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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
sns
3,203 posts
 

Just noticed I misspoke in last post, meant to say OpticalModule to match my OpticalRendu. OpticalModule replaces generic FMC, less self generated noise and much better clocking with module vs generic. The Muon will replace two generic FMC PRIOR to server, comparing optimized ethernet vs optical.

 

As for DDC, I saw a Denafrips for sale at another website, looks to be a most impressive piece, even more than my now sold Singxer SU6.

lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

@fl_guy I bought from Shenzhen Audio too, just a plain white box, can't remember about the plastic!

Currently I'm using a 0.5m WW Starlight RJ45 Ethernet cable from the LKS 100 to the 005 for I2s. I've tried using the WW Starlight Platinum but it's too detailed in a hard/harsh type of way.

The Platinum is very well suited for your Ethernet between your optical device and your streamer/source. I guess I2s doesn't like solid silver cables.

fl_guy
33 posts
 

@lordmelton, thanks for the recommendation on the cable - good info. My system is a bit of a work in progress, no optical isolation as yet. I have been reading the recommendations re optical isolation with interest, and am looking forward to adding an optical segment at some point. There are a few other 'opportunities' to optimize to address as well.

Fun hobby for me, no huge hurry to get to the end (or more realistically, the next level? ;-).  This system sounds really good to me as it is and I'm enjoying music with it greatly, so it's all upside.

 

car123's avatar
car123
96 posts
 

I received my lks 100 a week or so ago.  Recall, I previously tried a singxer su-6, which I didn't like and returned and a sonora ultradigital, which I liked very much but also returned on the hope the lks would better it.  Preliminary conclusions are the lks has a bit more ease and an ever so slight pleasing softness in its presentation, particularly on attack.  It may also, however, not provide quite the level of detail as the sonora but I need to listen more.  We are talking very very slight differences.  I have used, thus far, only hdmi, a wireworld silver starlight, which worked beautifully with the sonora.  I'm going to try a couple RJ45 cables to determine if and how they alter presentation in my system.

I also have a cisco switch on the way and may try its optical output.   

lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
877 posts
 

I have experimented quite a lot and RJ45 I2s is the best input on the 005.

It will need about a week to burn-in along with the LKS 100.

I can wholeheartedly recommend using WW Starlight 8 (Red) Ethernet for the I2s cable but it too needs burn-in time, so use it as an Ethernet cable for a week to allow it to break-in. I2s is only 300mv.

Once you're off the ground be interested to hear what other cables you get good results with. The I2s cable should be 0.5m or less. I tried a 0.2m cable and didn't like it, maybe it needs more burn-in. I will revisit it later.

PS Audio recommends 0.5m and I believe they are most correct in this matter, so far anyway.

Don't forget to disable PIN 1 in your USB cable, power is not required, put a small strip of electrical tape over it, better sound quality.

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