listen to mostly acoustic folk/rock, female vocals and acoustic jazz/blues.  I am a sucker for big soundstage, warm voices and detail on the acoustic instruments.

I have narrowed down the list to:

Mytek Manhattan
PS Audio Direct Stream
Berkeley Alpha

All of these are series 2, or II, but I am omitting these suffixes for brevity.  Just know I am looking at the latest models.

i have favorable impressions of all, based upon some listening at trade shows and/or dealers, limited by unfamiliar mating components and rooms. My budget is in the $5-7k range, although the Berkeley is a bit less. I will consider broken in (used) for a few dollars less.

I am wondering if anyone has experience actually comparing any two of these units? Or if you own one, why did you choose it and what did you not buy? Or if you seriously considered one of these, only to buy something different, what did you buy instead.

I’ll throw one more thought into this. I have considered the moon simaudio 650, which is in the price range, and is a transport and DAC in the same chassis, as adding a transport back into my system in not without merit.  But my decision will be based upon the DAC only, as I could add a transport other ways.

thanks, 

Bill
meiatflask

Showing 1 response by snackeyp

snackeyp's avatar
snackeyp
455 posts
 
This may or may not be helpful to you, but I owned the Manhattan II for about 6 weeks and thought it sounded great.  It allowed me to love digital music (I have put most of my resources into building a class A analog set up in the past 5 years).  
The unit stopped working so I sent it back to the dealer with the plan of either getting a brand new unit in exchange or having that one repaired.  I didn't want to wait 6 weeks to get it back so I asked them to send me the Brooklyn DAC+ to listen to in the mean time.  
I must say I do not miss the Manhattan.  The Brooklyn (to me) sounds 95% as good as the Manhattan did.  I use it only as a DAC, but the Brooklyn has a very good headphone amp and phone amp built in.  I might try these features some day but as far as the DAC goes I'm very satisfied.  At a third of the price of the Manhattan, I'm blown away.  
My advice is to find a dealer you can buy from who accepts returns.  Music Direct is great in this regard.  No restock fees on returns within 60 days but you do have to pay the return shipping.  
Best of luck in your quest!
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