Clear Components, the Musetec distributer in Germany, is currently advertising it at 2999 Euros, VAT included. At the current favorable exchange rate that’s $3135. The VAT in Germany, though, is 19%. The net price therefore could be very favorable, though shipping out of the EU is not included. There's a voltage switch inside the cabinet.
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 $$ by research, and by satisfaction with the MH-DA004. Frankly, I have been overwhelmed by the improvement; just didn't think it was possible. Fluidity, clarity, bass extension. A post to another board summed it up better than I can after listening to piano trios: "I have probably attended hundreds of classical concerts (both orchestral and chamber) in my life. I know what live sounds like in a good and bad seat and in a good and mediocre hall. All I can say is HOLY CRAP, this sounds like the real thing from a good seat in a good hall. Not an approximation of reality, but reality."
Meanwhile, during the 4 years after release of the MH-DA004, LKS (now Musetec) worked on the new MH-DA005 design, also with a pair of ES9038pro chips. This time he used more of the best components available. One torroidal transformer has silver plated copper. Also banks of super capacitors that act like batteries, solid silver hookup wire, 4 femtoclocks each costing multiples of the Crysteks, a revised Amanero board, more of the best European caps and a new partitioned case. I can't say cost NO object, but costs well beyond. A higher price, of course. Details at http://www.mu-sound.com/DA005-detail.html
The question, surely, is: How does it sound? I'm only going to answer indirectly for the moment. I thought that the MH-DA004 was to be my last DAC, or at least for a very long time. I was persuaded to part with my $$ 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."
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@daci The Gustard X26 Pro is warmer and not as detailed as the 005. I really like the Gustard and only sold it to fund the 005 purchase. If you have some bright speakers, then the Gustard could be a better choice over the 005. |
@jjss49 That's impressive considering your chord stack, msb, Weiss. Obviously you hear 005 as I hear it, yet to find a single sin of commission. It's all balanced in a very nice way, can't think of a single thing I'd change. As more comparisons against much higher price dacs comes out, I only become more convinced any possible dac change/upgrade is of little concern. I continue with constant small changes/upgrades to streaming setup, greater resolving capabilities of system only make 005 shine all the more, not a single ugly has been exposed!
@daci 005 excels in all parameters, everything in balance. My system can hit very hard what with 104db, 15" woofer modified Klipschorns and 005, far better than previous Auralic Vega which was pretty stout in this area. Vega bass rounder, more resonant, which made it sound more bass heavy than 005. 005 has natural hard hitting, articulate bass in my setup, absolutely no complaints |
imma gonna need some time to do some proper comparison listening... this is complicated by three factors - 1) so far i have found that there is some subtle deterioration of the sound of the 005 from using the volume attentuation feature, so need to run it at full volume for comparison purposes - thus need to use an integrated amp/passive pre to control volume of all dacs being compared 2) as the 005 doesn’t have a streaming function using ethernet feed, i am getting a second optical rendu so i can run two optically cleansed usb feeds into the various dacs so i am running apples to apples 3) at the same time, i also got a bricasti m1se in as well, and if you know that unit, there is a bewildering # of filters to choose from... so that is taking a good bit of time to sort through for which i prefer... ugh, too much choice is a ’hardship’ 😅 |
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