Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

After having owned this product a solid 3 weeks, I fail the see the hype. I see what it does to the audio and how it does clean it up a bit, but I don't see it leaps and bounds ahead of what other 1k$ priced dacs offer. In fact, ive had nothing but problems and misery since I've bought this dam thing. Glitches in audio, random disconnects, random desyncs and other problems that don't fix themselves until unplugging the usb. There are times when I watch a video, hit pause, and the audio buffer decides to keep playing on a loop non stop. Super annoying. I think there's something wrong with these Amanero drivers. I'm tempted to return this dam thing. For 3k$ it was supposed to make my life so much easier, but instead its been nothing but troublesome. Furthermore, the Amanero board does NOT remotely come close to removing all the noise from a PC. I still have some mild background static. Its  better than my previous dacs, but its built in galvanic isolation is really mediocre at best. I was really expecting much better filtering out of it, but I guess theres no avoiding having to buy a 3rd party isolator. Oh well. So yeah, who else has usb driver problems with this thing?

@turcoda Can you describe your setup in more detail? Have you contacted Jinbo, the manufacturer?

@turcoda Let’s see if we can get your 005 fixed. Here are a few suggestions.

1. It’s going to take a full 8 weeks to burn in.

2. If you are using a Windows computer you must install the Windows ASIO driver, Apple or Linux don’t need drivers.

Click download MH-DA005 USB drivers http://www.mu-sound.com/service.html

3. I suspect you may have put the DVD sound HDMI cable into the I2s/HDMI input on the 005.

4. If you are feeding your DVD sound out into the 005 and then an amp/processor you need to exit the DVD using RCA/COAX Digital or Toslink into the 005 and then use the RCA or AES/EBU analogue outputs into your amp/processor.

I can only surmise on your situation, if you can give a more detailed explanation of your system that would help.

@turcoda
Sorry to hear about these difficulties. I have been using this device for over a year now with absolutely no problems. I use it primarily to play music but have used it with videos, both from DVDs and streams, though with my set-up sound for those those go in by spdif. This is the first I’ve heard about any extended difficulties either with the 005 or the earlier 004 which I had for 6 years, also with an Amenaro board. There was one problem reported here installing the Windows driver (fixed immediately) and some had questions about the DPLL settings.

The first thing to determine, I think, is whether your 005 is defective. It would be the first defective 005 or 004 I would have ever heard of, but it is possible. Second, you say that you have been playing it for 3 weeks. That might still not be a full break in but it certainly IS enough for you to know how it sounds. If this $3K DAC it doesn’t satisfy your needs far better than a $1K DAC and you have the opportunity to return it, then perhaps you should. After all, SQ is the bottom line. Same if it is defective.

You wrote earlier about your concern regarding galvanic isolation which has principally to do with the relationship between a USB input device (like a computer) and the USB receiving board, like the Amenaro. You sounded very much like you know exactly what you wanted. The Amenaro is one of the two promenent boards used in most of the best performing DACs. I would have supposed, based on what you wrote, that you would have investigated Amanero to see if it would meet your requirements.

At this time I use a SOtM device as a DLNA bridge betwen a small lap-top computer running JRiver and the DAC. However when my 004 was new, the computer was plugged directly into the DAC. There was absolutely no background static at all. There was no noise that I could hear at the time, though when I added the SOtM bridge it did sound quieter. The DAC’s behavior in that regard was exactly as it should have been IMO.

You should have no driver problem at all. But that’s a local issue between you and Windows, I assume.

There are plenty of folks here who would be happy to help, and I’m sure they’ll be chiming in. But as has already been suggested you need to describe your set-up in detail.

Good luck in dealing with the issues.

@turcoda the DAC is Amazing... Get your laptop squared away (preferably ditch your laptop entirely).

@lordmelton is 100% right with his troubleshooting advice. Man knows his stuff.

Don't get discouraged the 005 is well worth the 3k price (double or triple IMO).

Quick hip shot from the Tambaqui vs 005 slow roll testing. Center image Tambaqui really shines. I'm literally pausing tracks, going back, and am just like "man I never heard the vocals so dead center before".

Really enjoying the Tambaqui, 3k vs 13k enjoying the Tambaqui... Well... Ugh... Probably not so far...

I've done a TON of headphone listening with both the 005 and Tambaqui and again, Tambaqui (with HPA4, and 005 for that matter) definitely ups my headphones to the clarity, channel separation and low frequency bass speed/control of the my reference Stellia's. literally my Z1R's sound 90% like my Stellia's in the domains of the high frequency and low frequency. Stellia's have unfortunately obnoxious separation now with the Tambaqui and somewhat fatiguing detail (but never had the Z1R's sound staging to begin with). So in my own personal case that's a potential $1,700 cost savings on cans. People will probably disagree, but just my hot take.

So Tambaqui has right out of the gates (in my opinion equivocated to $$$)

Roon Endpoint ($500)

Better Headphone listening ($1000) with the multiple amps (SPL, Benchmark, RME, Sony Tazy I've tried)

Excellent app ($250)

Size and aesthetic ($500)

So gateway Tambaqui price is now creeping ever so slightly down to maybe 9-11k mark, but still way up from the 3k 005.

I'll again keep dumping "as I go" impressions here, along with a big deep dive review of them both.