Has Anyone Auditioned an LKS MH-DA004 DAC?


Seems like a lot of DAC for the money.  ($1450-$1600)
melm
 Can this Dac sound harsh In anyway?
especially in upper mid and lower treble?
Have had a Primare Dac 30 for the last 4 years, a nice dac, just wondering if LKS would be more analog sounding?
The DAC has been in my system for about 2 years. I have been mostly an analog guy. Previous tries at digital didn’t get much listening but this DAC does. My analog system is VPI TNT, AT Art-9, three stage all tube (no SUT, no transistor) phono pre. Rest of the system is solid state. As for SQ I am currently indifferent as between listening to the DAC or to LPs. Since getting the DAC I have accumulated a lot of CD/SACD files (a good many from local libraries) and listen to LPs because they are old friends. SQ from files is better than from silver disks.

The answer to your direct question is the same I would give about my analog system, it depends on your software. It will be revealed, quality, warts and all. The LKS is not a euphonic device. To a very very small extent with the DAC, as I live in a large crowded metro area performance may vary with quality of the electricity and the unit may sound better at certain times. Some have put electricity re-generators in front of this and other DACs.

The problem with buying the LKS DAC is that there are very few of them so it’s hard to get opinions. But as compared to your DAC, it has a much more robust power supply, 2 DAC chips each costing 5 or so times what the DAC chip in your unit costs (though correlation between price and SQ is questionable) and a fully discrete FET analog stage as compared to chip implementation. Anyone getting the LKS should shield the transformers, very easily done.
@suavek,

Through its USB port (but not through its s/pdif) it will support 384K 24/32 bit PCM files. That should cover DXD files, though I have never tried a DXD file myself.

See the users manual and complete specs at: http://www.mu-sound.com/files/MH-DA004.pdf
Not sure if anyone will see this, but I've directly compared MH-004, Auralic Vega, Okto Dac8 stereo and Musetec MH DA005. 004 higher resolution than Vega, Vega superior musicality, more forgiving. Okto at least equal resolution to 004 with greater musicality. 005 superior to all, highest resolution and at least equal musicality to Okto in the right system. 005  really excels with microdynamics, allied to highest resolution gives illusion of living, breathing performers in room. Overall I'd characterize it as a balanced sounding dac, neither, romantic or analytical. Okto a little more forgiving with slightly less resolution. Okto an amazing dac at $1500, 005 amazing at $3300.