Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

@metaldetektor It cost me $115 to send back a DAC to China by USPS. I was getting a replacement unit under warranty. It was with shenzhenaudio.com

I use 005 with Coincident 845 SET, custom built 300B monoblocks and modded Prima Luna Dialogue Four, used with SED EL34, Coincident Statement preamp, which uses 101D direct heated tube, greatly modded Klipschorns.

I've not heard any semblance of glare, but particular sound qualities can vary depending on  which amp and particular tubes I'm using in both amp and pre. I've taken great pains to have both highly resolving system while maintaining natural timbre, really fanatical in regard to timbre. I've also been fanatical about clean AC and proper ground system, room treatments.

I only mention above as to attention to details required to get best out of this dac.  While I've not experienced glare or other bothersome sound qualities, I wouldn't characterized this dac as forgiving, but neither is it analytical, how about neutral in regard to overall gestalt. In my system, 005 is both highly resolving and natural, even analog like with well recorded streams or cd rips. It will reflect recording quality in deserved manner, having said that, I have no problems with vast majority of recordings.

005 will be higher resolving than present Spring,  you'll hear the poorer qualities of some recordings, price you'll always pay with higher resolving pieces. On the positive side, best qualities of middling recordings alway outshine the poorer qualities, makes them very involving. This dac will never sound boring, always demands my attention, even at lower volumes. Best thing I can say about it, brings live performers into my room with every listening session. This has a lot to do with it's microdynamic capabilities, this dac breathes, I suspect supercapacitors in power supply have a lot to do with this.

I'd like to think this would synergize well with your system, although I can't know your sensitivity to higher freq's. Some claim Klipsch bright, perhaps 005 would be bothersome with my Klipschorns if stock. No doubt your AR and Proac is high resolving, 005 will absolutely increase all your setup's good aspects. However, if you hearing any defects, 005 will also increase those as well.

Which Sabre chip dacs have you heard or owned in past?

@yyzsantabarbara  Good for you! Keep us informed with listening impressions.

@sns -Thanks for the overview response. Very detailed, giving me a lot to consider. I've rotated  Mytek 192, Ayre and Wyred 4 Sound through my system, and think you hit the nail on the head about the revealing nature with regard to poorer recordings. That's when and where the glare would be most prominent.

@wharfy

I read your posts with interest. I use all tubes (Rogue) but for the Musetec DAC. I am surprised by your comment that age brings about sensitivity to higher frequencies, as I’ve always thought the opposite. In any event, some tube rolling can tone things down. Like dbb, my interest is in classical music, IMO the most difficult to reproduce. And, as in analog, detail matters.

I continue to compare digital to my analog (still all tubes) and I find it comparable. Sometimes, but not always, the same recordings sound eerily near each other, but for the usual analog sounds.

I find the Musetec to be a truth machine and to be extremely responsive to what comes before it in the digital chain. I use an SOtM unit as a DLNA device with a very simple laptop running JRiver. As I wrote in another place, even adding an $18 ethernet switch and having my hard disk server bypass the router yielded a surprising SQ benefit. Is an audiophile switch in my future? I don’t know.

I have also found it quite responsive to the USB cable, and I do recommend that the Musetec is optimized for USB. But it needn’t be an expensive cable. The DAC seems so cleanly extended at the frequency extremes that a simple solid core copper is doing better for me than expensive silver wires.

That being said, as a truth machine it will reveal the truth of your software, sometimes as gloriously recorded; sometimes not so much. Did we not go through exactly the same thing in analog?

it seems that you have a great deal of experience with a variety of DACs and have not yet settled on a Sigma-Delta v. R2R. I don’t yet know whether you are sufficiently convinced about the Musetec, but the current sale price at Shenzhen is attractive and they offer a 30 day No Reason Return. While you would probably have to cover return shipping, that is likely to be less, for example, than the 5% restocking fee plus 2 way postage for a return of a Schiit Yggdrasil to California. Perhaps that adds some perspective.

Good luck to you whichever direction you go.

@melm -Thanks for your comments and insight. I agree not everyone develops sensitivities to higher frequencies as they age. In my case, I have. Too many years of screaming kids in school environments with terrible acoustics.

With that said, I put in my order for the 005. It's a no-brainer, frankly. The price and return policy convinced me it's worth auditioning and hopefully keeping. 

I am excited!