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

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!