First impressions of new MH-DA006, Musetec flagship

So now we come to presentation, 006 more natural than 005, Laiv Harmony more holistic than 006, this all via usb. Laiv/Gaia combo via I2S beats out 006 via usb, and now we have 006/Gaia combo beats out the Laiv/Gaia. The most noticeable thing here is newfound sense of ease and refinement, music seems to just flow. I'm now into full analog mode with this, I could fool myself into believing I was listening to vinyl minus the surface noise. Allied to this is more natural timbre, especially noticeable with both individual  and massed violins. I've long thought digital really misses out to vinyl with violins, digital processing these into homogenized blobs, same with trumpets. Now I hear  newfound texture and harmonic development that both individualizes and more naturally presents these instruments.

Crash break

I may be forgetting something? In any case, nothing is ever perfect. I'm still hearing just a bit of flatness or lack of micro dynamic expression with 006, I continue to hear just the slightest improvement here, long, long development phase here, probably around 350 hours, I know these caps in 006, they can easily take 400 hours or more depending on the amount of current running through them. Also a bid of mid range excess, like a small frequency boost in this area, this likely due to cheapo copper I2S cable or new power cable (williewonka Helix design I use my own recipe on) I just finished assembling for Gaia. Burn in, especially with the Rhodium plugs can cause this as well.

More development with Gaia coming, custom made Tubulus I2S cable in Monday after 3 week wait. More burn in of Gaia and the power cord, perhaps new setup with Gaia, at present stock feet on Baltic Birch platformx, have many solutions available to me if I need to adjust presentation.

Bottom line feelings on I2S vs usb interfaces. I now believe usb is inferior to I2S by a relatively wide margin. I could more easily understand it with the Harmony, but the technology Musetec expended on usb in 006 made me doubt it.  While I can't make this statement universally, any streamer I would possibly purchase in the future would have to include an optimized I2S out, one coming off motherboard doesn't count. All this optimization of usb is needless IMO. This all on streamer manufacturers, I2S inherent to dac's, I don't get why there isn't both standardization and optimization of this interface in streamers.

Any conclusions re Gaia-006 vs Gaia-Harmony, ie is the Gaia that special in what it brings to both DACS?

sns,  Thank you for your thoughts and in depth reviews as things evolve.

  I have owned an 004 for 4 years and have had many other dacs and always keep the 004. It's a great DAC especially at it's price point. I've been looking for a used 005.  I have found the I2S input out of my inexpensive Xingcore USB to I2S converter input by my windows Jriver PC to be superior to straight USB to the 004. I Will look into the Gaia but also seeking the 005. Is the 005 a worthwhile step up from the 004?  Thanks again for your time and effort with the reviews.

@aw118

I’m sure others will chime in as several folks went from 004 to 005. But no question, it is a real step up.

The USB to I2S implemantation in the 005 is somewhat different in the 005 and should be better.  Different power supply and slightly better clocks, but same Amanero board.  As i've written, I have a prefernce for avoiding any use of USB.