2. digital
  3. 166933-4269

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
lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

@boxer12 Good to hear you're getting great results, I'll be getting a couple more funds permitting.

Maybe it's too early to compare but how does the AR stack up against the Furutech?

clearthink
1,421 posts
 

lordmelton"Valves can paper over cracks but solid state will reveal everything"

This statement is incomplete, deceiving, and reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of the qualities of the various types of amplification. It is possible for valves (tubes) to be "revealing" it is possible for ss to be "revealing" and both tubes and ss amplifiers can be intended, designed, and manufactured to be as neutral as the designer desires or as colored depending on his desires and preference but this is a common misunderstanding, fallacy, and illusion.

troidelover1499
253 posts
 

I have to agree that this lord melton guy is pretty hard to take, as much as other folks here on this topic seem quite reasonable, friendly and balanced in what they write. Guess there is always one bad apple in every barrel, quite a turn off.

clearthink
1,421 posts
 

There is room here for everyone to participate and contribute and by doing so some will learn and advance, improve, and refine their music reproduction systems but ignoring,overcoming, and rejecting prejudice about things like valves vs. ss or analog vs. digital is required, necessary, and essential for knowledge acquisition.

jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 

@troidelover1499

thanks, glad you found my comparisons useful, it’s fun to do, to find out these things for myself in my own system

i really don’t think most people here are being ’small’ about the 005 as you describe, though a few may be, it’s legitimately an excellent dac both in absolute terms and for the money... if you are upgrading your digital front end to this level of expense, you should definitely consider it

i became curious as some are insistent it is superior to most other more expensive, well-received dacs so i just wanted find out for myself... if that’s true how come the weiss’ totaldac’s holo’s chord’s bricasti’s msb’s emm’s aren’t going b-k? 😂

seriously though, costs in china are much lower, a direct sales model gives a tremendous cost advantage ... so it is not surprising this dac provides excellent dollar value and knocks on the door of what other pricier dacs can do

this is a thread about this particular make of dac, i think it is important to be sensitive to the fact that there are numerous happy owners here, the marketplace has grown very big for dacs given the prevalence and growth of streaming these days, lots lots of choices, and the key is to have music lovers find stuff they really enjoy

... and i will update my system page re the new speakers in due course :)

 

More to discover