First impressions of new MH-DA006, Musetec flagship

Been privately conversing with a member here who's exclusively using I2S input on 006, has no usb capability. And since LAIV Harmony purchase planned on going I2S, I have Denafrips Gaia and two different I2S specific (no video capability) cables coming in, one all copper, the other Tubulus Concentus pure silver.

I don't recall ever seeing a 005 review using optimized I2S input so this intrigues me with 006. Going I2S, adding a component and cable, but eliminating usb to I2S conversion within dac, trade offs? 006, as well as Harmony offer sync or async modes which means using host clock or local/dac clock, Gaia clock is reportedly one of the best OXCO out there, good test for quality of 006 clock. Probably a month or so out with burn in/ waiting on Tubulus cable build to get good read on preferred input.

Perhaps I'm restating the obvious, but there was reporting on the 005 thread of using DDC conversion of USB to I2S outside of the 005 and comparing it to the same conversion inside of the 005.  One or two people preferred it even with a rather inexpensive DDC.  Others were sceptical.

What I think has not been discussed and might be of more interest, at least to me, is the use of an ethernet to I2S streamer avoiding any use of USB or SPDIF (or its siblings).   

Of course I2S is more easily accomplished on the 006 as it has options for a variety of pin-outs.

@sns  It would be great to hear from your 006 correspcorrespondent on his sound quality impressions and use of I2S. Is his unit broken in?

Member I'm in contact with using I2S directly out of streamer so no usb. Only 130 hours on unit at this point.

I was one of those who tried I2S with 005, Singxer SU6 with pretty inferior HDMI cable, never really optimized it, sold Singxer soon after. Really not interesting in optimizing that setup as USB with 005 was entirely satisfying. Same holds here, 006 just great with USB, most of my interest in getting the Gaia was in applying it to LAIV dac and any subsequent R2R dac I may purchase in future. My understanding of R2R dacs is they more sensitive to clocking vs our Sabre chip dacs, segregated/dedicated clock signal run on I2S optimum for most precise clocking.

@SNS I have the LAiV and I can tell you that their USB implementation is stellar. I purchased a Gustard U18 in order to try the I2S input on the Harmony, and there was no difference between the I2S and USB inputs.

I would love to see a comparison between the Harmony and the 006. I'm a huge fan of R2R having owned a couple of different MSB units in the past (they're too pricey for me now), and the Harmony would hold its own against the older MSB Analog DAC IMHO.