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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
lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

@ja_kub_sz I haven't heard the Tambaqui but even if it did sound better than the 005 it would be in a micro detail or two, which you wouldn't even be able to pinpoint unless you were doing side by side comparisons, or personal taste.

I've heard plenty of DACs more expensive than the Tambaqui and the 005 more than holds it's own.

For that imaginary factor I'm not going to buy a Tambaqui or anything else.

You can get a 005 and an Aurender N20 for the same price or a 005 plus over $10 grand of cables.

Lots of people here have spent months talking about the Tambaqui but no one has stumped up the cash yet. Dreamers with lemonade money.

teknorob23
21 posts
 

I stumped up for a mola mola before I heard the musetec, preferring the Tambaqui to anything else I’d heard. My business partner bought a musetec to try, so we set up the comparison. It didn’t take more than 2 or 3 tracks to hear the musetec outperform the MM in detail and clarity in general. You can just hear more of the music with the musetec. It also had better weight, and staging is better especially in front to back depth. I sold the Tambaqui and bought a musetec. The musetec versus the may, now that’s a much harder call.

 

ja_kub_sz's avatar
ja_kub_sz
273 posts
 

@lordmelton you're probably right in your conclusion.

This all started when I saw a demo Tambaqui for sale on US Audio Mart for 9k. I immediately contacted the seller and offered up the $$, and got, what I presumed was a scripted response of "it just sold, but I can get you a new one at a good price".

If I had grabbed it for 9k essentially new with papers, I would have given it a try and happily sold it again if it didn't live up to the hype.

But now I'm kinda half in half out, because paying even another 2k more... The diminishing return line I'd have already crossed (most likely).

Oh well... My impulse buy of a dream audio product floundered I guess.

We'll see... If the dealer let's me do an in home listen, maybe there's still a chance to A/B the two.

I'll let you know.

Thanks

ja_kub_sz's avatar
ja_kub_sz
273 posts
 

@teknorob23 yeah the May KTE was/is probably what I'll go with and hear the 005 and May are very close approximates, but the May is almost 6k vs the 005 at 3.5k. So again the value proposition is a hard one there too considering I already have the 005.

I'll be honest the 005 is the only DAC that I've had that made my jaw drop (not that I've had or heard many, coming from a X26 Pro), but I would liken it to when I first heard the Technics G700 iAMP which I fell in love with. Only to then get the SU-R1000 and felt a little less excited about it because the "jump" wasn't as large as it was from my old Cambridge 851a to the Technics SU-G700.

Probably best to just sit this one out, hit AXPONA collect my thoughts and wait a year or two.

After all I just "saved" 12-13k 😂

Now to think what else I can blow 13k on... Where to start?

teknorob23
21 posts
 

Trust me no one was more skeptical about the 005 than I was, but listening to it b2b with the MM, it’s objectively superior. I’m lucky enough to have the may and 005 on my rack at the moment, with a view to keeping one of them, so far the may has it, based on texture, 3 dimensionality and separation. I think they resolve at similar levels but i can hear more, more easily with the May. Each time I switch back to the May the smile is bigger, but you’re right it’s still double the price of the 005 making the later all the more remarkable

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