First We Take Manhattan: Manhattan Transfer

Mytek Manhattan - DSD Convert

The Mytek Manhattan D/A converter has an apt. name. Anyone that fancies themselves into technology will want one. It has a nice divoted front, a comic book top, and bleed-through on the display. Whether these just looks will translate into a DA/Pre amp being worthy of a MagTech is up for debate: It sort of reminds one of a Rowland.

Not Rowland, the Synthesizer, or Printer manufacturer, DG, but Rowland the consummate maker of shiny exterior high-fi components. Jeff. He's a good guy.

The Manhattan Project was American's way of introducing their benign foreign policy into the world. A less troubling version of Monsanto, the Nuclear Bomb paved the way for Nagasaki and Hiroshima re-development.

A roommate of ours quite some time ago had a mother who had been there for the blast. Her parents were killed, standing above her, as she sat below the window sill. What a blast. Godzilla of course came out from Studio Toho to psychologically re-stabilize such orphans and survivors, and provide them with an alternative explanation for such devastation and prowess.

More recently we saw Manhattan fall - or at least some wonderfully Yamasaki designed twin towers well-covered in mashrabiya. Was Bin Laden's complaint similar to Jesus's, when he cleared the temple of money lenders? We shall never know.

Regardless, the Manhattan Project was America's break-through technological moment into superiority, and then decline, as we see now.

Is DSD 256 and DXD (32 bit/384 KHz) sampling capability, the "Manhattan Moment" for Digital to Analogue Conversion?

We won't talk about religious conversion rates, but it felt almost religious in trepidation when we first heard a SACD recording. Mark Levinson's "Live From Red Rose Music," direct from the Man, himself, Mark Levinson. Recorded live, no-mixing, direct to DSD. Played back with a Sony SCD-1 player with decent ancillary gear and electrostatic speakers, it was captivating.

The Korg MR-2000S improved things considerably with 2x DSD, recording and playback in a 1U unit. You would have seen quite a few at trade shows. Perhaps future converters and recorders (integrated) will catch up with the DIY enthusiasts with DSD 512 capability.

Horus and Pyramix (interesting names) presently offer 256, which suits the Manhattan DA.

Those wishing more than two channels might find the Happi a nice consistent alternative.

That suits us just nicely.