First impressions of new MH-DA006, Musetec flagship

@sns  My take on the 006 after maybe as much as 450 hours of break in is still evolving. I keep feeling that I may have made a mistake in reporting provisional and what I thought were final conclusions as it still, surprisingly,  may be breaking in. At first, I was ecstatic over everything I was hearing (dynamics, imaging, sound stage, resolution). Next I became frustrated with software hiccups where my streamers suddenly lost volume on three occasions. After that I started to hear some sporadic congestion usually involving high frequencies. Some of those anomalies were on favorite recordings. In a brief intemperate fit lasting a day, I decided to sell the 006 even though it was performing brilliantly on 90% of my recordings. I wanted 100%. After I heard sns’ first impressions, I changed my mind about selling it. Soon after that I thought that the fault was not in the equipment but in my own very limited but real high frequency hearing loss. (I’m 75 years old) After that, the anomalies I heard faded. All recordings were 100% listenable again. Maybe it wasn’t my hearing. It did seem to get darker for a while. Over the last three or four days the sound seems to have stabilized. I have not had any problems. It is the best DAC I have heard. But please do not take this latest report as my offering final conclusions. I have to put more time in to be sure. Sorry for the suspense.

Two corrections to my post on DDCs.

1. The Singxer UIP-1 PRO comes with a wall wart.  A good power supply is necessary to bring it anywhere near the Phoenix whose power supply is ample.  FWIW the device in its non-PRO version got a reasonably good review at ASR,  They found a reduction in noise at the most bothersome frequencies. The PRO version has an OCXO similar to that in the Phoenix.  The non-PRO version does not.

2.  The last paragraph should, of course, begin: Finally, though not usually called DDCs, are Ethernet-in/I2S-out devices, better known as streamers. 

Apologies.  i'm feeling the effects of a Covid shot yesterday and perhaps shouldn't be posting.  Hope I got the corrections right.

@sns good feedback so far on what seems atypical of the burning process. keep us updated. I am still not sure if I want to upgrade to 006 - so many DACs available at this price range. On one side I kept thinking of trying a non-Sabre DAC - AKM, R2R, Fpga, Hybrids, but then the Musetec 005 also sounds very musical in my setup. Not sure what to do - a problem with too many choices :-)

@melm nice summarizing all the types of DDCs.

There is one DDC that called my attention - its a Audiobyte Super Hub. Its expensive compared to others but I have heard good things about it.

https://www.audiobyte.net/products/superhub

With my experience with digital and a lot of DIY along the way, it extremely difficult to pick a winner. There are so many factors with digital that affects the sound, it is hard to say in advance what will work in one’s system. One really got to try it out. However, one thing that I can say confidently and which has worked in every situation is the better and more stable a power supply, the better the sound in digital.

I had a long listening session this evening with the 006. At this point it has been over 500 hours. My first conclusion is that it has finally stabilized. No more high frequency congestion. The wait tried my patience.  I was once skeptical that any piece of electronics really needed 500 or more hours to be fully broken in. I’m a believer now.

From a music lover’s perspective, which it what we audiophiles claim to be, this machine is a friend of the heart. It does not sound analog or digital per se but like live music which can lift your mood and elevate your spirit.

If asked my opinion on how it sounds from a critical listening audiophile perspective, it is all the good things that I have reported. Near astounding natural resolution, dynamics, soundstaging, and imaging. Not a trace of glare or harshness. The texture of the sound almost rejects common audiophile adjectives like smooth, thin, thick, etc. The words that I think are appropriate are real and palpable. I would still say it has neutral tonal balance with a slight tilt to the warm side much like the 005. Where it is beyond anything I have heard is that I am able to close my eyes during certain orchestral passages and hear so clearly various string sections entering and exiting, accent details like subtle bass and cello pizzicatos appearing and disappearing as if heard live. Some chamber music sounds so real it is spooky. Audiophiles call this resolution, but I don’t think the word does justice to the experience.

@dbb What you're hearing now much more in line with what I'm hearing and have heard all along.

On to last nights listening session, now at just over 200 hours. Every listening session is revelatory with this dac, I constantly and consistently hear new information previously lost. 006 digs deep into mixes, where is the noise floor with this thing!

First thing I noticed, no more of that dark tinge I previously occasionally heard, upper mids and highs opened up, no sense of being closed in or polite in tone. I'd now rate as neutral, very much like 005.

Second thing I noticed right off is sound stage expansion, I now have images outside my speakers, pretty hard to attain with Klipschorns and necessary corner placement (I do have independent movement from the bass bin with my Volti horns and tweeter mounted on separate baffle). And the center image has so much more layering and depth than previous (again lucky as I have bay window area on front wall that reaches from ceiling to floor). Height of images also increased, haven't heard a change here in years. As for the images themselves, while l've long experienced great dimensionality here, with 006 the individual images not only localized to a greater extent, these individual images now more filled in, more sense of meat on the bone. What is even more special is the way these images float in space, simply ethereal!

And now we come to the presentation aspect of how all this newly found information is relayed. I used the word hyper detailed in my previous reviews, no more of that here. The 'bloom' has started, both macro and micro dynamics have increased such that the performers now presented as having that 'breath of life', this was something I thought 005 did pretty well, 006 goes far and above. The smallest of gradations in breath with wind instruments and vocals makes them come far more alive than previous. The touch of string instruments does the same, massed violins, cellos, bass far more natural and life like. The macro dynamics certainly much greater scale than previous as well.

Along for the ride with the greater dynamic envelope I'm hearing a new found ease in the presentation, much more flow than previous. The two words I thought of while listening were expressive and effortless. Expressive in the sense that my emotions were heightened by a much greater sense that real live flesh and blood performers in the room. Effortless in the sense of a more analog like presentation, I've heard some very nice vinyl setups in my time, up to multiple of hundred thousands, I've never heard digital sound this close to vinyl. This sense of an analog type presentation also came from the more natural timbre I'm hearing with 006, much superior to 005. Finally I'd add there is now a sense of this being a much more holistic presentation, everything more coherent and falling into place, may even exceed Laiv Harmony in this aspect.

I agree with dbb, merely stating high resolution doesn't do the 006 justice, this far more than that. At this point I'd judge the 006 as one of those components or upgrades that is far more than a mere incremental improvement, every recording is redefined such that it sounds fresh and new, quite an accomplishment!

I suspect this dac will continue to go unnoticed what with Musetec's inability to market or promote itself in western markets. I'd  only say this dac is far under priced for what it is, the technology alone far surpasses probably everything under $10K, add this level of sound quality and what you have is a no brainer purchase.