@sns I’m assuming you meant to say Eno instead of Neo?
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 $$ by research, and by satisfaction with the MH-DA004. Frankly, I have been overwhelmed by the improvement; just didn't think it was possible. Fluidity, clarity, bass extension. A post to another board summed it up better than I can after listening to piano trios: "I have probably attended hundreds of classical concerts (both orchestral and chamber) in my life. I know what live sounds like in a good and bad seat and in a good and mediocre hall. All I can say is HOLY CRAP, this sounds like the real thing from a good seat in a good hall. Not an approximation of reality, but reality."
Meanwhile, during the 4 years after release of the MH-DA004, LKS (now Musetec) worked on the new MH-DA005 design, also with a pair of ES9038pro chips. This time he used more of the best components available. One torroidal transformer has silver plated copper. Also banks of super capacitors that act like batteries, solid silver hookup wire, 4 femtoclocks each costing multiples of the Crysteks, a revised Amanero board, more of the best European caps and a new partitioned case. I can't say cost NO object, but costs well beyond. A higher price, of course. Details at http://www.mu-sound.com/DA005-detail.html
The question, surely, is: How does it sound? I'm only going to answer indirectly for the moment. I thought that the MH-DA004 was to be my last DAC, or at least for a very long time. I was persuaded to part with my $$ 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."
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@arafiq You're correct, mixing up my SOTM SMS200 Neo. @yyzsantabarbara Yes indeed. I suspect audiophile fiber enabled network devices on way soon, I see present devices as consumable items, audiophile network innovations coming fast and furious. Makes one stop and wonder how much money to throw at this? But then we do want to maximize sq in the present. |
To take advantage of fiber 006 would have to be streamer of course, not sure all dac manufacturers have engineering prowess to create streamer dac. Another good thing would be to have all network devices have own internal linear power supply. When I think how simplified optimized streaming could be made assuming internal linear power supplies and fiber enabled, audiophile router or switch>server>steamer dac. That's all, three pieces and you have it! |
There are too many reasons to prefer separates rather than an all-in-one digital component. I’m sure I don’t have to list them for you. I will always go separates. On another of your posts, I finally figured out who you wer talking about. I first heard about LKS DACs when Ric posted about the 004 on the Asylum. It had just been launched and represented a major advance over the 003. He was recommending it, straight from the factory, to a professional classical musician and occasional recorded music critic, who is a major participent and moderator on that forum. I’ve always considered classical music to be the most difficult to reproduce both because it can be the most complex and because it can be compared to the real classical music event. For all of these reasons, and including Ric’s reputation, I thought it was a DAC worth looking into. I did an extensive due diligence and eventually went for it myself. As you know, because the LKS DAC has the fundamentals right and because of its wide open architecture is became one of Ric’s modification products. Because of its quality from the factory though, there wasn’t very much he could do to improve it. It was and is his least expensive mod, I think. |
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