First impressions of new MH-DA006, Musetec flagship

sns,  Thank you for your thoughts and in depth reviews as things evolve.

  I have owned an 004 for 4 years and have had many other dacs and always keep the 004. It's a great DAC especially at it's price point. I've been looking for a used 005.  I have found the I2S input out of my inexpensive Xingcore USB to I2S converter input by my windows Jriver PC to be superior to straight USB to the 004. I Will look into the Gaia but also seeking the 005. Is the 005 a worthwhile step up from the 004?  Thanks again for your time and effort with the reviews.

@aw118

I’m sure others will chime in as several folks went from 004 to 005. But no question, it is a real step up.

The USB to I2S implemantation in the 005 is somewhat different in the 005 and should be better.  Different power supply and slightly better clocks, but same Amanero board.  As i've written, I have a prefernce for avoiding any use of USB.

@aw118 pm me or look at usaudiomart ads if you are looking for a used 005.

@car123 I'd estimate this review is as much about the Gaia as it is about 006. I'd expect a lesser DDC or less optimized I2S interface to bring less to the table so in my mind the Gaia is an absolute necessity to extract maximum potential from 006. For those who may not have or want to spend the kind of money Gaia requires I believe the Denafrips Hermes would give you a large measure of Gaia performance at a savings of around $700. You also don't need to spend crazy money like I did on I2S cable, the $70 cheapo I'm using presently is at least a decent short term solution.

@aw118 I've been through 004-006, 004 was only fodder for modifications for me, I was going to go through the entire regimen of mods over on the Headfi forum thread. Then the 005 came out, forget the 004 mods, 005 was akin to a modded 004 in my mind. The 005 proved to be a keeper, at least as resolving/transparent as 004, and more importantly far more musical. I was never unhappy with 005, never heard a single sin of commission over the years. At issue with me is, historically I live with dacs for perhaps up to three, four years, then get the itch to try something new. My plans were to get the Mola Mola then I believe it was @dbb who first mentioned the 006, went over the tech, no brainer purchase. If I were to offer advice on staying within Musetec family it would be to scrimp and save for the 006 if at all possible, gulf between 006 and 005 greater than 004 to 005.

I still have my 005 and Harmony, both will go out the door, I foresee 006/Gaia combo being my reference for the next several years. And between the Harmony and 005, I'd pick the Harmony with quality I2S interface all day over 005 via usb. 005/Gaia is not something I've tried and not really interested in trying since its leaving me, could be quite nice, however. I can only say really love the Harmony/Gaia solution, I could live with that a good long time

@sns  First, thank you for the time and effort. I think it is clear that your evaluation of the Harmony versus the 006 has had some dramatic ups and downs on the way to deciding which you find superior. Can you say a little more specifically why your final conclusion is you prefer the 006 over the Harmony when used with the Gaia. I ask because the Gaia/006 combination is slightly more expensive than the Gaia/Harmony combination. Some might wonder if the added expense of the 006/Gaia is worth it.

Also, just for the convenience of the future readers, I have cut and pasted here some of your comments on the 006 with the Gaia. If I omitted anything significant please comment. Here’s my cut and paste summary of you impressions: 

For now, suffice to say what I'm hearing with Gaia/006 combo is totally freaking amazing! . . .

And then we have the rare [non-incremental] change so profound it  imposes an entirely fresh perspective. Adding the Gaia [to feed I2S to the 006] has been one of these rare changes that results in new insights.

The first thing I'll mention is the sheer resolving power of what I'm hearing, a noise floor that seems to subside into infinity or the blackest of black holes. I now hear the slightest inflections of voice, the touch of strings and the movement of the bow across those strings, with woodwinds the slightest intonation of breath. The result is a newfound intimacy with performers which brings about greater emotional involvement with the music.  Allied to that is a more expansive sound stage with these fully developed dimensional ethereal images. Hate to use this word, but organic is what comes to mind. The illusion of live performers in my room comes so easily, no need for trickery of the mind to get here.

[N]ow we have 006/Gaia combo beats out the Laiv/Gaia. The most noticeable thing here is newfound sense of ease and refinement, music seems to just flow. I'm now into full analog mode with this, I could fool myself into believing I was listening to vinyl minus the surface noise. Allied to this is more natural timbre, especially noticeable with both individual  and massed violins. I've long thought digital really misses out to vinyl with violins, digital processing these into homogenized blobs, same with trumpets. Now I hear  newfound texture and harmonic development that both individualizes and more naturally presents these instruments.

. . .  I still have my 005 and Harmony, both will go out the door, I foresee 006/Gaia combo being my reference for the next several years. And between the Harmony and 005, I'd pick the Harmony with quality I2S interface all day over 005 via usb. 005/Gaia is not something I've tried and not really interested in trying since its leaving me, could be quite nice, however. I can only say really love the Harmony/Gaia solution, I could live with that a good long time