DAC blind ABX in-home test: Hegel h390 internal DAC vs Mytek Manhatten ii DAC

[tallbeardedone]

Here's my experience from yesterday, take from it what you will:

My local hi-fi dealer was kind enough to lend me a Mytek Manhattan ii DAC (retail ~$10k NZD) which I set up to do a reasonably controlled blind ABX test against the internal DAC in my Hegel h390 integrated amp in my home listening room.

SET-UP: My listening room is acoustically treated with floor-to-ceiling book shelves on two walls and a velvet curtain on the third with the back wall opening into my large open plan kitchen and living space.

My speakers are Monitor Audio gx300s which have been carefully placed in-room using WASP and Master Set via close email correspondence with Bob Huggins, spl meter, measuring tape, laser level, and my ears. Here is there frequency response of the gx300's (note that with grills on (black line) fr is +/- 1.5dB across the entire band with the peak at 5kHz nicely attenuated):

My digital source is an Auralic Aries G1 streamer streaming lossless FLAC PCM (Qobuz) connected via AQ carbon USB cable.

Due to the super high 10.8V xlr output of the Mytek I had to level-match using a 200Hz test tone and spl meter. It ended up that my loud listening level of 70 via the Hegel internal DAC (~70dB at listening position) was matched at 51 via the Mytek. Massive difference.

I then personally performed 6 sets of blind ABX testing with my girlfriend switching between the Hegel DAC and Mytek DAC with no filters or processing. The switching time was approximately 2min to turn off everything and swap the USB cable from the back of the Hegel to the back of the Mytek and turn everything back on, change the input, and level match volume. I then ran the same test series for my girlfriend. It took us approximately 1.5 hours in total.

Test tracks used and what I was listening for are as follows:

Bass extension, linearity, and output: Royals by Lorde, Ballad of the Runaway Horse by Wasserman, Gentle Rain by Houston Person
Soundstage placement: Pink Panther theme by Christophe Beck
Center imaging: Little Room by Nora Jones
Soundstage depth: Jack Sparrow, Royal Philharmonic Film Classics album
Soundstage width: Robot Rock/Oh Yeah by Daft Punk, Motherboard by Daft Punk

RESULTS: I could hear NO discernible difference at all between DACs, neither could my girlfriend. We both felt we were just guessing when picking the X and the results verified it. I got 3 of 6 right, she got 2, but we might as well have been flipping a coin. It was literal blind luck.

Afterward I would say the most common factors causing people to hear discernible differences between modern DACs is placebo, consumer bias, or not level-matching. These high priced DACs often have silly hi output voltages which would make them noticeably louder at the same volume level on your amp.

If anyone is in New Zealand and wants to try the test I have the DAC for the weekend. Come on down it's great fun! I'd also love to test any other DACs that people are willing to donate, especially a Holo Audio May KTE!

TLDR; NO discernible difference was detected between Hegel h390 internal DAC and Mytek Manhattan ii DAC in level-matched blind ABX test in my listening room.

 

[12Many]

Great post. Thanks !! It is hard for me to get my head around a $6k (USD) DAC. Seems like a lot of money.

 

[tallbeardedone]

Great post. Thanks !! It is hard for me to get my head around a $6k (USD) DAC. Seems like a lot of money.

I was so happy to get the chance to test. It's rare to be able to trial a $10k DAC in a home listening room. Big ups to my local hifi guy Matt! I personally think consumer bias is a big reason people hear subjective differences in DACs. If I'd spent $10k I'd WANT (badly) to hear a difference so would have a glowing review of the DAC. In reality the difference was not discernible, and definitely NOT worth $10k.

 

[GXAlan]

At least in the US, both of those products are premium at $6000 USD.

The Hegel H390 uses the AK4493 and apparently uses the same exact DAC board as the H590.

The Mytek uses the ESS 9038

In both cases, I think you are seeing flagship performance from two premium brands…

It would be interesting to compare it to an iPhone in ABX

 

[tonycollinet]

Many here will tell you level matching with SPL meter is not good enough (reflections will cause inaccuracy greater than the 0.1dB you need to be certain you are not hearing a level difference) and you should be using a volt meter. Your switching time is not ideal either at 2 minutes - ideally you'd switch the output of the dac with a switch box, and have the levels matched before the amp, so you don't have to do that each time.

However, even with this your results confirm what most here will tell you. Competent dacs will be audibly identical. And they don't have to cost anywhere near $5000 to be competent (nor do they have to be low cost to be incompetent). Good work.

 

[tallbeardedone]

Many here will tell you level matching with SPL meter is not good enough (reflections will cause inaccuracy greater than the 0.1dB you need to be certain you are not hearing a level difference) and you should be using a volt meter. Your switching time is not ideal either at 2 minutes - ideally you'd switch the output of the dac with a switch box, and have the levels matched before the amp, so you don't have to do that each time.

However, even with this your results confirm what most here will tell you. Competent dacs will be audibly identical. And they don't have to cost anywhere near $5000 to be competent (nor do they have to be low cost to be incompetent). Good work.

Yeah I level matched as close as I could but even with a 200Hz tone the sound pressure jumps +\- 1 dB at least as you watch the meter.

I thought about attenuating volume via the Mytek. It’s has digital or analog volume control. But I wanted the signal to have minimal processing of any kind so I was testing apples to apples, thus the signal was passed as untouched as possible to the Hegel.

Volt meter is a good idea, but again, I’d have to attenuate volume via the Mytek to voltage match.

 

[Boxa]

Great reading, thankyou.
I had a horrific experience with Mytek Brooklyn bridges. When it was working it was everything I wanted. But after 3 failed units, I received a refund and sold some other gear and bought the H390.
I have not regretted the decision at all, the Hegel powers the Dynaudio towers beautifully.
I don't think I'll go hunting for a separate DAC anytime soon.

 

[MediumRare]

Since you still have the DACs, can you run REW and see if there are any differences in FR, Impulse, Distortion, etc.?