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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
yyzsantabarbara
4,941 posts
 

These days when I compare DACs, I use ROON and the GROUP stream feature. I stream using 2 identical Sonore OpticalRendu's connected the same way to 2 DACs.

If you use an ultra-revealing and neutral preamp like the Benchmark LA4 into a pair of XLR or RCA preamp inputs, then the test is almost like a lab test. I can switch inputs on the preamp to hear the identical sequence of music on either one of the DACs. 

Another totality different way that I have used for DAC evaluation has been to solicit the opinion of musicians, especially if they have some personal connection to the recording. The person I am lending my 005 to is also a musician and has worked with a lot of musicians and knows how they should sound. So, assuming a recording is good, I have been able to get feedback on a few of my components and how close they are to producing an accurate sound. I sold a few pieces and rearranged my office based on the feedback I got.  A few musicians also post on A'gon, I love those posts.

Some months back, we listened to the 005 on few tracks at his lab but I want to have him listen for a month or so and get his professional opinion. He is lending me a new hot item (hopefully for a month, which I will likely buy). He had some issue with the 005 on first listen (forgot the details), but the main take away was that he wanted to spend more time with it since it seemed like an excellent DAC.

I will post his take in a month. Either way I love the 005. Though it is not my fav on my new 7 tube headphone amp. I love the Benchmark DAC3B on this new tube amp.

jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 

@charles1dad ​​​​@arafiq

i will get the 005 next week, will take a few weeks to sort through, develop a solid point of view... it is a used unit so no break in concerns thankfully

it was quite a re-read through this whole thread... my eyes were glazing over several times, but with breaks i made it through eventually haha

i just sold the ank 4.1 (lovely sounding, but demanded too much real estate and was only fixed output) ... that said still have several others that serve as my own references (chord stack, weiss, msb on higher end, soekris, audio gd m7, oldie modded mf trivista 21 on lower end...)

sns
3,407 posts
 

Yes, the one thing lacking in this thread is where 005 lies in context to other top tier dacs. At this point, only Holo May Kitsune Edition would be option under $10k for me, this based on comparison reviews up to this point.

 

My perception of dacs jjss49 listed is, Chord Dave on it's own analytical, only top tier if tied to Mscaler, Weiss uses same chip family at much higher price, on paper doesn't entice me, AudioGD, interesting, lots of conflicting reviews, msb, I'd choose Playback Designs DP8 or 5, EMM Labs DA2V2, Aires Cerat Helena or Kassandra over the msb.

 

@jjss49 Your input should be valuable. I'd actually like to have every dac I listed above to compare in my system. I'd like to know what 005 doesn't do because I hear no sins of commission. I have heard the Holo May has better sound staging. I can only presume this dac may commit sins of omission compared to best?

melm OP
1,084 posts
 

@budkine 
Thanks for your review.  Sorry, but I couldn't resist pointing to it at head-fi.  In an earlier post I remarked that, "a thread like this carries more weight than a 'review.'"  You post is but another terrific example of why.   

@jjss49 
We look forward to your impressions of the Musetec.  No one has ever said that it is the best of all DACs.  If it can play comfortably in the same sandbox as some of the others you have, that will be plenty.  I appreciate your effort.  Anyone willing to plow through this whole thread of 21 pages, as you have, deserves the Audiogon medal of honor.  

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

  

I @jjss49 
We look forward to your impressions of the Musetec.  No one has ever said that it is the best of all DACs.  If it can play comfortably in the same sandbox as some of the others you have, that will be plenty.  I appreciate your effort.  Anyone willing to plow through this whole thread of 21 pages, as you have, deserves the Audiogon medal of honor.  
 

+1

Charles

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