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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
sns
3,192 posts
 

Here you will find discussion of using HQPlayer with Sabre chip dacs, much more can be found at various forums and HQPlayer literature. https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/26718-hqplayer-favorite-settings/page/2/

melm OP
1,074 posts
 

@americanspirit 
I agree with you that the USB to I2S conversion is best made within the Musetec DAC.  There it will find SOTA conversion and about as good a power supply as can be (and unique to this DAC), using a bank of super capacitors for the digital side.  Logic should point in that direction and I have written so here.  However, at least one contributor to this thread wrote of his satisfaction using the separate, and quite old, LKS DDC.  Audio sometimes gives strange results and that is where we are.

You also write of removing the +5V pin (pin 1)  from the USB cable.  Did you remove it from the Type A connector or the Type B connector or from both?  In the past I have blocked pin 1 of the A connector without discernible results.  But my system has improved since and I will try again.

americanspirit's avatar
americanspirit
64 posts
 

@melm 

I confirm that the cable that carries the +5v you have to unsolder it from both connectors (both type a and type b) otherwise it can work as an antenna and make the situation worse.

further advice, you can connect the unsoldered cable to both the shield and the ground.

if you have problems making the cable, I can do it for you for free

sns
3,192 posts
 

@melm I believe it was Lordmelton who tried the conversion? I also believe I recall him or whoever it was went back to using usb.

 

With recent thread about measurements and how they affect both digital and analog sound quality, ASR measurements of 005 were recalled. The SNR measurements relatively unimportant, but I feel the somewhat poor jitter measurements may be impacting 005 sound quality. If I have a single nit with 005 it would be the slightest tilt toward precision vs. forgiveness. With insertion of new streamer and it's microscopic attention to minimizing jitter I'm hearing much greater flow, relaxation, much more analog like presentation. It would be interesting to hear a 005 with improved jitter measurements, something the engineers could implement mid model. I suspect this 005 would retain all it's goodness while adding more analog like presentation.

americanspirit's avatar
americanspirit
64 posts
 

@sns 

Amir's tests leave the time they find, they are not science, they are baseless tests performed by a child who bought a signal analyzer and uses it as a toy.

metaphorically it is as if Galileo, having his telescope of the time at his disposal, had stated that there are no distant planets because his instrument does not allow him to see them...

I'm tired of talking about it again, they are bogus tests built ad hoc to sell low-level Chinese products.

the MUSETEC MH-DA005 is perfect as it comes from the factory, all you need is a little care about the cables to be used and the quality of the power supply that is supplied to it.

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