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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
sns
3,003 posts
 

@sirnui I find your experiments extremely interesting. In my limited experience and knowledge of clocks I find a number of issues. I recently tried an audiophile network switch with TXCO clock (marketed as OXCO clock) inferior to router straight out to server. I heard what impressed me as an excessive clocking sound quality in that images too tightly drawn. I've since learned clock incompatibility is real issue, frequency, square wave vs sine wave. Clock cables and cable length also have bearing on sq.

 

Do I understand you correctly in that you're using AES input on 005 vs USB? Have you tried USB input with 005 in present setup?

 

I have to say I'm biased against Denafrips gear since trying Hyperion amp a few years ago. Dark and veiled, small sound stage, two dimensional imaging, not even close to my push pull and SET tube amps, or even a Musical Fidelity M2si I was auditioning at same time. I thought anyone voicing component to sound like that was playing voicing games with an entire Denafrips setup. I want my components to sound neutral, I have other means to voice.

 

jc4659
525 posts
 

I just wanted to provide an update on my experience with the Musetec DA-005.  I am running two inputs into the DAC: one from my CD player being used as a transport and one from my MacBook Pro playing local files using Audirvana and streaming using Qobuz.  My CD player is a Meridian 508.24 which has a dying laser but some discs it has had no trouble reading. The digital output is via optical using Lifatec glass fiber and is fed into a Wyred4Sound reclocker. The output from the W4S is coaxial using a DH Labs Silver Sonic bnc cable with RCA adaptors and is fed into Coaxial 1 input of the Musetec. I have tried every configuration possible and with and without the W4S reclocker and I have found the above worked best in my system. Redbook CDs sound silky smooth with no glare and tremendous clarity. The soundstage and placement of instruments is also excellent.  I am currently using a MacBook Pro to play digital files and stream using the USB output from the laptop via a Curious USB cable.  I have tried using a Uptone IsoRegen but found no significant difference in sound so currently I am running the Curious cable directly into the usb input of the Musetec DAC.  The sound is not quite as enjoyable as redbook CDs but I suspect the MacBook Pro is a big limitation here.  My next purchase will be a streamer so I may be picking some brains for recommendations and then after that a dedicated transport.  The Musetec DAC has been a great addition and may just be the best component in my current system or that I have ever owned.  It is not going anywhere. 

yyzsantabarbara
4,532 posts
 

@sirnui That is great to hear that you are at a good place with your gear. I can say the same.

sirnui
81 posts
 

@sns My experience with network switches has been very good. I owned an Innuos PhoenixNet switch and I liked it very much. The improvements I heard were obvious. I demo’ed the Synergistic switch as well but the PhoenixNet had a more relaxed sound. I sold the PhoenixNet recently not because I found something better but because I wanted funds partially to buy the 005 and also because I thought I might get similar performance from a slightly cheaper switch. My current switch is the Paul Pang Quad (still breaking in) and so far it’s sounding good but the true test will come when I connect the streamer straight to the router to compare. In between owning the PhoenixNet and the Quad, I had in the system a $16 D-Link DES 105 switch that was powered by an iFi iPower and grounded to my Shunyata Everest power distributor. This little guy did not embarrass itself. I could tell it was not as refined as the PhoenixNet but I still enjoyed it. It’s definitely the best bang for your buck switch I’ve tried. In all cases an ENO ethernet filter and cable connected the switch to streamer.

Yes, I’ve only tried the AES input of the 005. However, even though it’s not optimized for USB, my streamer has the ability to output USB . I still have the ISO Regen, a Cardas Clear USB cable, and a good power supply so I will connect all of this to the streamer and give USB a try this weekend. If this USB solution comes close to my AES solution, then I will have some thinking to do. The Grimm MU1 streamer has some tricks that it does on the AES output such as up-sampling all redbook tracks to 176.4K/192K 24bits so it won’t be a fair fight. This up-sampling in theory allows the DAC to not work as hard (because all DACs up-sample internally) and therefore the DAC should sound better. Less activity is less noise/distortion.

I liked the Terminator Plus when I had it. It had an amazing open sound that is unlike anything I’ve experienced. I didn’t keep it because the DAC3 performed better on 70% of the other musical qualities that I listen for. I briefly thought about keeping it but I had to sell it because improving my system elsewhere was much more important than having a secondary DAC.  I haven't looked back.

sns
3,003 posts
 

@sirnui It seems I have pretty unique setup in that I have second ethernet port on my server, therefore: modem>router (powered by over spec. lps) via short run of Audioquest Vodka ethernet>server, via another short run of AQ Vodka>FMC (powered by lps) via second ethernet port of server through another short run AQ Vodka>Opticalrendu via optical cable>005 via AQ Diamond.

 

Using a network switch only adds more complexity to my chain, requires another AQ Vodka from router to switch, then switch circles back to server. I thought switch would help with network cleaning and superior clocking vs. router, instead it only added complexity. My second ethernet port in server makes all the difference!

 

Vast majority of streaming setups are single computer where server outputs usb (in your case AES) directly to dac. The only place where network can be improved is upstream of server, the reason you guys like audiophile network servers. With my two computer setup where I have network out of server I can upgrade network DOWNSTREAM of server, this is where my optical comes in, I completely eliminate noise from entire network upstream of server and server produced noise. I stay optical all way into steamer (opticalrendu) where network is further clocked, usb cleaned, usb clocked into the wonderful clocks of 005.

 

Sound quality with this setup is incredible, far superior to a number of previous network setups. With 005 and recent upgrade to opticalrendu(powered by Uptone JS2, quality of lps important here) substantially better resolving and MOST IMPORTANTLY, 005 has become incredibly relaxed, sense of EASE or illusion of listening to really top flight vinyl setup. This setup has finally put to rest my single last reservation as to 005 sound quality. Up to now, I had considered 005 overall gestalt as somewhat analytical, or at least slightly to analytical side of neutral, it had clearly defined digital signature. I'm now hearing analog sound signature, not really sure I could determine sound as digital if I came to listening session blind to source.

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