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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
1,074 posts
 
@auxinput,

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm not an engineer though I wired up a number of units long ago and used to do mods before the industry went to surfaced mounts.  Screwed up a few and quit.

As for the Musetec, FWIW as far as I can tell the silver components have only to to with the power supply.  The analog signal path is by traces on a six layer board.  It is refreshing to me to see a maker tell you exactly what he has put inside.  Most descriptions provided by DAC makers are just promotional gibberish.

I'm not trying to sell anything here, just to provide this DAC with some exposure.  Since there has never been any promotion of these products, my surmise has always been that the the company is tiny and sells all it can make
rh67
307 posts
 
Are they sold direct? Price?
melm OP
1,074 posts
 
@rh67,

The list price is $3299.  Googling the DAC, that's what comes up.  The European distributer lists it on ebay.de for less when you remove the VAT and with free shipping to the US.  But if I wanted another I might email the factory.  Perfect English there.

Cheers.
sns
3,192 posts
 
I also have the 005, extremely highly resolving dac capable of sounding wonderfully natural in sympathetic setup. I've also experienced less than stellar results with various silver components and cabling. In this case I hear no deleterious effects, ps is part of this dac's magic, extremely low noise, vanishing black background here.

I suspect price and origin of manufacture will bug some, too low priced to be competitive and product of perceived enemy. Naysayers should be ignored, valid comments from actual users and those interested welcomed.

Melm is an experienced audiophile, has valid and real world experience in audio. We've had difference of opinion on 004, totally agree on 005.
dbb
195 posts
 
I too have purchased the 005 and have been delighted. As I said on another forum: For the record I wanted to share my conclusions about the 005 after around 400 hours of break in. I am pretty much in agreement with what others have said. With a good recording and room lights turned low so you can listen without distraction this dac will re-create the reality of a live performance as experienced from a good seat in a good concert hall. A Steinway, with rich resonant bass, will sound like a Steinway, not just a piano. That kind of accuracy is, to me, amazing. I have never heard better. On the other hand, I have never had a more expensive dac in my system. I have heard more expensive dacs in an audio showroom in more expensive systems. They were not close to what I hear now from the 005 in casting a spell of reality.

I would love to read a review of this dac compared to other aclaimed and pricier dacs like the Holo May or Chord Dave.
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