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Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

Some history: I was the OP on a four year old thread about the Chinese LKS MH-DA004 DAC. It achieved an underground buzz. The open architecture of its predecessor MH-DA003 made it the object of a lot of user mods, usually to its analog section, rolling op amps or replacing with discrete. The MH-DA004 with its new ESS chips and JFET analog section was called better then the modified older units. It has two ES9038pro DAC chips deliberately run warm, massive power supply, powered Amanero USB board, JFET section, 3 Crystek femtosecond clocks, Mundorf caps, Cardas connectors, etc., for about $1500. For this vinyl guy any reservation about ESS chips was resolved by the LKS implimentaion, but their revelation of detail was preserved, something that a listener to classic music especially appreciated. I made a list of DACs (many far more expensive) it was compared favorably to in forums. Modifications continued, now to clocks and caps. Components built to a price can be improved by costlier parts and the modifiers wrote glowingly of the SQ they achieved.

Meanwhile, during the 4 years after release of the MH-DA004, LKS (now Musetec) worked on the new MH-DA005 design, also with a pair of ES9038pro chips. This time he used more of the best components available. One torroidal transformer has silver plated copper. Also banks of super capacitors that act like batteries, solid silver hookup wire, 4 femtoclocks each costing multiples of the Crysteks, a revised Amanero board, more of the best European caps and a new partitioned case. I can't say cost NO object, but costs well beyond. A higher price, of course. Details at http://www.mu-sound.com/DA005-detail.html

The question, surely, is: How does it sound? I'm only going to answer indirectly for the moment. I thought that the MH-DA004 was to be my last DAC, or at least for a very long time. I was persuaded to part with my $$ by research, and by satisfaction with the MH-DA004. Frankly, I have been overwhelmed by the improvement; just didn't think it was possible. Fluidity, clarity, bass extension. A post to another board summed it up better than I can after listening to piano trios: "I have probably attended hundreds of classical concerts (both orchestral and chamber) in my life. I know what live sounds like in a good and bad seat and in a good and mediocre hall. All I can say is HOLY CRAP, this sounds like the real thing from a good seat in a good hall. Not an approximation of reality, but reality."

melm
melm OP
1,082 posts
 

@rrboogie
Just a reminder about the USB in the Musetec, in that it doesn’t use the 5 volts from the USB cable. I mention this because most of the Sablon 2020 USB cables shown have a double cable configuration keeping the 5 volt, line one, wire separate from the digital lines. When used with the Musetec nothing flows through line one making the second cable unnecessary.

rrboogie
44 posts
 

I have the Sablon 2020 non powered USB on the way. Currently, the Acoustic BBQ non powered is my preferred cable over the Audioquest Diamond. The Diamond is a bit tipped up in the treble.in my system. I also have a Supra Excalibur on the way for the sake of comparison. I have the Supra Cat 8 + ethernet feeding my Sonictransporter i9 and also the Bluseound Node 2i/ EtherRegen before that. I'll let you know my experience once I have time with all of the cables.

sns
3,238 posts
 

Some systems don't like silver, I used to get tipped up treble in some past systems. With present setup, love silver, probably half silver, the other half copper. Once you get balance right, silver has a refinement copper can never match, copper can GLARE, silver will never do this, may spotlight the highs, thin the mids and bass a bit. But once you get to a point where a system can use silver, you'll never go back to all copper, I've never experienced such a life like and analog like sound from digital until high content of silver in system and the 005, which by the way has relatively high content of silver.

 

So, AQ Diamond usb and AQ Vodka ethernet great for me, assume AQ Diamond ethernet would be a step up from the Vodka, at silly money. I've tried various all copper usb and ethernet, all less resolving than silver clad.

car123's avatar
car123
97 posts
 

I'm also in the silver camp.  All my signal cables are siltech.  My ethernet are AQ vodka and cinnamon, and my usb is cardas clear. 

lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

@balja 

Has anyone tried to connect a Schaffner filter (FN9260-1-06) to the power cable for 005? In my system, a big improvement in the image of the stage and I finally hear what the real recording sounds like. It is not expensive and the production of a short reduction is simple. Someone try it to confirm it. By the way, I also replaced the original power cord with a silver "Supra"

I have noticed that both the Bricasti and Weiss DACs use such a device. While I try to stay away from any sort of "purifiers", I recently moved my rig around and I couldn't get my power cable into the 005 because a part of my rack was blocking it.

So I after looking around I tried this which is , I believe, essentially the same as you suggested with the advantage of being able to swap it around. It also comes in three different sizes. I bought the Furutech Flow-15 Plus.

I've found it significantly lowers the noise floor on the 005.

https://www.furutech.com/products/power-distributors-filters/in-line-power-filter-bulk-cables/

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