Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

@lordmelton @laoman  I just hooked up and listen to my Tambaqui today for about 30 minutes after letting it heat up on my amp. Not that I can say anything definitive other then I really like it. Haven't A/B tested the 005 with it, but right out of the gates I was like "this is something different AND good" when shotgunning it against the 005.

@romazicon... Like the benzodiazapine reversal drug? Just asking.

But very interesting, the 2k Gustard X26 Pro with the 4k Mutec Clock is that good?

I’d be very interested in hearing that since I was a former X26 owner.

I’m really enjoying the 005, but just got my Mola Mola Tambaqui and am excited to get it up and running.

Sounds like @romazicon you have some great auditions under your belt. Have anything to say first hand or otherwise about the Tambaqui?

Needless to say I’m planning on putting my A/B Tambaqui/005 impressions to text on screen, and will write up my thoughts after I put some burn-in hours on the Mola Mola.

Any Musetec 005 owners have or heard in person the Mola Mola Tambaqui?

I have the Musetec (love it), but looking to complete my second system and curious how these two would compare?

I'll know this week if I'll be able to in home demo a Tambaqui. However I'm just a little skeptical that something could sound notably better then the 005 justifying its 4 times price difference.

But I'm curious.

@lordmelton you're probably right in your conclusion.

This all started when I saw a demo Tambaqui for sale on US Audio Mart for 9k. I immediately contacted the seller and offered up the $$, and got, what I presumed was a scripted response of "it just sold, but I can get you a new one at a good price".

If I had grabbed it for 9k essentially new with papers, I would have given it a try and happily sold it again if it didn't live up to the hype.

But now I'm kinda half in half out, because paying even another 2k more... The diminishing return line I'd have already crossed (most likely).

Oh well... My impulse buy of a dream audio product floundered I guess.

We'll see... If the dealer let's me do an in home listen, maybe there's still a chance to A/B the two.

I'll let you know.

Thanks

@teknorob23 yeah the May KTE was/is probably what I'll go with and hear the 005 and May are very close approximates, but the May is almost 6k vs the 005 at 3.5k. So again the value proposition is a hard one there too considering I already have the 005.

I'll be honest the 005 is the only DAC that I've had that made my jaw drop (not that I've had or heard many, coming from a X26 Pro), but I would liken it to when I first heard the Technics G700 iAMP which I fell in love with. Only to then get the SU-R1000 and felt a little less excited about it because the "jump" wasn't as large as it was from my old Cambridge 851a to the Technics SU-G700.

Probably best to just sit this one out, hit AXPONA collect my thoughts and wait a year or two.

After all I just "saved" 12-13k 😂

Now to think what else I can blow 13k on... Where to start?

Interesting... Thanks @sns and @dbb 

So 005 =/< May maybe?

May =/< Tambaqui maybe?

But 005 < May < Tambaqui in price (as always 😂)!

Yeah, probably gonna just wait this out, but wish I could get the 005 and Tambaqui side by side to really just let them shine and see what my ears/brain think.

Well put @melm 

I'm still on the fence, but after this week should have a better idea of what I'm gonna do.

I really am enjoying my system and this is more an exercise of completing a second system for my office and another for my main entertainment space.

But I'll be honest I'm more interested in FPGA based DAC's then R2R DAC's. It's just my own personal interest. I just need to think less and listen more 😉

@melm  made the jump and ordered the Mola Mola Tambaqui and I'll be doing hopefully soon, A/B testing next month with it when it arrives the first week of April.

Curious to see how it all plays out.

Till then ✌

@lordmelton I needed (relatively speaking) a second DAC to finish off my second systems and came into a little bit of money with the used car-armageddon we’re living in.

Crazy times when you can sell a car for 18k more then what you owe, and by the car new for what you bought the old one for 3 years ago.

Seems insane, but I guess that worked out for me and this is a hat tip to myself for actually going through with it.

Sadly it proves that covid really screwed up a lot more then we'll ever know.

@rsf507 and @sns 2019 Range Rover Velar with 32k miles sold for 52k and bought it 3 years ago for 70k, owed 30k on it. Got the same 2022 model for $2,500 mark up, but still walked away with money in my pocket, and a lower monthly payment after DP. Wanted my wife to buy a bigger car since we’re having our first kid (any day now). She refused and said she loved her car. Good thing we didn’t because I wouldn’t have been able to capitalize on the swap. I only really started looking  into it when the dealer was unrelentingly calling me to almost daily to "get me into a new model" and wanted to "give me tope dollar for my trade". I looked online and my jaw dropped. One week after listing it, it was gone.

Just a joke if you ask me, insane.

My Ortofon Cadenza Blue MC and SU-R1000 DSP sounded better then my 005, just nuts. I love the cartridge calibration with the Technics MC XLR phono stage, one of the big reasons I got it.

Even my vinyl is digital (some may not approve). I love it.

I too am loving this DAC, I’ve been ripping all my CD’s onto my Zenith and using a Matrix 2 SPDIF DDC with separate LPS and I2S to the 005 and XLR to my Technics SU-R1000. This DAC has become the star of my system and am really happy I made the jump (100% money well spent).

I would like to hear other peoples take on running I2S with the Musetec 005 and whatever DDC/reclockers that people a utilizing.

100% am a believer in the improved microdynamics and width and depth of sound stage with ripped CD’s over streaming.

Can’t again a better sound from my system then with this thing. But I’ll be honest the Technics SU-R1000’s phono stage might have the 005 beat (or equally as good).

I was floors when I calibrated my Ortofon MC Blue and played a LP with cartridge optimization and crosstalk canceling DSP from the SU-R1000. I have XLR outs from my TT and a separate LPS and I was just shocked at how on a head to head comparison of the amazing Musetec 005 and my digital array, my Vinyl sounds maybe even better.

I’m just smiling sitting in my listening room as my wife thinks I’m insane.

I've been doing more listening with the I2S and will drop the DDC and just run USB from my Zenith and see what my ears think. I thought I2S had advantages over USB as far as data separation and was reading up on peoples reviews on the PS audio forums.

But if the 005 is already doing what the Matrix is, and doing it better, maybe it should go?

@sns any tips on optimization of the network? I have a cat-8 Ethernet to my Innuos MK3, but otherwise that's it, nothing fancy.

If you did run I2S, how would you do it?

I’m tempted to try the Gaia since some reviews claim a sound jump when used with the Innuos Statement and I2S.

@turcoda the DAC is Amazing... Get your laptop squared away (preferably ditch your laptop entirely).

@lordmelton is 100% right with his troubleshooting advice. Man knows his stuff.

Don't get discouraged the 005 is well worth the 3k price (double or triple IMO).

Quick hip shot from the Tambaqui vs 005 slow roll testing. Center image Tambaqui really shines. I'm literally pausing tracks, going back, and am just like "man I never heard the vocals so dead center before".

Really enjoying the Tambaqui, 3k vs 13k enjoying the Tambaqui... Well... Ugh... Probably not so far...

I've done a TON of headphone listening with both the 005 and Tambaqui and again, Tambaqui (with HPA4, and 005 for that matter) definitely ups my headphones to the clarity, channel separation and low frequency bass speed/control of the my reference Stellia's. literally my Z1R's sound 90% like my Stellia's in the domains of the high frequency and low frequency. Stellia's have unfortunately obnoxious separation now with the Tambaqui and somewhat fatiguing detail (but never had the Z1R's sound staging to begin with). So in my own personal case that's a potential $1,700 cost savings on cans. People will probably disagree, but just my hot take.

So Tambaqui has right out of the gates (in my opinion equivocated to $$$)

Roon Endpoint ($500)

Better Headphone listening ($1000) with the multiple amps (SPL, Benchmark, RME, Sony Tazy I've tried)

Excellent app ($250)

Size and aesthetic ($500)

So gateway Tambaqui price is now creeping ever so slightly down to maybe 9-11k mark, but still way up from the 3k 005.

I'll again keep dumping "as I go" impressions here, along with a big deep dive review of them both.

@kairosman I completely agree. The 005 has been incredibly impressive, and although the Tambaqui I'm enjoying a lot now, the cost vs diminishing return on this DAC is something most couldn't justify (I'm okay with it to a point).

I have to say though it's nice when you spend a good amount of money on a product and immediately you notice it has a distinct sound which you enjoy.

I've ran into DAC's where I listen and am like "do I even hear anything?", the 005 and Tambaqui are definitely not those kinda DAC's.

And I struggle to rank a Hifi product that I enjoyed as much right out of the box as the 005, but the Technics SU-G700 at $2,700 still has a place in my heart and head that the 005 still can't touch.

@kairosman agreed with your "measurements cult" comments. I whole heartedly believe that old technology used to measure new technology still leaves some grey areas where unexplained occurrences, where the sum total of measurements is eclipsed by the end product.

@dbb "EKG if someone has an irregular heart rhythm without using a stethoscope to hear it with our own ears."

I basically said on ASR... Said person with arrythmia can also run faster, jump higher and lift more weight then person without arrythmia. So what does the presence of said arrythmia mean then?

So is a heart rate of 40bpm better then 80bpm... The 40bpm is Lebron James FYI... Now the 40bpm is a 1 year old infant. Context is important but theses numbers aren’t absolutes.

Yeah ASR is a tough crowd.