Has Anyone Auditioned an LKS MH-DA004 DAC?


Seems like a lot of DAC for the money.  ($1450-$1600)
melm

Showing 4 responses by hfaddict

I’m bringing this thread back as I have recently replaced my Chord 2Qute with the LKS MH-DA004. There is also not a whole lot of info/reviews out there on this great component.

Here are my comparisons between my 2Qute and the LKS 004: There is no comparison! Just kidding. I’ve owned and enjoyed the 2Qute for over 2 years and it is also an outstanding DAC for the price.

I’d have to say the only thing that the 2Qute has on the LKS 004 is a touch more dynamics. It’s a little more jumpier and playful, this comes even more into play at low volume listening. But I couldn’t consider this a deal breaker by any means.

The LKS 004 trumps it everywhere else, including bass energy. It plays low(er), controlled and doesn’t leave me wanting in this aspect at all. The soundstage is massive but not artificial sounding in the least. It may have added a bit more width but the depth and feeling of spaciousness is where it really shines over the 2Qute. Details, especially micro details are much more apparent. I would never have considered the 2Qute to have any glare/etch on the treble but somehow the LKS has managed to bring forth more treble air and information while being even smoother. Mid range is beautiful and engaging.

Physically this DAC is a beauty, build quality is top notch. She’s heavy and well crafted. I don’t need to get into the high quality parts used on this unit as it’s been previously mentioned.

It’s also a really nice feature having a remote as I use my 2 channel for movies and now I don’t need to get up to switch inputs. You can also switch filters/bandwidth setting/brightness, on/off etc with the remote.

I’m quite happy with my purchase and can only hope it is as reliable as my Chord has been!

I'd share pics but this forum is horrible for that.  


@smodtactical Great gear! I’m sure you get a lot of enjoyment there.

As for the LKS 004 besting your current set up, it’s hard to say without knowing your own sound preferences, the characteristics of your phones/speakers and what you hope to gain. I would venture to say you would get a performance upgrade using the LKS as an external DAC but the price vs performance ratio may not be worth it at this point?  And of course, the more revealing your gear, the more changes you'll notice. 

I currently run the LKS 004 using the USB input and it sounds great, absolutely no qualms from me vs the co axial route in my system. I’m using an Audioquest Cinnamon cable with a Curious cable on the way. I’m excited to see what this cable swap brings as there are a lot of positive reviews kicking around.

I’m sure you’ve looked at the 81 page thread about this DAC over on Head-Fi. I’ve read the whole thing and the one reviewer did mention the Chord Dave bested the LKS 004 in musicality and dynamics I believe. I can’t even afford to be in the same room as the Dave but it sounds like this DAC can hold its own, although I’m speculative of it besting some $10k + DACs. But stranger things have happened!

I did found the 2Qute to have a bouncier sound vs the LKS. Generally there will be some give and take with any gear swaps of course. But ultimate synergy is my goal.

I also read that thread on Super Best Audio Forum. Very arrogant and stand offish, turned me right off.


@auxinput  Seems you've got a very good understanding of what's under the hood of these components.  Way over my head but I enjoy learning and doing research. 

@melm Haha I did the same thing and used a lot of Google translate as well. I also didn't find any reliability problems. And yes, tons of room under there! 

You guys are killing me.  I'm just finishing 10 days of work here and have another 2 weeks off to enjoy my rig again.  And the new Curious USB cable should be waiting patiently in the mail box...