Of course, the Musetec already provides an Amanaro board providing USB to I²S conversion. It may even have better clocks and a better power supply. But if you come up with a superior SQ, we'll all be watching.
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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@melm I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying that the Amanero board in the 005 converts USB to I2s internally? Because the specs for I2s are much higher. |
"Are you saying that the Amanero board in the 005 converts USB to I2s internally?" Absolutely. That’s what Amanero boards do. I²S is how all DACs communicate internally. I realize this thread is getting very long, but we’ve covered this before. One of the things that distinguishes the Musetec is its advanced power supply for the digital side, The super-capacitors provide battery-like power. For the low voltage needs of the digital side, you can’t do better. And the Musetec clocks have higher specs than the norm. I don’t know what clocks are in the DI-20HE. But the clocks in the Musetec outperform Crystek clocks used in some of the very best DACs, and cost more. These are some of the reasons this DAC is out-performing some very big names. There are those who favor devices that go from ethernet directly to I²S, bypassing USB entirely. It’s arguable whether that’s worthwhile. But a device that goes USB to I²S? I say save your money; it’s already happening. |
I saw your post in the "Emm Labs DV2 versus Tambaqui" thread before it was removed. Go easy on these guys. It’s very hard for them to get away from two of their fundamentals: (1) There is a strong correlation in DACs between price and sound quality, and (2) You can’t build a truly outstanding DAC around a pair of ESS chips. Then there is the "chifi" stuff. This nonsense has been pounded into everyone by the audio press and multiplied in the forums. So do you think they’re going to easily believe that a $3000 Chinese DAC using ESS chips can outperform a $13,000 European DAC based on an FPGA? I don’t think so. |
So there we have it. How predictable. The subtle implication that all these low-IQ, gullible audiophiles who have been brainwashed by the audio press and jingoism don’t know any better. Only a ’select’ few know the truth that all expensive dacs are basically snake oil and anyone who believes otherwise is either ill-informed or simpletons. The messiah complex strikes again! Lol!
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