Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

@melm Life is too short for online arguments with strangers. If I was rude, I apologize. I gave you push-back in this thread because I think it can be misleading to newcomers. While it's well and good to be enthusiastic about gear that you own -- without that, sites like this wouldn't exist -- readers need to take DAC impressions  with a heavy pinch of salt. My real reference is live music (ideally unamplified), but I've owned/borrowed a lot of expensive DACs in my quest to find the right fit for me. I'm not saying my opinion is more correct than anybody else's -- I'd say it's of equally middling value -- but my experience makes me very skeptical of over-the-moon DAC descriptions. I've loved and hated the same DAC, based on which system it was in.

I was pushing back in the hopes of minimizing situations like the one described by @pt999, by injecting some hopefully reasonable skepticism into this thread.  Shenzhen Audio's actual return policy is quite different from their stated return policy, based on that report. Pretty shady stuff. But even if they honored their stated policy, it wouldn't be cheap to ship the Musetec back to China. It's significantly heavier than the DAC that @yyzsantabarbara sent back (near 30 lbs, if I remember Musetec's confirmation correctly) and presumably he's shipping from the West Coast. Quick calculation on UPS -- it would cost me $650 insured (from East Coast) + whatever the customs are. Plus whatever the restocking/use fees are. And there's not a liquid resale market for Musetec (not yet at least, but maybe if you keep posting about it...). I'm a little curious based on the breathless reviews of the thing, but my personal DAC review experience has taught me to be skeptical. There's a lot of good stuff out there that one can happily live with.

At the risk of philosophizing again, it's understandable to want to validate your hifi decision. There are comparatively not many Musetec owners out there, and you want to feel good about the purchase. Are you hearing what I'm hearing? How does it stack up against xyz? And so forth. I bought a DAC I immediately loved, but felt compelled to home demo it against other stuff to verify I wasn't crazy. I wasn't crazy. Ultimately, once all the buying research is done and you have a system you enjoy, best thing is to skip the forums and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I'm trying to follow my own advice.

I really enjoyed this thread as it is informing my plans on upgrading from my first ever DAC that being a BelCanto DAC2. I have it setup with an optical connection from my BLUESOUND Node 2i. On my consideration list are:

Benchmark DAC 3L, a new BelCanto DAC, Topping D90, Holo Audio Spring, Matrix Element X, and now the Musetec 005  

I eventually would like to have both a chip and an resistor ladder DAC to enjoy  At the minute I am saving up as they can be pricey  

Agentwja 

@metaldetektor

Audiogon is a moderated forum. But that’s not enough for you. Now you are officially its policeman, protecting the great unwashed from being bamboozled. If you can find one thing that I wrote here that is untrue or over the top I challenge you to put up or shut up. Fact is that interest in the Musetec here took off after a detailed comparative review from @dbb that is widely admired.

I sympathize with @pt999’s plight. But there is definitely a way to handle it. However his is the only return, or even disappointment, I’ve ever heard of and I approach it with some skepticism. No one here or elsewhere told him that the the Musetec is better than the May. I have no idea why he would order one, except to validate his choice of the May. I have no idea what "connects me with the music better" means except "I like it better." Furthermore, if he had read this thread and otherwise done his due diligence he would have known that one week of burn-in is insufficient for this DAC. He sounds like you, taking advantage of all sorts of deals to "borrow" DACs so as to feign expertise. My guess is that’s what you do. Do you even own a DAC? I kind of doubt it. In any event my interest is in Musetec, not in Shenzhen.

As for the cost of return, I have calculated $183.10 by Priority Mail International. There can be no duty returning a Chinese item to China. So just more of your BS. It would cost me about the same to return a Yggdrasil after only a 15 day trial.

I don’t have to validate anything. This is the second DAC I’ve bought from this maker. I’ve been doing this for a long time. My interest here is simply giving a fine product some exposure. Some here have appreciated that. Many fine products don’t get much exposure in the usual, commercial, places. I think of my Audio Technica Art-9 that never got a commercial review but was exposed right here. It is a great component. Similarly the Supratek pre. There are others.

Seems you’ve spent 30 lines telling us you’re done here. Thank you.

I've done my part to elicit critiques and comparisons of 005. I never only read positive or negative reviews of any product I consider for purchase.

Anecdotal evidence is replete in audio, deductive logic not worth much in cases where there are so few with actual experience of said product. Products with long track records allow much more confidence in purchasing decisions. 005 is one of those higher risk purchases due to so few owners here, credibility of product undermined when less than stellar reviews not heard. This is not miracle audio device, I've tried to describe it as accurately as I can, assume others doing same.

Here is another breathless comment on the 005. I want to get a second one for my downstairs system. The Benchmark DAC3B on my bedroom system will survive the purge of DACs after getting the 005.

So, I hope to have two 005's and 1 DAC3B (for 3 systems) which I will breathlessly keep long term. The DAC3B is a good match with my KRELL K-300i..I am sure the 005 would be a good match with the KELL too but I also like the sightly brighter DAC3B