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MyST PortaDAC 1704 DAC review: listening to Grace and wincing at the relief face

They take a long time to harness, but they ride fast! This is about us, about American men. Hopefully, a similar case will happen to the country we live and survive in. At least that’s the hope. A couple of weeks ago together with the spring two DACs from American brand Mist arrived to my house at once. The first of these –

MyST PortaDAC 1862

, We have already reviewed, having received a rare pleasure in the clarity of sound. Now I have another beauty on my desk –

MyST PortaDAC 1704

. We’ve had reviews of other MyST units, too –

MyST OrtoPhones

i

MyST IzoPhones-30

.

Digital-to-analog converters

Listening to


I listened to the nominee with the following strong bunch: PC USB-Ploytec USB ASIO + MyST PortaDAC 1704 + MyST PortAMP-II + MyST Izophones-60/Hifiman HE-4.

I want to note right away: the DAC is very soulful, musical and detailed. And all this musicianship and Filterpussy is not because of any distortion, at least that’s what it sounds like. It envelops you in some kind of multibit sound magic, warmth, captivates you from the first notes, soothes you and puts you in a wonderful mood.

Audio by

Where MyST PortaDAC 1862 blows you away with its speed and precision, MyST PortaDAC 1704 does it delicately and musically. If PortaDAC 1862 blows your mind, PortaDAC 1704 gets into your soul and becomes dear, bringing back forgotten feelings of the past life. Where 1862 is mastering your mind, 1704 gives you bright colors, flashes of emotion as solid as fireworks on Victory Day…

The blue DAC can rattle and can mysteriously slip through the gypsy girl, sparkling with brown eyes from under the painted kerchief. It’s euphoric. It’s the smell of a bunch of wildflowers. Well, it’s a very emotional machine.

MyST

Grace Jones – “slave to the rhythm”

The composition sounds stunning. The vocals are so lifelike. Grace sings and breathes right in your face. I saw the scarlet glint on her lips, I felt her hot breath! The guitar parts, the brass, the bells – everything is laid out like on stage in front of a dance floor!

The spirit of the composition fills every vein, intoxicates and makes you sway to the beat of the music, the rhythm drowns out any family responsibility… A genius piece. It’s a sheer delight to listen to Grace and be swooning at the hypnosis of the embossed face. It’s the instrumentation.

Digital-to-analog converters

♪ the Cure – “Siamese Twins” ♪

The dark atmosphere of the song is amazing. ♪ Every beat, every beat you feel with your whole body ♪. You can even feel the force of the kick – stronger/softer. The bass is thick, plentiful, the vibration of the strings is hypnotic. This all perfectly conveys the emotionality of the song.

Robert Smith’s vocals are warm and very emotional. You can clearly hear how the sound engineer arranged every sound, every echo, every reverb…

…Leave me to die

You won’t remember my voice

I walked away and grew old…

Ugh, holy crap, it gives me goosebumps!!! Brrrrr! The guitar strings shimmer smoothly, like the waves before a storm…. class, that’s just class, guys!

Audio engineering

Bottom line


High frequencies are slightly accentuated, crumbly, but at the same time they do not stick out and sound not just smooth and unobtrusive, but clearly complement the musical picture, giving it charm and completeness.

Middle frequencies, oh, what a midrange! They are detailed, very musical, with a little warmth and a nice touch. Guitars shimmering with overdubs and barre sliding over the fret. The vocal parts bring tears of joy and happiness to my eyes. It’s nostalgic, it’s charming, it’s vintage! Sounds are enveloping and almost palpable. ♪ everything comes alive around me ♪. What’s interesting is that even with good speed characteristics and excellent attack, 1704 is able to add some fat into the composition, which makes it very charming and captivating. It’s the sound of “those years”, it’s a breeze!

The bass is tight, with a good punch. ♪ The punch is so weighty ♪. The bass, for all its clarity and tightness, has a certain “tube” tinge. If in 1862 it drums clearly, quickly and tightly, hitting the target with a reckoning to the micromillimeter, the 1704 strums rolling all over the place, making a listener move in tune with the music, feel it with his/her whole body, watch the bass player slap on the strings, dance and go crazy with the rhythm.

Between these two machines there is no winner or loser. They are both worthy of the highest award! MyST PortaDAC 1862 technical and fat-free, MyST PortaDAC 1704 musical and enveloping. But both the first and the second DACs are all in the range, just different accents.

If I had to choose, I’d choose both! No, seriously, it’s complicated. Really, I don’t even know…

When you listen to the PortaDAC 1862, you think, “oh yeah! This is the sound I’ve been striving for all my life! That’s exactly what I needed!”

When you switch to PortaDAC 1704 you get nostalgic for the sound you were brought up with. And then you start to have doubts, thinking, “No, still, this is what I’ve always wanted! It turns out my favorite sound came back to me! I’ll never part with it now…Oh, I’m so glad I found you again!”.

…It’s good to love a woman without tearing your soul to shreds? Or am I wrong?

MyST

Conclusions


Excellent device. Mist once again proved that it is possible to make excellent and even unique equipment with a reasonable price and a great sound. There are almost no analogues of this sound, size and number of interfaces in the world. Well, not at this price. The price of MyST PortaDAC 1704 in the Internet store is about 59 000 roubles, which will not disappoint connoisseurs and connoisseurs.

Pros of

Sound, build quality, price.

Cons

No.

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 3
  1. Rowan

    Can you please clarify what you mean by “wincing at the relief face” in your review of the MyST PortaDAC 1704 DAC? I’m curious to know if it was a positive or negative reaction and how it affected your overall listening experience.

    Reply
  2. Skylar

    What kind of music genre does the MyST PortaDAC 1704 DAC excel in, and does it offer a pleasant listening experience for those who appreciate Grace’s music?

    Reply
  3. Elijah Sanders

    What specific features of the MyST PortaDAC 1704 DAC make it stand out in terms of audio quality and performance? And how does it compare to other DACs in the same price range?

    Reply
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