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Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

Some history: I was the OP on a four year old thread about the Chinese LKS MH-DA004 DAC. It achieved an underground buzz. The open architecture of its predecessor MH-DA003 made it the object of a lot of user mods, usually to its analog section, rolling op amps or replacing with discrete. The MH-DA004 with its new ESS chips and JFET analog section was called better then the modified older units. It has two ES9038pro DAC chips deliberately run warm, massive power supply, powered Amanero USB board, JFET section, 3 Crystek femtosecond clocks, Mundorf caps, Cardas connectors, etc., for about $1500. For this vinyl guy any reservation about ESS chips was resolved by the LKS implimentaion, but their revelation of detail was preserved, something that a listener to classic music especially appreciated. I made a list of DACs (many far more expensive) it was compared favorably to in forums. Modifications continued, now to clocks and caps. Components built to a price can be improved by costlier parts and the modifiers wrote glowingly of the SQ they achieved.

Meanwhile, during the 4 years after release of the MH-DA004, LKS (now Musetec) worked on the new MH-DA005 design, also with a pair of ES9038pro chips. This time he used more of the best components available. One torroidal transformer has silver plated copper. Also banks of super capacitors that act like batteries, solid silver hookup wire, 4 femtoclocks each costing multiples of the Crysteks, a revised Amanero board, more of the best European caps and a new partitioned case. I can't say cost NO object, but costs well beyond. A higher price, of course. Details at http://www.mu-sound.com/DA005-detail.html

The question, surely, is: How does it sound? I'm only going to answer indirectly for the moment. I thought that the MH-DA004 was to be my last DAC, or at least for a very long time. I was persuaded to part with my $$ by research, and by satisfaction with the MH-DA004. Frankly, I have been overwhelmed by the improvement; just didn't think it was possible. Fluidity, clarity, bass extension. A post to another board summed it up better than I can after listening to piano trios: "I have probably attended hundreds of classical concerts (both orchestral and chamber) in my life. I know what live sounds like in a good and bad seat and in a good and mediocre hall. All I can say is HOLY CRAP, this sounds like the real thing from a good seat in a good hall. Not an approximation of reality, but reality."

melm
laoman's avatar
laoman
437 posts
 
romazicon

Excellent post.

"Unlike @lordmelton who has a habit of going onto other DAC threads and crapping on those other DACs for the sake of sensationalizing the virtues of the 005, that is not my intention here."

He did the same to one of my threads early on. I suspect it is because he has purchased that Dac and needs to justify his purchase. Yes, others prefer, in some cases much prefer, other Dacs.

melm OP
1,075 posts
 

@romazicon 

I appreciate your last post.  It provides plenty to think about.

But I would ask again for you to tell us where you bought and returned the 005.  As I wrote, there have been many posts about returning the DAC.  As yet there has been no suggestion of an allowed return without a lot of penalty.  You are the first who has written about a successful return.  It has already been suggested that though you have written about buying and trying  the DAC, you actually haven't.  It would certainly enhance your credibility if you told us who the dealer was, if there was a dealer.  If not, how did you come by the DAC?

Thanks.

romazicon's avatar
romazicon
25 posts
 

@melm, the problem with lengthy posts like mine is that people don't fully read them.  I explained where I got my 005.  I will not be responding further.

jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

Make your post shorter and to the point.

looks like jibberish. 

debjit_g
265 posts
 

@romazicon good post and thanks for the details. I have gone through Amanero usb board in some DACs, like earlier Lampi, and do prefer the XMOS in certain aspect of details and clear sound it provides. There was some explanation (I forgot where) a while back by T+A why they choose Amanero over XMOS in their DAC8 DSD purely for sound quality reasons but at that time the XMOS was lagging behind their next gen processors. I have seen folks chasing infinitely on details (and more details) but in most cases they seem to come at a cost of being musical. I am not trying to judge 005 by any means but trying to see where it fits in the spectrum as you and another person are the only ones I am aware of who preferred other DACs.

As for the Taiko Extreme (which I am very familiar with as I have build my DIY music server using Taiko ATX), you should see this video from Jay. It really tells something very fundamental.

 

 

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