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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
melm OP
1,082 posts
 

@btscott

Thanks for your forthright appraisal, both of hte Musetec and of this thread. I also thought my $1500 DAC (LKS 004) could not be improved upon THAT much by a $3000 DAC with a similar architecture. I bought the Musetec after a lengthy PM exchange with sns on another board and some research. The DAC came as quite a nice surprise, actually a pleasant shock.

For the record, everyone here, AFAIK, has purchased his DAC and no one gets any $$ from Musetec. My only interaction with the maker (and I believe it is through Google translate) is as a customer. When I sent my 004 board in for an update almost 2 years ago and offered to pay, the update was done gratis. We exchanged some very brief pleasantries, mostly about taking care regarding Covid, then a larger factor in China than in the US. I recently sent him a happy Chinese new year email (Year of the Tiger). I’ve always been impressed by the honesty of his operation, especially how the DAC insides and parts are shown and described completely (except for the 8 FETs on the board’s underside). That is VERY different than American and European makers.

As for this thread, I started it soon after receiving the DAC, just trying to give it some exposure. I thought that when dbb wrote his comparison with the Holo May this thread was done. But for some reason a couple of new buyers responded here and it grew. As the OP, when there is a new post here it is my email that is notified. I have tried to help with any questions.

After reading your post, I went through page 1 (Newest first) of this thread. You couldn’t pay me to read stuff back further. I didn’t see anything out of line. For a long time, I think, most of the DAC complements have come from new buyers like yourself. We’ve even gotten some thanks.

Anyway, you did your due diligence and it seemed to come out just fine.

yyzsantabarbara
4,829 posts
 

@btscott Where did you hear about the  Gustard X26 Pro? Maybe on A'gon from people like me who were saying how good it was for $1500. I am on Gustard's payroll ($$$).

I then moved to my next target, the Mustec 005. I was also evangelizing it because I am also on Mustec's payroll ($$$).

 

 

jc4659
551 posts
 

@yyzsantabarbara if you are truly on their payroll then you better get your boss' name correct:  MUSETEC! 😉😁

yyzsantabarbara
4,829 posts
 

@jc4659 I was wondering why I did not get a bonus this Christmas. Spelin always gets me.

sns
3,244 posts
 

I believe misperceptions of our intentions is mostly due to relatively low price and country of origin of 005. While I agree with general cost to performance  correlations, exceptions do occasionally surface.

 

Questioning our credibility is to be expected, I simply ask people to judge for themselves. I too am skeptical when I only see positive reviews of any particular product, I purposely seek out negative and neutral reviews to keep things real. Problem is I guess all who have used 005 have nothing bad to say.

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