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

Is it possible to ask the manufacturer to correct what is reported on the technical specifications or to refute the ASR tests?

Is it possible to explain to the followers of ASR that what is not measurable at the moment does not necessarily exist?

they seem to me to be two essential questions, answering which would put an end to the diatribe

I imagine Musetec are reviewing their options at the moment, maybe they will do their own tests. ASR is not a licensed testing agency and in the real world their comments hold no credence.

As was said earlier if a DAC with poor test results sounded good then that's ASR completely discredited.

I believe @sns was one of the first buyers so we could compare his serial number with someone who has bought this month. We'd have a very good indication of customer satisfaction. There are zero complaints on the internet about the 005.

Every one of those sales was trouble free and the customers happy with their purchase. Bar two or three who preferred something else IIRC.

All on ASR have been brainwashed into believing that only measurements matter and ALL cables, regardless of price sound the same.

Now even those with a fraction of a brain cell can agree that's not correct, unless you have genuine hearing difficulties.

ASR is flawed and a fraud. Yes different performance results were published by Musetec but ASR is not a legal entity, it's a hobbyists site for the delusional that want to call themselves scientists and engineers and doctors.

So if you want a 005 it needs 6-8 weeks to break in, whether you believe in that or not.

 

Serial # MS50097, purchased 11/20.

 

Based on my understanding of measurement crowd, its not that they don't listen, rather its best to rely on measurements vs listening. While some of them may admit to limits of measurements, still beats human senses and our individual perceptions of those senses. Human biases of all kinds enter the equation for them, can never be overcome by training, experience, etc. Measurements always retain their superiority over listening, inconclusive results from blind testing prove this superiority. This will never change, written in stone, really is no point in arguing the point in this thread or any thread, total futility.

 

There is some hope though, periodically, I observe a former measurement adherent joining the dark side after having heard a component or components that resolve to the point where they hear formerly unheard sound qualities like texture, perhaps even color. At this point they now come to the understanding there are sound qualities measurements fail to account for. So, yes, I'd agree at least some of the measurement cohort has not heard extremely revealing systems. Based on the mostly relatively inexpensive components tested over there I believe this true. Now, they occasionally test more expensive components, which test middle of pack, what's the point of listening or purchasing when its far more costly than equally or better measuring equipment. The thing is I'm sure Amir has heard these much more costly components, and likely entire systems. Can he not hear differences with the much more costly components and systems? Or is it he can't or won't admit to it? You have to realize their entire argument can't take a relatively middle of pack or poorer measuring component beating out best measuring components, this would be admitting listening more valid than measuring. And then take an entire system of such components where these gains may be exponential. For those of us relying on listening, correlations or non-correlations between measurements and listening isn't surprising, upsetting, nor does it INVALIDATE measurements. Measurements illuminate the known knowns, don't account for the known unknowns. The difference is we hear the known unknowns, they either don't or won't admit to it.

 

And I do get lordmelton's reiteration of necessity of burn in with 005. Yes, it's sound quality changes over burn in, extremely likely measurements won't change but sound quality does. Measurement cohort can't admit to burn in changing sound since it challenges entire measurement argument. Seems to me measurement cohort has themselves in small little box, everything has to conform to this tiny little box, can't allow or explain outliers or unexplained phenomenon.

still here debating the goodness of the measurements?
measurements are good, no doubt!
but obviously it is not possible to measure everything.
science is a modeling of reality, the more accurate that model is, the closer we get to "truth".
since there is no mathematical model capable of interpreting reality in all respects, we must also rely on the human senses.
we must not be obtuse to think that only the measurements matter, nor to think that only the senses matter.
getting these two souls to agree seems an impossible undertaking!

poor people!!!

@sns agreed it is indeed a small box with mostly poor sounding gear although i will admit the D90SE sounds good just a little sterile.

@yyzsantabarbara ya the 005 so far in my system is a big winner on par with my Terminator II albeit with a different flavor.