First impressions of new MH-DA006, Musetec flagship

@gavin1977  Yes. It has a digital volume control. Like the 005, probably the best sound will be with a preamp.

After putting on over 400 hours breaking in the new MH-DA006, I listened for the purpose of comparing it to its predecessor. The 005 received thorough review, comparison, and comment in two threads in this forum. In summary, many felt, at a price of around $3,000, it was equal to or better than dacs costing $5,000 or much more. For those with both curiosity and stamina the links to those very long threads are:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-holo-may-l2-dac-and-the-musetec-audio-lks-audio-mh-da005-da

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/musetec-lks-mh-da005-dac?highlight=MH-DA005%2BDAC

I said something like this before, but it’s worth repeating. I will try to describe my impressions with reference to my memory of the sound of live non-amplified music in a real venue. I think a comparison that uses this less subjective base line is more useful than reporting simply on what sounds I like. I don’t care for the dichotomy of analog or digital as a reference standard. I wouldn’t pay over $200 a ticket to go to a concert hall to hear the world’s best dac or turntable. I would pay that much to hear a live orchestra in a good seat at a venue with good acoustics. Even if you never go to a live concert, that standard should still be useful. In the end it’s what ever gives you pleasure. Some conclusions are cliches because they are true. The idea that aesthetic values are personal and relative is one.

I’m going to give you my conclusion first. The 006 does come a step closer to the sound of live music than its predecessor. It is exceptionally outstanding in the reproduction of dynamics, sound stage, and imaging. It has apparent greater resolution than the 005.

First I would say that the overall voicing in terms of tonal balance (frequency response) of the 006 is similar but not identical to the 005. They both can be described as neutral. These next impressions on the differences in tonal balance between the two are subtle and subject to the effects of system differences. To my ear on my system the 005 sounded a touch warmer in some recordings than the 006 in the upper bass/lower mid-range region roughly around 60hz to 75hz. Thus a very narrow range of lower piano notes, lower cello notes, etc. were very slightly less rich on the 006. Also, on certain recordings I noticed on the 006 an occasional incisiveness on higher violin notes and the upper register on female voices. To some, but probably not all, these changes might be welcomed as being more tonally accurate. Others might prefer the very slightly warmer lower mid-range and smoother upper frequency sound of the 005. Again, these are subtle changes.

The 006 exceeds the 005 in reproducing life like dynamics and transient response. There is no issue here as to whether the change is different and maybe better. It is dramatically better.

In 2016, I had the good fortune to attend a concert by the New York Philharmonic lead by Alan Gilbert in a performance of Mahler’s 7th Symphony which was recorded. In my opinion, it was a wonderful performance. In 2017, it was released and available as a hi rez download from various sources. I downloaded it and was pleased to conclude that it is of very high quality. I listened to the 006 first playing this recording and then compared it to the 005.

On recordings containing sharp transients, percussion, pizzicatos, and sudden brass fortes etc., like Mahler’s Symphony number 7, natural pop, feel, and rhythm is more life like than anything I have heard coming from a home stereo. The result is natural 3-d relief and an improved sense of life (more energy) and sound stage depth. Brass and percussion are almost as impactful as what you would hear live. The 006 pushes air in a blow from a kettle drum and solid crisp and tight bass abounds. Familiar music to me, like Beethoven's late quartets, have new intensity. In audiophile speak the 006 delivers near astounding reproduction of micro and macro dynamics. On the right recording, music becomes more intense and imparts more emotion and foot taping. Rock and Roll fans take note. You may find yourself dancing.

Resolution on the 006 was marginally better than the 005 which is a hard act to follow. Like the 005 you could "Feel the air" in a large venue recording in a way that the r2r Holo May couldn’t deliver as previously described in my prior review. I heard more subtle details on the 006 than the 005 on some recordings. This occasionally perceived increase in beautiful orchestral detail may have been created by the superb improvement in dynamics rather than fine resolving power per se. In other words, softer transients may have been pushed forward to become more audible in a realistic way.

With respect to sound stage width and depth and imaging, the 006 is capable of delivering noticeably more than than 005 when the recording contained such information. As an example, I listened to a recording of the Stravinsky Violin Concerto. The width and the depth of the sound stage was dramatically real. Location of the violin and other orchestra instruments was vivid. Better than the 005. The 006 is the best I have ever heard in this department, but the most expensive dac I have ever heard is the $5,000 Holo May.

@dbb Wonderful review, covers all the bases. As you know I've also been enamored of 005 for a few years now. Based on technical details released per 006 not surprised by your impressions, the attention paid to power supplies and layout is really quite impressive. Maintaining a neutral voicing is a smart thing, IMO, I prefer neutral sources, plenty of opportunities to fine tune elsewhere. 

In examining both the design and parts used in 006, this thing is really a freaking value. I trust your evaluation of sound qualities, so add excellent SQ to the equation and you have a must purchase for me. And so I have, expecting delivery in a couple weeks.

 Thanks for a very succinct  review, much appreciated.

@dbb Thank you for a very informative review of the DA-006.  I have been using the DA-005 for a few years now and some recent changes to my system brought out some of the same qualities you attributed to the DA-006.  Most notably, a new preamp, the Raven from Spatial Audio Labs, yielded improvements in soundstage width and depth, better image focus, naturalness of tone, and transparency.  Further improvements in clarity and especially dynamics occurred when I replaced my interconnects with Paul Speltz best XLRs, the level 5.3 anti-cables.  These changes allowed me to hear more of what the DA-005 (and Raven preamp) was capable of and to think the DA-006 improves on these attributes is quite an accomplishment.

@sns  Thanks for the kind words.

I should add that on two occasions I had brief playing disruptions when listening through my streamer, an Ultrarendu.  They were cured by rebooting and reloading the 006 driver and checking and re- entering the streamer settings. I corresponded with Mustec and they were quite responsive. Still the cause is unknown, except it seems certain that it is a settings and software issue. This type of issue is common in my experience. If it repeats, I suspect a driver update will do the trick. Also, I use JRIVER to play files through the streamer. Adjustments there may be in order.