Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

I noticed that Network Acoustics is now selling the 005 in the UK. They state on their website: We are extremely particular about the electronics we use to develop and test our own products, and in the quest to find a reference quality DAC we discovered the Musetec MH-DA005. This DAC has replaced a much more expensive (£9,000), very highly regarded and well reviewed DAC and it trumps that DAC in all departments. . .

@melm Thank you for the information. This is very helpful. As I mentioned above, my decision to not go with Musetec had nothing to do with the quality of the DAC itself, but more with the 'perceived' lack of clarity on Shenzen's return policy. I'm sure it's a great DAC, otherwise @yyzsantabarbara would not have preferred it over his beloved Benchmark.

I went back and forth between three DACs -- Terminator 2, Holo Audio May, and Musetec 005. I probably would have been happy with either one, but today a good deal on a used Terminator 2 showed up and I grabbed it. In the future, I would love to give Musetec a try when funds become available. And if it really is better than the Terminator 2, I might consider selling the T2 and keeping the 005.

Having said that, I'm considering an LKS 004 for my home office system. I will appreciate it if someone can share their impressions about the previous version.

This is my update on the Musetec 005 after 2 weeks. My Musetec now has more than 350 hours of playing time after 16 days. I decided not to return the unit to Shenzhen Audio.
In my first report after one week at about 150 hours on the 005, my experience with the May and Musetec DACs are: on the May DAC, the sound reaches out farther and more distinct in a 3D space, the Musetec is a little further back. The vocals seem more fluid, hanging in the air a little longer with the May, thus the sense of air and bloom around the instruments are thicker. The tone is crisper with the May. Overall the May presents the illusion of the band in the room closer and more realistically. I felt more engaged in the presence of the musicians.
Now at 350 hours on the Musetec, the difference has closed significantly. The 2 DACs sound very similar. Switching back and forth multiple times on the same music passage, some the differences I found before are no longer valid. The Musetec air and space are about the same as the May. I can’t say the Musetec soundstage is further back. There is still a slight difference in the tone of the 2 DACs; the May is crisper. Instruments and vocals appear a little more distinct and fluid in space, probably from a darker background on the May. At this point, I’m not sure I can pass a blind listening test identifying which is which.
My high sensitive system built around the Edgarhorns (Thank you Dr. Bruce Edgar, we love you, RIP): Router & Small Green Computer i5 Roon server -> TRENDnet switch -> CAT6 cable to EtherRegen side B with AfterDark external clock -> fiber -> Sonore Optical Rendu -> Inakustik USB cable to -> DAC -> balanced cables to Holo Serene preamp -> Wavelength custom 45 amp -> 107dB Edgarhorns with Seismic sub driven by James 1000 DSP amp; Shunyata Denali 6000S on components, PS Audio P500 on LPS and Roon server. I have the same Cerious Graphine Matrix power cables between the 2 DACs and the same Raven balanced cables from DACs to Serene Preamp. When switching DACs, I move only the USB cable from one DAC to the other in Standby, adjust the preamp volume +1dB for the Musetec.
Operational wise, the May can handle everything from the SGC i5 Roon server with HQPlayer upsampling (within limits of the i5 processing power). My Musetec has sound glitches at 96K (or above) sampling frequency using DPLL BW1. I disable Roon DSP to use native sampling rate, set the Musetec DPLL to BW3 during tests to avoid glitches. These random glitches are annoying during listening. I want to use HQPlayer but kept getting Roon "lost audio device" error when switching DACs. The Musetec USB input is limited to DSD512/PCM384K. The May USB supports up to DSD1024/PCM1.536MHz. I only use USB and PCM. I don’t want to spend endless time testing every different combinations. I’m not attached to equipment; they are just a means to listen to music. At this point, I prefer the May DAC for its smooth operation with Roon/HQPlayer, and my preference towards the May tone.
I don’t engage much in Forum conversations, for a very long time now due to personal reasons. Please treat this as a data point from a single user’s opinion.

@pt999 

Thanks for the update! It's good to know that with ample burn in the DA005 closes the gap with the Holo May DAC.  I have no where near the hours of playing time on my DA005 but already perceive changes that are very impressive.  I am using the optical output from a CD player and CDs have never sounded so clear, smooth, and dynamic with the DA005.  Using usb from a laptop is not quite there yet but with less than 20 hours of actual playing time I know the sound will improve.  So far I am very satisfied with this DAC and it is a significant jump from the CODEX I had been using which is no slouch!

@jc4659 Toslink (optical) outs on cd transport and 005 input is the worst possible. Yes, galvanic isolation, but well documented as poorest connection. Try coax out, will be much better.

Streaming with usb will be much better with dedicated music server vs. general service computer.

@pt999 You have network issues somewhere if you can't run Roon non DSP on DPLL BW1 without glitches, I've never had a single glitch on DPLL BW1 in over a year, anything less is not hearing full 005 capability. No glitches when I've occasionally tried DSP. I'm actually surprised you can use much Hq Player dsp with I5 processor.