Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

Now you’re adding another option to the list. Great! Lol

I just got a Sonnet Digital Morpheus dac to replace my L.K.S. dh-da004.  I was going to try the Musetec dh-da005.  The Sonnet and Musetec are about the same retail price.  The Morpheus is a totally different sound from the LKS, much more detailed, lively, natural, quieter, better soundstage.

Anyone compared the Morpheus to the Musetec?

I have recently replaced my entire system. To get started on the digital end, I purchased a Cambridge cxn v2, had it modded from ModWright for tubes and have a Topping d90. I wanted each extreme so I could determine the sound I wanted in the end. I’ve decided I prefer a more neutral dac and started my research process. I was first going Terminator 2, then Benchmark dac3, maybe Venus 2. I decided to slow down and researching more has led me here. Really pleased with what I’ve read about the Musetec and I think my decision has been made. I was going with the Lumin u2 mini but after reading about how good the i2s imput is into the Musetec, I’m hesitant. The Lumin has such low jitter, is stripped down for focus on sound, that it is sort of perfect in that price range. The hunt continues…

@midwesternaudio

It is unfortunate that Audiogon does not provide a search-within-thead function. For an extended thread like this one it would be invaluable. It turns out that much of what you have written has already been the subject of much discussion. It’s good though to be reminded of these important considerations.

As for the discussion in this thread and the designer’s initial response you may wish to look here and in the surrounding posts.

There has been much discussion about using the 10 year old LKS 100 USB converter, with mixed experiences. My own view is that the USB to I2S conversion is better done within the Musetec as it has more sophistication in its power supply and in its crystal clocks than does the old LKS DDC and involves one less cable. I think the unique approach to USB to I2S conversion in the Musetec is one of its great advances and contributes to its performance. On the other hand, we may agree that one can achieve theoretically better SQ using the Musetec I2S input if the USB function can be avoided as with the Jay’s Audio unit. Look here, here and here and in the discussions nearby.

This is an update on the Musetec 005 DAC. Jinbo, the owner and designer at Musetec has this response about the measurements at ASR:

Also I wanted to let you know that if want to elevate the performance of the Musetec to get ultimate performance, you could use the I2s input which allows a pure digital stream to go directly to the DAC chip giving a more transparent sound. Something like the Jay's Audio transport connected with an HDMI cable to the I2s input will provide exceptional performance.(I have tried the Jay's Audio with other DACs over I2s and there wasn't the big leap in clarity and transparency that you get with Musetec 005 I2s input.) 

Or if you have a server that outputs USB, you can either connect it directly with a USB cable or you can use the LKS 100 USB converter to swicth to I2s if you desire, which will give you better performance provided you use good cables.

Thank you,

Jason at Midwest Audio

the reason i asked was because i know someone who went from the l.k.s. 004 to the border patrol.

@mboldda1 

These two DACs are probably very good, each in its own right.  But they are very different, and really not comparable.  The Border Patrol is an R2R DAC using a NOS Phillips chip.  Its tube is a rectifier, not a signal tube.  It is much less expensive than the Musetec and its interior looks like the very small scale hand-built unit that it is.  It lacks the massive power supply and the discrete balanced analog section provided in DACs like the Musetec.  It provides what is considered to be an old fashoned sound with only modest detail, transparency and texture.  Some call this sort of performance "musical" though I do not.  The Musetec is an up to date DAC with SOTA or near-SOTA detail, transparency and texture.  It was compared here to a very well known up to date R2R (discrete, not chip) DAC.  These two are quite similar, with differences noted.

But the Musetec and Border Patrol have such different design intentions that a buyer would not typically narrow his choice down to these two.

Anyone compare the 005 to the Border Patrol dac?

@westborn 

You can see by the systems of others on this thread that the Musetec can play well with a variety of streamers and other components ahead of it on the digital chain.  It will surely keep up; it will be revealing of the differences  The hard part, as usual, is getting the best value and knowing where to stop spending.  Good luck on your quest.

@melm - Currently just using a modified, rather pedestrian but serviceable Cambridge CXC v2 transport. For streaming I have a new in box Bluesound Vault 2i but have not hooked it up; will probably sell it NIB and upgrade soon. Still going through my CD collection and enjoying the music [more] again. The Musetec is nicely responsive and definitely revealing of power cord and digital cable changes; even reflecting power cord changes on the transport.

@westborn 

I've been traveling and away from audio for a while and saw your post.  Glad you find the Musetec as enjoyable as you do.  Since most of us are using USB as the digital connection and you are using spdif, I'd like to ask what your digital set-up is.  Are you connected to a DAC, transport or some other digital converter?

Wanted to chime in as another very satisfied Musetec owner. And after a couple or real losers (Neardost cables) - I feel I lucked out on another couple of Chinese ’experiments’ too.

I am using the Musetec with an Argento Flow Master (copy?) power cord and an Audioquest Wel Signature digital cable. The Musetec and the cables all took a lonngg time to break in (2-3 months), but now that they have, its all very, very, good. Detailed warmth and depth of soundstage and overall, just a general no-fatigue analog sound. Jackpot baby !!

Following up on the last post, I'd like to ask if anyone is using either of the two Musetec I2S inputs with any device at all in preference to the spdif or USB inputs.  If so, are you using the RJ45 input or the HDMI input?  If you're using the HDMI input does your device have switching to match output to input, or do you have a special cable to do the matching?  Thanks for the info.

Anyone with a Musetec 005 used the PS Audio PerfectWave Transport with it using the i2s input on the 005?

PerfectWave SACD Transport – PS Audio

Hi @kishan    Thanks for letting us know of your success with the Musetec.  Break-in will make it even better.  

I'm glad you found this thread useful.  One of the principal reasons for starting it was my own experience when researching audio components.  For me the most reliable guidance on the internet were the forums where actual purchasers and users of components coalesced with some agreement about a component's quality in a number of different systems.  One could evaluate  the writers and the systems used and engage in conversations.  This has had more credibility for me than any review in print on paper or internet, or any video review.  For ALL of those reviewers IMO have motives at odds with credibility.

As for the Musitec, some of us early users came across this DAC almost by accident.  A number of us were introduced to this maker/designer through his earlier LKS 004.  Its open architecture, spacious cabinet and quality parts made it and its earlier editions modification targets.  Modifiers do a lot of writing, sharing success and searching for additional solutions, so the LKS was not hard to find.  The Musetec 005, though, has not been modified to any important degree AFAIK.  So a couple of us thought it a good idea to give it some exposure here.  The skeptics were all over us at first not believing that a DAC of this quality could come at this price.

I think you'll be getting further suggestions about improved streaming.  It was the logical next step for us all.

You attribute the terrific sound quality to "newer technology within Musetec."  As compared to your Bryston, the only newer technology is likely the later DAC chip version.  Most of us think that matters a lot less than the care with which the power supplies and analog stage were designed, along with the selection of high quality parts in every section.  The designer is a true audiophile who did a lot of listening at every stage of development before committing to some very expensive parts inside the case.  The usual Euro-American mark-ups would have made this a much more expensive DAC.

@kishan Congrats. That is great to hear you are happy with the 005. One suggestion to take it up a notch is to use a fibre optic streamer. I have 3 of them now and I cannot tolerate any other streaming method now.

• Lumin X1 (rare DAC with built-in fibre input)
• Sonore OpticalRendu for DACs with USB, like the 005
• PlayBack Designs Plink

I used the X1 and the Sonore OpticalRendu with the 005 and it was the best way to stream.

Dear all 

I'm writing to update the forum on my experience and contact with the factory in China, related to the purchase of my Musetec MH-DA 005.

I had very direct and quick email exchanges with Mr Li Jinbo on email address bleerock@126.com as indicated on the manufacturer website address.

I provided an order number through my business and received an invoice, we made the payment and as soon as funds were confirmed in his account, I received the FEDEX shipping tracking number. Within three days I received notification on customs duty payable in South Africa, we made that payment and within 5 days the unit arrived at my door. 

I am sharing this because I need to provide assurance that the system of purchase through the factory is quick and straightforward.

Now the actual unit and packaging....

The unit was wrapped in a corrugated container which contained within another outer corrugated container, both these packaging specifications were in my opinion (I am a Certified Packaging Professional) extremely adequate to handle extreme supply chain rigours. And within the inner container was high quality cushioning material that restricted any movement at all. A pair of immaculate white gloves is provided to setup the unit without leaving any oily residue on the unit.

We hooked the unit to my existing system (just replaced the existing Bryston DAC (over 12 years old technology) using a decent 75 ohm digital cable to the 005 from my Bluesound Node and returned the converted signal via a pair of Orchid interconnects to my preamp.

All I can say is that the comments from many of you that inspired me to make the purchase are spot on.

I am not qualified to talk of the quality of this DAC, because I have just spent 3 hours with it yesterday when it arrived, but I am in absolute awe. 

It is incredible.

Let me leave the discussion on the DAC performance here.

I shall surely share some emotions on this DAC after a few weeks.

For USD 3299 it's a no brainer. Tremendous value and it deserves direct marketing by owners.

Kudos to Chinese engineering, I am grateful that we can enjoy such high end audio without paying for excessive branding and marketing.

This is not a comparison between Bryston and Musetec, I enjoyed the Bryston DAC for more than 12 years, and it has not aged at all.

So this is really bowing to newer technology within Musetec.

Kishan  

I was inspired by the previous posts and lately I've been testing different DIY USB cables (D+ , D- , GND, without power wire + / like RG316 ). I connect DIY cables between SMS200 and DA007. The results are better than with the original USB cable from Musetec, which I already put away. What is the difference? In general, the sound is cleaner, more detailed, more precise and more dynamic, e.g. the reverberation is longer, more details when the fingers move on the strings, the onset of the instrument is more vigorous, with the characteristics of silver wires, etc. Unfortunately, I don't have the possibility to compare with expensive USB cables. Can someone describe your experience comparing the original USB cable from Musetec vs. any premium from the store? The improvement is not as drastic as, for example, when inserting a power line filter into the DA007 power supply.

A lot of used Musetecs have shown up on the usual websites, in the past couple of months, if anybody is still curious to try one. I was quoted $1750 on a used one, if anybody wants an idea on pricing.

@kishan 
What you write makes us all the more interested in hearing your impressions of this DAC.  Just give it a reasonable break-in time.

Earlier in this DAC's career the orders were probably flowing in more regularly and they usually had some complete ones in stock.  When I contacted the factory for my own, it went out the same day.  It's a modular assembly and if the circuit boards are available it can be assembled and tested easily.  This clear modular assembly seems to be the practice with many quality Chinese DACS.  It results in, perhaps, a very slightly larger case, but would have benefits if something went wrong; you just send in or replace a board.  Happy to report though, that no one has yet written of the need for any repair of the Musetec.

Dear Melm

Based on the reports on the unit here and in other reputable fora, I have ordered a unit directly from the factory and will share my experience for sure.

I offered my services as their agent in South Africa to actively promote the unit here and they were quite attracted to the idea. Seems like English is a barrier in branding and marketing the unit so the factory just manufactures to supply any order that trickles in.

I will keep the forum updated.

Thank you Melm and others who guided my decision.

@kishan 

It's been argued here, and elsewhere, that the Musetec can complement any home system.  If you go in that directiion please give us your impressions.

@kishan Usb is optimal port on 005, so streamer with optimal usb rendering would be best on paper. You have very nice system, if funds allowed I'd pick Innuos Statement, Innuous specializes in usb. Other top flight streamers such as Aurender, Antipodes specialize more with Spdif, doesn't mean they'd not work well. At lower price point I'd likely consider Innuos Zenith with Phoenix usb.

I am new to the forum and am grateful for the discussion on the Musetec DAC 005. Are there any suggestions for a streamer to go with this DAC?

This is great guidance guys and I greatly appreciate the feedback.

I am using a Blue sound node 2 streamer, Bryston DAC 96Kz, 24bit to a Conrad Johnson valve preamp, to a pair of Mark Levinson M33H Monoblocs to pair of Magico A5 loudspeakers, all interconnects and speaker cables are extremely high end. Incidentally my main audio source is my Gyro SE turntable and a Whisper Valve Phono stage, pretty great front end. But now I want to enhance my digital side of my system hence the queries.

@debjit_g I have SR Purple fuses in almost all my gear and they are definitely the best bang for the buck.

I am surprised that the Audiomagic M1 only offered a slight improvement, I was planning on trying one.

I have a Powerhouse Zero 2 fuse in my power conditioner which is wonderful but they are around $550.00

My Threshold power amp takes one SR Purple and four HIFI Tuning fuses which are great value.

Guess I gotta bite the bullet and try some QSA fuses.

@debjit_g I have Synergistic orange, purple is on radar.

Voicing is so subjective, dependent on system and/or personal preference. In any case 005 close enough to neutral, can't imagine anyone finding it highly colored.

Anybody tried aftermarket fuse with 005 ? I recently tried the AM m1 and like what I hear. 005 seems to already come with some kind of audio grade fuse rather than 5cent ceramic or glass fuse that very manufacturer, regardless of the price of the product, seems to put in. So in that regards, I have to give Musetec a hats off. The m1 gives a slightly fuller sound and a touch warmer. The changes are not huge by any means. I have not tried a SR purple in 005 but have them in other places in the chain and they do take the sound up a couple of notches. So I might be tempted to try one at some point but if anybody has already tried it, I would be curious to know their opinion.

005 (warmer) | X1 (neutral) | DAC3B (cooler). They all use ESS chips. I am not saying that the 005 or for the matter DAC3B are worse than they X1. They sound different and each is better in a specific way.
 

this is an excellent way to demonstrate that the DAC chip is not as important as we think in determining the final sound of the DAC. They all use the same chip, except the DAC3B which uses 9028pro, but have vastly different analog implementation. The power supply, clock and analog section is paramount in determining the final sound.

My 3 DACs as of last week were Lumin X1, Musetec 005, and Benchmark DAC3B. Today, I only have the X1 and DAC3B left.

The Musetec is smoother and warmer than the Lumin X1. The Lumin X1 is not as hot on top as the DAC3B, nor is the 005.

005 (warmer) | X1 (neutral) | DAC3B (cooler). They all use ESS chips. I am not saying that the 005 or for the matter DAC3B are worse than they X1. They sound different and each is better in a specific way.

- 005 seems best with CODA #16 amp (that is why I may buy it again in Sept)

- DAC3B 100% better with the RAAL VM-1a tube headphone amp

- X1 with Benchmark AHB2 amps

Other combos are also good (except 005 + VM-1a) but the very best combos for my ears are the ones above.

BTW - I got the used X1 for $7250 and when I include the 2 streamers it replaced (actually 3, but I am only using 2 with the X1). The used X1 is cheaper.

Keep in mind @yyzsantabarbara  comparing $14k Lumin to $3k 005. Still, this interesting comparison as Lumin also uses 9038 Sabre chips.

Based on my comparisons to other dacs and allied with a variety of different components in my system I'd confirm 005 voicing as neutral to slightly cool side of neutral. For most listeners I'd think 005 would work best with slightly warm system, preamp being the critical component. I'm using with DHT Coincident tube pre. Save your dollars on dac and splurge on pre is best path with Musetec.

Musetec not just value dac, but dac that can be home in any system, regardless of cost. Until I see 005 completely over matched in comparison reviews I'll continue with Musetec.

@kishan What gear are you going to use with the next DAC you buy?

I had some interesting gear combos with the 005. I tended to like it best with some gear that was a bit on the warm side of neutral. These included the following:

• CODA 07x preamp
• CODA #8 amp
• CODA #16 amp (have this now)
• KRELL Duo 175XD amp

I hated it with my RAAL VM-1a tube headphone amp which was surprising. Even the RAAL VM-1a manufacturer did not like it. I lent him my 005 for a month because it sounded so good with the gear I listed above. The caveat being that my fav DAC with the VM-1a is the bright Benchmark DAC3B. The DAC3B is not as good as the 005 with the gear listed above.

I also have a Lumin X1 DAC and I prefer it to the Musetec 005 with my Benchmark LA4 preamp and AHB2 monos. This is an amazing combo. I thought the Musetec 005 was also very good with the Benchmark gear, but for my ears, the Lumin X1 matches better with the neutral Benchmark gear.

I need to get a DAC in September timeframe since I sold my 2 Musetec DACs last week to pay some audio bills. I need a new DAC to pair with the CODA #16 and the KEF Blade 2 Meta. At the moment, it is a coin toss between the Musetec 005 and another X1. 

@kishan 

Contact the company if you wish, but you may find that the designer/manufacturer runs a very small operation and marketing is not its strength. 

I suggest that here on this thread there are many users, some with considerable technical expertise, who would be happy to discuss and/or explain about the DAC.  Members here have all sorts of set-ups and seem to cover almost any possible use of the DAC.

Another possibility might be speaking with the US distributer, Midwest Audio at 574-329-1850.

@kishan - http://www.mu-sound.com/DA005-detail.html

I need a high end DAC and I have been reading about the Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC.

Would anyone have a link to the manufacturer for a direct discussion on this unit?

Going back to what I’m hearing with the LKS USB-100, for critical listening, I use my headphone system because it offers much more transparency than my 2-channel. It makes discerning differences and nuances easier. I use Sennheiser IE900 IEMs so the only "room acoustics" is inside my ear canal. Not even my outer ear is allowed to cause acoustic interference. I want to really stress that when I’m reporting hearing more nuances, I’m using these highly transparent IEMs that allow the tiniest of nuances to come through easily. The IE900s contain a single dynamic driver and they are able to play bass with force that would put some full sized headphones to shame. My current speakers are the Zu Audio Soul 6’s and they too display the same types of improvements with the LKS USB-100.

Amp for IEMs and speakers: Enleum AMP-23R

Ethernet/USB/I2S chain: Ediscreation Fiber Box II > Intel NUC > ISO Regen > LKS USB-100 (Fiberbox II and ISO Regen galvanically isolates the NUC from the system; NUC power is from the wall and not from the inverter/battery system)

Digital cables: Straightwire and Cardas Clear USB cables around ISO Regen, Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48 HDMI into 005

AC Conditioning: Giandel 5000W Inverter and LiFePO4 battery, Puritan PSM 136

Power cables: Furutech DPS4.1 with FI 52 NCF connector between inverter and PSM 136, Zavfino Silver Darts into LKS LPS/005/AMP-23R (all Silver Dart PCs powered by PSM 136), Shunyata V14 Digital into Fiberbox II and ISO Regen SMPS

Interconnects: Zavfino Silver Dart RCAs

Side Note: the 005 is a match with the Enleum AMP-23R and high sensitivity headphones ONLY if line level attenuators are used between the 005 and AMP-23R. Without the attenuators, the signal for the IEMs was too hot and the gain/volume selector on the AMP-23R was too sensitive.

@sns I agree regarding the 005.  I am beyond satisfied with this DAC and it responds so well to tweaks done around it.

I no longer have my superb USB chain that included an Innuos Phoenix USB and an opticalRendu but I'm sure it would've been amazing with the 005.  That would've been a nice comparison between that USB chain and the current USB/I2S chain I'm using now.  Better yet, it would be even more interesting to test extending my old USB chain with the current I2S chain.  There are just so many possibilities and not enough time and money :)

For anyone with cash burning through their wallet and who wants to experiment with I2S, I highly recommend trying the LKS USB-100, the LKS LPS, and a short Wireworld Platinum Starlight 48 HDMI cable.  For me, they too are the real deal.

Forgot, but Coincident pre now also suspended same setup as 005, effective here as well, only slightly less than 005 suspended. 300B amps now on Stillpoints vs Aurios, more improvement here. I'll add Stillpoints Ultra SS are nice footers for 005 if staying with footers, more natural presentation, transparency, resolution, sound staging and imaging all improved, much more engaging overall sound quality with the Stillpoints! Stillpoints on 3" maple block in birch ply sandbox was very, very nice.

@sirnui I don't doubt you're getting fine quality sound, but I still believe the usb input on 005 is optimal setup, only input galvanically isolated with dedicated power supply. Much depends on usb feeding it however, streamer needs to treat it with same care as 005 treats the input.

My experiment with suspending 005 is simply matching or exceeding my expectations! As I discovered years ago, the best footer is no footer. I've used stock, softer footers in Herbies form, BDR cones, Finite Elemente and Aurios ball bearing devices, Ceraballs, and Stillpoint Ultra SS both with and without Ultra footers. I've tried various boxes filled with sand, maple, birch ply and aluminum top plates for these sand boxes, also tried various pneumatic devices over the years. This over many years with various cd transports, players and dacs, and all other components. 005 specifically used with best standing footer which have been the ceramic ball devices such as Ceraballs and Stillpoints, metal ball bearings meaning Aurios, also forgot the Nobsound spring devices (actually pretty nice low cost option).

005 suspended via HD monofilament fish line is without a doubt least colored most natural sound, every last bit of residual hardness or digital sound is eliminated via suspending. SQ of my new streaming setup remains revelatory with over 100 hours listening time, and things are continuing to improve with Coincident Statement pre now suspended and burn in of Duelund Cast capacitors in 300B amp, couple new power cords and JCAT Optimo S ATX power supply for streamer and Sonore OpticalModule. More upgrades coming via Finisar enterprise level transceiver modules for OpticalModule and OpticalRendu, lower jitter vs stock modules.

006 continues to amaze me, only become more convinced I have no need to spend $20k plus on dac. I've never had this relatively long term satisfaction with any so called 'budget' component in over thirty years now involvement in high end audio, 005 is the REAL DEAL, not out of place with any system at any price.

My LKS USB-100 DDC came in the mail today. I let it warm up with the LKS linear power supply while I watched a movie.  Later I hooked up the wireworld platinum starlight ethernet cable, the wireworld platinum starlight 48 hdmi cable, and the Shunyata Clock 75 (acting as spdif) cable with Canare BNC to RCA adapters between the USB-100 and the 005.  I will provide more details later but long story short, the wireworld hdmi cable and the DDC were an amazing pair and I2S over HDMI was the connection I used most this night!  The improvements compared to what I've been use to the last few weeks were NOT subtle. In the past, I mentioned that I listened to nuances in the music.  Some of these nuances went missing for me after I sold my TOTL Shunyata power conditioner.  I've slowly been tweaking the system to get these nuances back but it was not until tonight that a boatload of these nuances were heard again.  The LKS DDC, LKS LPS, and the wireworld platinum starlight 48 hdmi cable were less than $900 for me.  The cost was well worth it compared to my other experiments. 

The music was more dynamic, bass was better defined, I heard better resolution and clarity, there was a better sense of ease to the music... these were some of my listening notes. 

I was just offering alternative suggestions.MK II is one box model. MK III 2 chassis. Lots of good quality stuff available. Very good LPS attention (Farad) at this price point. I’m sure the Holo has a nice power supply as well.

Charles

It's an intriguing streamer but it's slightly more costly than the Holo Streamer and its I2S output doesn't perfectly match the 005 so I passed.  Being able to experiment with I2S is one of my requirements. 

The link above is to the MKII. 

Here is the MKIII

@sns 

The MK III version is very new. Separated streamer box from the Farad LPS via DC cable. This company is much more familiar in Europe than USA. They have a reputation for high quality engineering/design. Can be used with Wi-Fi or Ethernet wired.

Charles

@charles1dad Very interesting piece at that price coming from Netherlands, home of some of best digital designers, for instance Taiko, Farad. Good find!

@americanspirit  Either the Mano or Holo would be big upgrade over any PC. I've not tried the Holo, but expect it to be nice piece. The other option for those using PC's is to go to server/streamer combo, this gets rid of PC altogether. The PC will always be a weak link in system, regardless of dedicated streamer used.

Here is another well regarded streamer in same price ranges from the Netherlands. their MK III version comes with a Farad LPS.The MK II is a one box streamer with on board R-core transformer based LPS.

Mano ULTRA mkII Music Streamer (High-Res) • Magna Hifi

https://magnahifi.com/mano-ultra-mkii-music-streamer-high-res

@sns 

I am interested in trying the RED by HOLOAUDIO.

have you already tried it?

I'm interested because the cost is not excessive for my pockets and I would like to use it instead of the PC

I have tried 2 USB cables without the 5V, that being the Acoustic BBQ Full Rack and Sablon 2020. I have also tried the following powered cables Audioquest Diamond, Supra Excalibur and a couple of generic cables. I found in both circumstances with the non powered cables that it smoothed out the sound. Perhaps too much for my ears. The silver wire Diamond and Excalibur were too sharp or bright to my ear. I ended up preferring a generic Chinese cable.Goes to show you don't ever know ... 'til you try.

@debjit_g I may try another motherboard at some point, one I'm using at present was chosen by original  streamer builder. He and the subsequent owner both compared to many off the shelf streamers, only the Taiko Extreme bested this custom build, both purchased the TE. Both compared when this custom build was using HDPlex internal SMPS and outboard LPS. Since I purchased added JCAT Optimo to power it, far superior to HDPlex and the outboard LPS they used.

The Euphony subscription model is kind of a bummer, but for just over $200 per year I don't need to screw around with diy OS. Convenience is nice and SQ is superb, never had V3, but V4 has many nice reviews.

The usb boards you mentioned are the ones I'd go for, no sense in going for less than best here.  I went with JCAT net xe board vs the lesser  JCAT net board, previous owner of streamer  had both available.

Powering OR and JCAT net card with Uptone JS2, choke based ps vs cap lps, sure that's not hurting OR and JCAT performance!

Sometime down the road I'll probably try out other boards, for now completely satisfied with SQ with custom build used as server only with the OR as Roon streamer via Sqeezelite adapter. Prefer over custom build streamer running Roon and embedded HQPlayer, custom build server duty only, HQPlayer Roon embed via OR, and custom build server only, Euphony Stylus via OR. Haven't even tried full Euphony Stylus on custom build, made a disaster of my local library on importing from NAS. Full Stylus via custom build using only Qobuz and Tidal libraries is fine interface, problem is I'm addicted to Roon interface and have too much good music in local library. Running full Stylus reportedly best SQ, have to experiment with this sooner than later.

@sns you will be surprised to know that the performance of motherboard usb really depends on a lot of variables, like the motherboard, chipset used, quality of onboard clock, Operating system used etc and off-coarse the big demon power supply. I have gone through a varied different types of x86 motherboard over the yrs and I am amazed to see how much different they can sound. Even which usb port you are using changes the sound. Its not just possible to comprehend and hence an audio grade quality USB pcie card solves this part of the puzzle.

On the OS, I was an avid Euphony v3 user and Windows server 2012R2 prior to it. When I changed by motherboard later at some point and incorporated a newer Intel proc, Euphony v3 sounded really bad. The v3 was using older kernel which just didn’t optimize the system in a way it should have been with newer generation of hardware. I moved back to Windows and experimented with 10 ltsc, Server 2019 and WinPE with variety of optimization over the months, until recently when Euphony v4 was released. I did the trial and it indeed sounded very good and a lot lot better than the v3, almost same as my optimized Windows. Unfortunately, Euphony v4 moved to a subscription model which is a recurring cost and not cheap either. I am still undecided at this point.

If you want to put all hands on deck with DIY, I would suggest experiment with JCAT or Pink Faun w/ ultra ocxo clock. You never know what you are missing (I used to own the Rendu). Whatever route you go, DIY or OR, getting a quality power supply (with low impedance) will be the key to how your DAC might sound.