Empire not umpire – That's Mytek's new 20lbs DAC/streamer/preamp though as flagship of the new Empire range, it'll be the umpire over the catalogue's remaining digital. At €20'000, it occupies the 'cost no object' realm as a first for the firm. "The streamer portion is powered by RoonOS with internal Roon Core to drive either the ultra-high performance dual-mono ESS 9038Pro DAC portion or external Roon endpoints. A dual-mono fully balanced analog preamplifier with an ultra-quiet MM/MC phono goes one step further with a high-current dual-mono fully balanced headphone amplifier. Both the DAC and preamplifier functions are controlled by the new MytekOS to offer new functionality via easy software upgrades." Black or silver livery packs into 17 x 3.5 x 14" WxHxD. Shipping begins in December.
