Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

@arafiq We had a DAC in common in the past, which we both liked. The 005 is a different animal. Incredible sound, it just keeps sounding better with more hours. I must be around 200 now. Give it a much burn-in as possible in your 30-day trial. I noticed it was a great DAC at under 100 hours but it does sound even better now, especially the bass.

Details galore on the 005. I find it a tiny bit warm and definitely not fatiguing. For the cost, it is hard for me to find any faults with the unit. I wish it was not so large, but it likely sounds so good because it is rather large and heavy.

@arafiq I had a few hours on the previous top of the line Luxman CD/SACD/DAC player. The new one is $16K and one I heard on an all Luxman stack was around $8K. Since that all Luxman stack sounded so good I was considering the DA-06 DAC when I was looking at the AMT.

The 005 is not overly warm, less so than the AMT and the Gustard X26 Pro I have owned. An interesting effect of the 005 on my system is that I am listening to music that I in the past I was not all that crazy about. I am finding I like a lot music that I may have passed over in the past.

I am going to be able to listen to the 005 with a Class A (tube like) KRELL XD amp in a few weeks. That likely will be great with my RAAL SR1a headphones, the intended purpose. The AMT was very good with the KRELL K-300i integrated and the RAAL SR1a, though a bit warmer than my ideal preference. The 005 should just be right.

BTW - did you read the thread comparing the Halo May KTE and the 005. One of the best reviews I have read.

The famous ROON fly by on the tunes was something that has happened to me a few times, Usually, when I was setting up a new install. I forgot the reasons why it happened in the past.

BTW - I went to the Sonore web site to check out a new LPS for my OpticalModule (old one runs too hot). I noticed that the OpticalRendu is now DSCOUNTINUED.

Sonore - Home

@kairosman Unfortunately I have had too many DACs go through my home in the last 2 years to remember the details of the D90SE filters. I know I tried them all but do not recall which on I settled on. I do remember thinking that I should try a filter that was not too 'hot' on top when I was listening with the RAAL SR1a headphones. As I mentioned previously the D90SE was not great with those headphones because I had a bit of fatigue..

@metaldetektor You can get the 005 on a 30 day or 45-day trial period from Shenzhenaudio or Apos 

L.K.S Audio MH-DA005 ES9038 Pro x 2 DAC Coaxial OPT AES EBU Flagship (shenzhenaudio.com)

Musetec Audio (LKS Audio) MH-DA005 ES9038 Pro x2 DAC – Apos Audio

Shipping back to China with Shenzhenaudio is about $125 USPS. Which I did with another DAC.

Apos maybe in the USA.

Ric Shultz of VD fame is not the Ric Shultz of EVS fame. I spoke with EVS Ric, and he was the one who suggested the Musetec lineup of DACs to me. I then checked out this thread on A’gon and became a happy owner of the 005.

My issue was with the Gustard X26 Pro DAC which was having some occasional popping sound when run direct to amp. Now I always use a preamp which eliminated the problem, but I wanted this issue fixed in the event I sold the DAC. I think I contacted Shenzhenaudio after 30 days.

Shenzhenaudio told me to send in the DAC (at my cost) and they shipped out a replacement Gustard X26 Pro which I got in about 5 days. I sent the original Gustard back to China by USPS for $125; USPS did everything, including customs. So, I was happy with the outcome. I was not going to bother with arguing about return shipping cost. since I thought it was a negligible amount for a replacement DAC.

I have not been able to discern any difference with my power cords on any of my gear. I plug my cords into a Torus RM 15 and likely have good power coming into the house. I use the stock 005 cord on the 005.

I tried a few other not so exotic power cords on the 005 and was not convinced of any improvement. The most expensive one was a 20-year-old Virtual Dynamics power cord.

Changes to my interconnects and speaker cable were easy to hear. I use Audience AU24 SE XLR on the 005 and it was better than the other XLR's I had in the house.

I will upgrade my 2-channel speaker cables first and then consider a power cord for the 005. I know a lot of people say a power cord is a bigger deal, but it has not been the case for me.

Here is the web URL that explains Shenzheaudio's return policy. Seems pretty clear here.

Guarantees & Return Policy – SHENZHENAUDIO

Here is the return policy for Apos Auidio the USA based seller of this DAC.

Apos Audio 45-day return policy | Apos Audio Help Center

Also, pretty clear about the policy.

What I find interesting is when people with very expensive gear feel that something much cheaper cannot be as good. There are 2 things to remember

- There is a personal preference aspect to gear.

- There is also a rip off aspect of gear.

It is clear to me that one place where one does NOT have to spend a fortune today for great sound is DACs.  The 005 and Gustard X26 Pro are 2 perfect examples for my tastes.

BTW - if anyone of you gets STUCK with a 005 (in black) send me a DM and I can see about buying it. 

Here is another breathless comment on the 005. I want to get a second one for my downstairs system. The Benchmark DAC3B on my bedroom system will survive the purge of DACs after getting the 005.

So, I hope to have two 005's and 1 DAC3B (for 3 systems) which I will breathlessly keep long term. The DAC3B is a good match with my KRELL K-300i..I am sure the 005 would be a good match with the KELL too but I also like the sightly brighter DAC3B

I am spending some time today figuring out which of my interconnects are damaged from my rearrangement of gear last night. So far 1 XLR (this brand is a PIA). Since I have everything out, I can do a test of DAC direct to the CODA #8 amp. I am streaming from TIDAL|Qobuz. I use a Sonore OpticalRendu for the stream. I have 15-foot Benchmark XLR from preamp to amp or 005 to amp. I have "better" or the PIA XLR's from the 005 to the preamps (3 feet).

Today, I have tried out 3 combos with the 005.I have only been playing Michael Kiwanuka - KWIANUKA album. Just because I cannot get enough of this album, especially the song, This Kind of Love.

1) CODA 07x + 005 + #8 = beautiful rich engaging sound. I am really drawn into this combo. The sound is good at all volume levels. Though there is a slight bit of hiss when you get your ear close to the tweeter. The combo gave me goose bumps on my fav song.

2) Benchmark LA4 + 005 + #8 = crystal clear sound, not as engaging as the 07x but I like this sound in a different way. No hiss at all on the tweeters. Great sound at all volume levels. I tend to use the LA4 when I listen to hard rock.

3)  005 + #8 = No hiss at all on tweeter. Sounds a lot like the LA4, maybe the same at moderate volume. At lower volume the sound does not scale down as well as the 07x and LA4. The volume is a little dangerous to use because of the confusing buttons. I had the volume a little too high at one point and could not quickly turn it down, so I killed the ROON stream. 

The 005 direct to amp sounds rather good and likely sufficient for someone without a preamp. I will never use it this way because I am not a fan of the interface and I listen at low volume sometimes.

Musetec saves the day. A post I made on the bedroom SR1a headphone system (or 2 channel for my ears).

Raal Ribbon Headphones - SRH1A | Page 316 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

Yesterday, I called Shenzehn (sp?) about getting the same discount as I got the first time, to buy a second 005. They gave me one, but I could not pull the financial trigger. Got to wait until Black Friday 2022.

@fl_guy  I only have a few hours on the Freya+ with the stock tubes. I have not had a tube preamp before, so this is a little new to me. As I posted above, the Freya+ allowed me to use the RAAL SR1a with the Benchmark AHB2 and it sounds different and great from my other SR1a amps, CODA #8 and KRELL K-300i (and soon KRELL 175XD). Since the AHB2 is my fav amp the Freya+ is bringing me lots of happiness with the SR1a.

I cannot say for sure yet if the Freya+ and AHB2 is my fav combo but I did sell another preamp yesterday, Topping pre90, because the Freya worked so well in the first few days. It also looks like I have a buyer for my second AHB2 amp. By coincidence that gives me just enough money to buy a second 005. I already miss it in the office system. I am using the Benchmark DAC3B in the office. It stays but the 005 will get most of the action once I get a second one.

I should add that I will be using the CODA 07x preamp and Benchmark LA4 preamp with the 005 in my office. I was doing this with the first 005 before I moved it to the bedroom with the Freya+. The 005 can output both RCA and XLR at the same time (like the Benchmark DAC3B). I have the 2 preamps setup nicely with a mix of RCA and XLR sources. Some of my source's support both RCA and XLR output at the same time.  It is a simple matter of changing to one of the two 15-foot XLR cables from the preamps to the single amp between the speakers.

The CODA 07x is a bit noisier than the LA4 but it has a very beautiful sound. Whatever is added, some warmth et al, is a nice addition. The LA4 is stark neutral and does not seem to add anything, It is also totally silent. I like both and I seem to switch preamps each morning.

@sns You are going to love the opticalRendu with the 005. That is what I use, and it is something that I have zero desire to improve upon. It has been about a year now since I bought 2 opticalRendu's and it has been a great choice. My fibre comes out of my Ubiquiti Networks $199 Network Switch. Though this switch is close to $300 now with the parts shortages.

I bought the "audiophile" LPS from Sonore for 1 of the OpticalRendu's and the cheaper LPS from them for the second one. I could not tell a difference between the 2.

Sonore Audiophile Linear Power Supply and DC4X Cable – Small Green Computer

SGC 7v Linear Power Supply 25W (for opticalRendu, ultraRendu, microRen – Small Green Computer

Same goes for the USB cable that I got from WyWire vs another one which was not any particular audio brand. Now this could be a function of the DACs I tried them with. The Benchmark DAB3B, Gustard X26 Pro, Topping D90SE, and Musetec 005.

It would be nice to see sonore come up with router or switch with opticalmodule built in. I presume sonore has optimum fiber interface at this moment in time.

I use the following to convert from Ethernet to Fibre

Amazon.com: YuanLey 11 Port Gigabit PoE Switch, 8 PoE+ Port 1000Mbps, 2 Gigabit Uplink, 1 SFP Port, 120W 802.3af/at, Metal, Qos, Unmanaged Plug and Play AI Smart Detection Ethernet Switch : Electronics

The other one I got is out of stock, but it was almost like this one/

Amazon.com: Ubiquiti Networks UniFi Industrial Switch, 10-Port Durable Switch with High-Power 802.3bt PoE++ (USW-Industrial) : Electronics

Your setup sounds more audiophile level than mine. I am leveraging the fact that analog noise cannot travel through fibre. I use the fibre just before the DAC and do not care about anything prior to the fibre. My ROON Core is running on a noisy DELL PC hidden in a closet. Again, the fibre should kill any gremlins trying to get into my DAC.

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/55217-sonore-opticalrendu/page/27/#comment-963599 In this link John Swenson makes case for how everything in network prior to optical conversion affects accuracy of clocks in Sonore optical module and rendu, and all ethernet and optical devices. It seems the entire network important, even with FMC.

I have a EtherRegen that I believe was designed by John Swenson. I am not too happy with the ER purchase because it does not seem to improve my RJ45 streaming on my KRELL K-300i integrated amp's internal DAC. Now that DAC is my lowest quality DAC (pretty good) so that may have something to do with it. 

After reading the linked thread, which contained thoughts as to why Fibre Optical is not enough. John Swenson lays out his argument for using another convertor before the OpticalRendu. I happen to have the EtherRegen to do exactly what he suggests. 

My original setup:

-Ubiquiti Networks Switch with 2 SFP cages using Fibre to Sonore OpticaRendu to Musetec 005 via USB

My John Swenson setup

-Ubiquiti Networks Switch using Ethernet (RJ45) to EtherRegen Side B (RJ45)

- Fibre Optical from EtherRegen Side A to Sonore OpticalRendu to Musetec 005 via USB

I did my comparisons using my headphones in the office. This setup has my most revealing gear and is better components than my 2-channel speaker system. A very revealing setup and ideal to hear gear:

CODA 07x preamp + Musetec 005 + CODA #8 amp + Audience FrontRow speaker cable + RAAL SR1a headphones (Audience AU24 SE XLR preamp | DAC | amp).

I have been using Moving Picture by Rush in hi-res local FLAC files as my go to evaluation tool since I know this music so well. It also sounds really good sonically.

The Original Setup sounded great as usual. A very big powerful sound with clarity, detail, and great enjoyment of the performance.

The John Swenson setup sounded a little different. This was rather surprising since I was a flat earther on the Fibre streaming being all that was needed. The sound did not seem as big as with the original setup. However, the sound seemed more focused. Like a lens on a camera. The picture (or sound) seemed to be clearer. Now this was not as big as going from my microRendu to the OpticalRendu, but it was a noticeable improvement. I think I am convinced to keep the EtherRegen in this position in the streaming chain.

I have an orphaned LPS that I used to use with my old microRendu. I think I will look into using that LPS with a new OpticalModule for my downstairs OpticalRenud streaming. 

This is some very good streaming sound I am getting. Thanks for the link posted above.

@lordmelton Now that I know a bit of echo is there in the song I listened to it with an identical setup but this time on my Thiel CS3.7 speakers. I can also hear it there, though a little less pronounced.

This afternoon I picked up a headphone amp that will be getting rave reviews  everywhere soon, the RAAL VM-1a. I am going to decide between the Musetec 005 and my Benchmark DAC3B as to which one will be the winner to pair with this amp. I think for this tube amp the DAC3B should be the winner. 

 BTW - If a CanJam headphone show comes to a town near you (Chicago next), go and have a listen to the RAAL VM-1a amp and SR1a or SR1b headphones. This pairing rivals the best of any gear at any price.

I also think a preamp is better with the 005. Going direct is also rather dangerous because of the way the volume control buttons work. Try lowering the 005's volume real quick. It is not easy thing to do.

@sns As I posted earlier, I put my EtherRegen in front of my OpticalRendu. I removed the Fibre connection from my Ubiquiti Network Switch and used the EtherRegen’s Fibre (so B > A on the ER). This setup was an improvement from direct Network Switch. The sound seemed slightly more focused or clear.

I ordered the Sonore OptcalModule to do a similar setup with my second Sonore OpticalRendu in the Livingroom system.

I am done with my streaming.

BTW - I did this based on the paper John Swenson wrote and was posted earlier on this thread.

@sns My issue is having too many boxes in the system. My son is already sitting on my office audio rack (with my blessing) and accidently kicking some of my streaming gear.

@sirnui I also have the Benchmark DAC3B (owned the DAC3 HGC, the DAC2, DAC1). The DAC3B is a little too hot on top compared to the 005. I love the DAC3B for what I am now using it. However, if you try to use it with a hot speaker, like my RAAL SR1a headphones, the sound becomes fatiguing. Put the 005 in place of the DAC3B and the system will sound great. The 005 is not shy on top and not missing anything, it just sounds right.

Even though my DAC3B is not perfect, the DAC3B and the 005 are my long-term DACs.

I was wondering if the Denafrips DDC GAIA would work via I2S on the Musetec 005. I have great connectivity right now with my Sonore Optical Rendu and the EtherRegen via USB. However, I have a computer that is also going direct into my 005 via Toslink and the GAIA could improve this along with giving me other connectivity options for streaming to my 005 (such as AES and I2S). Though the other connections would not be ROON READY.

GAIA | denafrips

Thanks for the responses. I am very happy with the USB input that I am using. I was just curious about the direct toslink I am  that I am using from my computer that could be improved with a GAIA. That would also give me the option of hearing AES and I2S for curiosity's sake.

@sirnui That is great to hear that you are at a good place with your gear. I can say the same.

@btscott Where did you hear about the  Gustard X26 Pro? Maybe on A'gon from people like me who were saying how good it was for $1500. I am on Gustard's payroll ($$$).

I then moved to my next target, the Mustec 005. I was also evangelizing it because I am also on Mustec's payroll ($$$).

@jc4659 I was wondering why I did not get a bonus this Christmas. Spelin always gets me.

@sirnui I bough the DAC3 HGC 2 times and the DAC3B 2 times. I think each time was to raise funds for something else. Anyways, I am not selling the DAC3B I have left.

My feeling is that the HPA4 or LA4 would be incredible with the 005. I have not tried it yet, but I believe your findings. I have a CODA 07x preamp and the LA4 preamp. I like the LA4 preamp more with my 2 channel speakers and the 07x with my headphones. It is a close call with those 2 but the LA4 (HPA4) are so quiet.

I also had the Topping pre90. I sold my HPA4 (to raise funds) thinking I could get away with using it. The pre90 only worked with a Benchmark AHB2 amp and Parasound A21+ amp. All other amps I used with it were too ’hot’ on the volume. Big mistake selling the HPA4 since I ended up getting the LA4 and sold the pre90.

A final point. I like my LA4 premp with my CODA #8 amp even more than the CODA 07x preamp (on speakers). I do not use it this way but that combo is great.

Another, sort of affordable gear combo is the following:

Schitt Freya+ preamp (now sold)

Musetec 005

Benchmark AHB2 amp

I was amazed at how good this combo was on both my SR1a headphones and KEF LS50 speakers. When I replaced the 005 with the Benchmark DAC3B the SR1a became fatiguing.

I am taking my Musetc 005 DAC this morning to a hardware vender/musician to listen to the 005 via my RAAL SR1a headphones. He is doing some repairs on a cable I own I want him to hear the 005 because he has a great ear and tends to know the musicians in the recordings we use to demo.

For example, he has a buddy that has a deep baritone voice and when we listened to him on my old gear, he said that it did not accurately portray his voice. Changing to other gear showed me what he meant.

If he does not like the sound, he tells me. Which was great for me in the past to get rid of some gear and make changes. The 005 was the end result of some of those early listening sessions with my older gear.

Is output to one pair of connections at a time, or is it capable of feeding both XLR and RCA out simultaneously?

I can report that it does work with both outputs connected at the same time to 2 preamps, which are connected to 2 amps.

What is the logic behind the DLL settings? Are people setting it by listening or is there some guidance provided. I have been using the 01 setting with USB, but I just tried the 07 setting and the sound maybe a bit livelier. I need to do some more comparisons tomorrow.

*************

I met up with my musician and hardware vender friend today at his shop. We connected my Musetec 005 to his CD player via COAX and then listened on his monitor speakers.

He pointed out an issue he had at around 375 Hz where he said the sound is scooped. That is a slight dip in the frequency response. He had a Benchmark DAC3L in the shop and we compared that frequency range between the 2 DACs and the DAC3L sounded a bit better there. However, overall, the DAC3L could not go toe-to-toe with the 005. I also have the DAC3B at home and the comparisons we did today, made me want to get a second 005 to replace the DAC3B

Overall, the consensus was that the 005 was so smooth and a great DAC. He wanted me to keep the 005 in the shop for a while. I said NO.

I also listened to a new headphone amp he was bringing to market. The 005 was stunning with this amp. 

Since someone on a prior post said that the setting they used was SLOW-L and DPLL BW07 I used that today on my speakers, though I did not notice much but I was not paying too much attention. However, tonight I decided to test with the SRa and with this setup there is one difference I noticed.

I am using my RAAL SR1a headphone | CODA 07x preamp | NAD M22 V2 amp | Musetec 005. The SR1a can sound bright with the wrong setup and when i was using BW07 I was feeling a little fatigue on treble intensive musical passages. I replayed those passages with the setting changed to BW01 and the fatigue I had before did not reappear.

I will be using the BW01 setting on headphones and BW07 (and test others) with my speakers.

@lordmelton Well my vocabulary is limited so let's go with your description. So you hear it too. I never really heard that before.

So I did a quick shootout between my Musetec 005 and the DAC3B on my new vm-1a tube headphone amp and the DAC3B stays with the amp. The 005 was excellent but I wanted a bit more bite with those 7 tubes. The 005 is the king with my 2-channel SS gear.

I have had the Freya+, Pre90, Coda 07x and Benchmark LA4. My fav is the LA4 though the 07x has dual XLR outputs and I use one of those to my sub. The CODA preamp sounded the best with the sub. It maybe a gain thing with XLR.

The pre90 does not work well with all amps but when it does, such as with a Benchmark AHB2 or Parasound A21+, it is not a value unit. It is an excellent unit.

I though the Freya+ was good for the money.

I use the 07x and the LA4 with the Musetec 005 and both are exceptional (but different). The 07x is great with my sub.

A few posts ago I was saying that the DPLL settings were sounding a little different to me, specifically 01 and 07 (a previous poster liked 07). I was getting a bit of fatigue with 07 on my headphones. However, today this is not the case. No fatigue and they seem to sound very similar. I had some sort of illness (sore throat, coughing) last week so maybe that was what made me have a different reaction to the DPLL settings.

I am now again wondering what exactly the DPLL is doing. Going back to setting 01 while I read up on DPLL.

@boukman I used the RCA and also the XLR (at the same time) when I had 2 preamps in the same system as the 005. Other than the gain I did not hear much to differentiate between the 2. I used Audience AU24SE XLR and RCA. I use XLR now since I only have 1 preamp. The interconnects used were short in length.

Currently I have the Gustard X26 Pro (Dual 9038 sabre chipset), and am loving it.

I sold my Gustard X26 Pro and got the 005 just now ($2969 today). Just for curisoity sake. I liked the Gustard a lot. It lacked a bit of detail that my Topping D90SE and Benchmark DAC3B have but it had a lot of other things going for it. I will be streaming from Sonore OpticalRendu wirh the 005 as I do with the Topping.

BTW- I really like the $900 Topping D90SE. It sounds great with my slightly warm CODA amp.

@mboldda1 I was planning on waiting a few months to get this but it was on sale today.

L.K.S Audio MH-DA005 ES9038 Pro x 2 DAC Coaxial OPT AES EBU Flagship (shenzhenaudio.com)

@metaldetektor It cost me $115 to send back a DAC to China by USPS. I was getting a replacement unit under warranty. It was with shenzhenaudio.com

I would have thoughtt the I2S input would have a closer signal path to the DAC and thus the best input. I plan on using USB myself from an Sonore OpticalRendu.

I plan on using the USB input on the 005 since I like my OpticalRendu for streaming.

Since I now only have 1 DAC in the office system I have been listening to the $900 Topping D90SE DAC with my CODA preamp and amp (slightly warm gear). I really like this Topping DAC. With the proper gear match the Topping is a contender for really excellent sound.

I may have to move the Topping DAC to another room if the Musetec is too similar  sounding to it. Some of the comments on this thread make me think it might be.

@dbb I will have to do some more listening to comment. My room is not ideal (too small but dialed in sound) so I think I lose out on things like depth preception. The soundstage does extend outside the speakers on stuff that is recorded that way.

I ordered on the 11.11 sale and my unit is being built and will ship likely on Monday.

I should as this quesiton of the manufacturer but let me also ask here.

Does anyone use both the RCA and XLR outputs from the 005 at the same time? My Benchmark DAC3B supports this and it would be nice if I can also do the same with the 005. I have 2 preamps now in my office setup, where 005 goes,  and that is how it will stay long term, a CODA 07x and Benchmark LA4.

Black Friday sale started today and my order placed on 11/11/2021 is going to get delivered on Dec 1st. A bit slow this time but it is the busy season for shipments.

@auxinput Thanks. I was at 01 and then flipped it to 15 thinking it may help my issue mentioned above. I will try 01 again.

Well, I may have discovered the source of my ear fatigue. My wife's dog happened to come over to my office and layed down next to my audio rack. My CODA 07x preamp has a push button mechanism on the volume control to change to Speaker Balance adjustment mode. I noticed that the setting was moved from 0 to a messed-up value. It is easy to change by brushing up against the volume control. I am now assuming this was the cause of the ear fatigue.

Unfortunately. I cannot raise my CODA preamp higher on the rack. I will try my Benchmark LA4 preamp next to save me the hassle of worrying about the dog.