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DACs — Mytek Liberty DAC II
Description, images, technical data and specifications
Mytek Liberty DAC II
Image source — © Mytek
The Liberty DAC II is a compact converter and headphone amplifier from Mytek, designed in New York City by Michal Jurewicz and built in Poland. It arrived in 2022 as part of the rebooted Mytek range and takes up a third of a standard rack width, a package that Mytek describes as portable. The US price is USD 1,495, and a European launch price of EUR 1,295 including VAT was quoted.
Key specs that matter
An ES9038 chipset converts PCM up to 32 bit and 384 kHz, native DSD up to DSD256 and DXD, with a stated dynamic range of 127 dB, and a certified hardware MQA decoder is included. Inputs are USB2 Class 2, AES/EBU, two coaxial S/PDIF and Toslink with ADAT, all except USB limited to PCM at 192 kHz and DSD64 via DoP. Outputs are one pair of balanced XLR and one pair of unbalanced RCA plus a 6.3 mm headphone socket. The headphone stage is a high-current design rated at 300 mA and 3 W with 0.1 ohm output impedance. The case is 140 mm wide, 225 mm deep and 44 mm tall, and the unit weighs 2 kg.
Engineering and use context
Inside, Mytek installs an oversized 60 W linear toroid that switches mains voltage automatically, so no manual 115 or 230 V selector is needed - this linear supply replaces the switch-mode unit of the first Liberty DAC and is the main change of the second version. Level is set inside the Sabre chip in 0.5 dB steps, and an LED ring around the front knob shows the setting from a distance. A single button next to it combines power and input selection, and the sides carry an embossed honeycomb pattern. Front indicators report the incoming sample rate up to PCM 384 and DSD256, bit depth at 16, 20 or 24 bit, and MQA status. The clock generator is a low-noise design with 10 ps of jitter. An Apple remote with a metal wand controls level and also sends pause and skip commands to Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube players. Firmware can be upgraded over USB, the current release being version 1.3.0, and Mytek backs the unit with a two-year warranty. USB playback is driverless on macOS and Linux for all formats.
Pairing
With variable level on both the XLR and RCA outputs, the Liberty DAC II is able to run straight into a power amp or powered monitors and act as a digital preamplifier in a desktop or living room system. The high-current headphone amplifier, with its very low output impedance, is aimed at headphones that are hard to drive. The AES/EBU and coaxial inputs accept a CD transport or streamer, and the optical port takes a television or games console.
Alternatives
The Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ is a larger half-width converter with an ES9028Pro chip, a 6 W headphone amplifier and a built-in MM and MC phono input.
Key specs that matter
An ES9038 chipset converts PCM up to 32 bit and 384 kHz, native DSD up to DSD256 and DXD, with a stated dynamic range of 127 dB, and a certified hardware MQA decoder is included. Inputs are USB2 Class 2, AES/EBU, two coaxial S/PDIF and Toslink with ADAT, all except USB limited to PCM at 192 kHz and DSD64 via DoP. Outputs are one pair of balanced XLR and one pair of unbalanced RCA plus a 6.3 mm headphone socket. The headphone stage is a high-current design rated at 300 mA and 3 W with 0.1 ohm output impedance. The case is 140 mm wide, 225 mm deep and 44 mm tall, and the unit weighs 2 kg.
Engineering and use context
Inside, Mytek installs an oversized 60 W linear toroid that switches mains voltage automatically, so no manual 115 or 230 V selector is needed - this linear supply replaces the switch-mode unit of the first Liberty DAC and is the main change of the second version. Level is set inside the Sabre chip in 0.5 dB steps, and an LED ring around the front knob shows the setting from a distance. A single button next to it combines power and input selection, and the sides carry an embossed honeycomb pattern. Front indicators report the incoming sample rate up to PCM 384 and DSD256, bit depth at 16, 20 or 24 bit, and MQA status. The clock generator is a low-noise design with 10 ps of jitter. An Apple remote with a metal wand controls level and also sends pause and skip commands to Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube players. Firmware can be upgraded over USB, the current release being version 1.3.0, and Mytek backs the unit with a two-year warranty. USB playback is driverless on macOS and Linux for all formats.
Pairing
With variable level on both the XLR and RCA outputs, the Liberty DAC II is able to run straight into a power amp or powered monitors and act as a digital preamplifier in a desktop or living room system. The high-current headphone amplifier, with its very low output impedance, is aimed at headphones that are hard to drive. The AES/EBU and coaxial inputs accept a CD transport or streamer, and the optical port takes a television or games console.
Alternatives
The Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ is a larger half-width converter with an ES9028Pro chip, a 6 W headphone amplifier and a built-in MM and MC phono input.
Specifications
Model name
Liberty DAC II
Conversion type
N/A
Engine
ES9038
DSD compatability
Yes
Parameters
up to 32 bit / 384 kHz and DSD256
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (Hz)
N/A
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (Hz)
N/A
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
N/A
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
N/A
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Analog outputs
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (dB)
N/A
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (% at 22 kHz)
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
40 x 225 x 44
Weight (kg)
2
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