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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
car123's avatar
car123
97 posts
 

melm:

 

I am comparing ethernet into the Aurender with its USB out to the Musetec (obviously bypassing the Aurender's DAC) with ethernet into the Aurender with its USB out to the Sonore and its I2S into the Musetec.  Even given the additional complexity and cabling, the sound is better using the Sonore.  

 

I would love to try the Innuos Phoenix but I don't feel like spending that much cash on a DDC.   I did order a Singxer SU-6.  It may take a while to arrive but hopefully it will get here within the Sonore 30 day return window.

 

melm OP
1,077 posts
 

I recognize that not everything in audio is predictable and also that different does not always mean better to all listeners. That being said, my own biases lead me to try to make full use of the USB to I2S in the Musetec with the advantages that its designer has given us. These advantages include an excellent USB board, three exceptional clocks, a sophisticated battery-like DC power supply, and the shortest possible I2S connection.

At one point in my own DAC adventure I looked carefully into devices that went directly from ethernet to I2S. Such a device would bypass any USB connections, cables, etc. I quickly learned that while such a device might provide a theoretical benefit, in practice it would likely provide less than I already had. Beekhuyzen got the same result.

So my own road has been to try to provide very high quality USB signal into the DAC. I keep my media on a NAS and I use JRiver on a small lap-top. This has eventually led me to digital bridges (ethernet in, USB out) run as DLNA devices. My first was using an Oppo 501 (though coax out) much as car123 was using his Aurender, the only difference perhaps being the DLNA control through JRiver. Not saying here that the Oppo is equal to the Aurender, but each used in this very odd way they might be comparable.

I soon discovered that this route into the DAC could be improved dramatically using devices more sophisticated, and with USB out, than using a small part of a DAC-streamer. I eventually wound up with an SOtM sMS-200ultra Neo and an SBooster power supply for it. Under the control of JRiver this device reclocks and otherwise decrapifies the data from the NAS and sends it directly to the DAC. It is hardly the last word in devices performing this function, but I am delighted with it. Furthermore, it makes full use of what the Musetec provides.

The other part of this puzzle is the section of a USB cable, and they can be very, very different. More on this later, with at least one surprising result.

melm OP
1,077 posts
 

Oops. That should be: 

The other part of this puzzle is the selection of a USB cable, and they can be very, very different. More on this later, with at least one surprising result.

lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

@debjit_g

If you decide to buy the WW hdmi, be patient to give at least 500 hrs to it. Though I don't have direct experience with WW ethernet cables but the Starlight 8 is a good buy and not that expensive.

I managed to get a custom made WW Starlight CAT 8 Ethernet cable (The red one) it's about 0.4m, maybe a little less. Good price only $120.00

This cable is crystal clear, hyper detailed through clarity. You can hear every bass note being played. I can't say it's sterile or uninvolving just mega clear. I know it needs more burn in but for I2s it's too clear and revealing.

I've just received my 0.6m Furutech NCF Ethernet cable and that's put everything back in the zone, I can hear guitar distortion and fuzz pedals again.

So the WW Starlight is currently between my Ediscreation Fiber Box and Aurender N20. The Ediscreation has Bybee Purifiers and they seem to be taking the edge off the WW and it all seems to be balancing out nicely.

sirnui
82 posts
 

@lordmelton Right now I am not using any DDC. Over a year ago I bought my Grimm MU1 streamer and I found going straight from it to DAC with a single AES/EBU cable sounded better than my complex USB chain with multiple USB decrapifiers.  Interestingly, the MU1 has bonified DDC capabilities (e.g. it can convert toslink to AES) but I don't use it in this way for music listening.

My last experience with a DDC was a Denafrips Hermes clocked by a Denafrips Terminator Plus.  My complex USB chain fed the USB signal to the Hermes which then outputted an I2S signal via an HDMI cable to feed the T+. Testing this Hermes configuration against the MU1, I preferred the MU1. 

I would love to get my hands on a Denafrips Gaia to experiment with the MU1 and 005 but this is not high on my list.

On another topic, three SR Purple fuses are arriving today. I'm installing one each in the 005, the Benchmark LA4 preamp, and my Ferrum Oor headphone amp.  I will report back my results in a later date. 

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