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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
sirnui
82 posts
 

I sold my Grimm MU1 streamer for funds and now I'm using parts of my old USB chain to feed the 005.  My NUC running Roon ROCK feeds the Uptone ISO Regen which connects to the 005 via a Cardas Clear USB cable.  The NUC is using it's standard SMPS and the ISO Regen is fed power using daisy chained ultra low noise linear regulators.  Is the music now just as good as when I had the MU1?  No, but the music is still very enjoyable, almost surprisingly so.  But I am also being very strategic with how I'm putting my system together and it's still changing.  The point here is one doesn't need to spend megabucks on any part of an 005 based the system to immensely enjoy the music and it helps to be strategic with where the money can be spent to maximize the system.

One function the MU1 did was upsample my Tidal streamed 16bit 44.1/48KHz files to 24bit 176.4/192KHz.  I always thought this helped the 005 perform better so tonight I configured Sample Rate Conversion in Roon and now the Tidal streams are coming in at 32bit 176.4/192KHz.  I prefer Roon upsampling than without it and I also have Headroom Management turned on.  I also tried conversion to 24bit but I slightly prefer 32bit.

On yet another note, I recently bought an LKS USB-100 DDC and the LKS LPS-25-USB power supply to power it.  They should be arriving in the days and weeks ahead. I've already bought a 0.5m Wireworld Platinum Starlight Ethernet cable and a Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48 HDMI cable so I'm ready to experiment with I2S when the LKS devices arrive.  I also have my eye on the new HoloAudio Red streamer and the Pi2 Design Mercury V2 streamer that both output I2S but if these LKS devices hit it out of the park, then I will stay put.

americanspirit's avatar
americanspirit
64 posts
 

@sirnui 

THERE IS NO NEED TO INSERT LKS USB-100 DDC and the LKS LPS-25-USB IN THE CHAIN, THE DA005 ALREADY HAS EVERYTHING INSIDE, TOP QUALITY

sns
3,244 posts
 

I have ability to use a variety of music players and configurations with new streamer. I've tried both Roon and HQPlayer embedded within Roon with up and oversampling, HQPlayer far superior to Roon here. Thus far greatest resolution I've experienced has been HQPlayer  sending 32/768khz to 005, not sure I prefer to Roon doing minimal processing, no dsp. HQPlayer with dsp activated somehow sounds more artificial less analog like vs Roon with no dsp, still experimenting so haven't made final decision. By the way, for anyone using dsp, 32bit is correct setting for ESS Sabre chips.

 

@americanspirit  I was arguing this very thing with some poster here claiming usb sucks. 005 does have everything needed for top tier usb rendering, the Amanero board is nice board, feed it top quality usb rendering via streamer for top tier sound.

americanspirit's avatar
americanspirit
64 posts
 

@sns 


I'm sorry that there are those who are not able to understand the AMANERO board that is inside the DA005 with the upgrades made by the MUSETEC designer, it is superior to any other USB interface on the market.

the same AMANERO is used in all DACs produced by AUDIOGD designed by the legendary KINGWA.

as I have already written, to have the best possible USB connection it is necessary to remove the +5V PIN from the cable.

I ASK ALL DA005 OWNERS TO TRY THIS MODIFICATION, YOU WILL THANK ME FOR THE RESULT OBTAINED

debjit_g
280 posts
 

AFAIK, the 005 is not a NOS dac and has an in-built SRC which can't be bypassed. All external s/w based conversion may either be not beneficial or might have a -ive impact on the SQ or you may not see any difference depending on the bit rate and rest of the system.

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