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

@melm , Grow up dude - don't show up your frustrations. People will definitely question before they plunk down a bunch of money. Yes the Musetec is a DAC and made in a place where labor is cheap. Still it costs that much, compared to say a Holo Audio which is not chip based and is expensive to make. I was trying to show that the internals of Oppo and Musetec are similar, not same. But the Musetec costs far more than other pure DACs that are also made in China. Why?

@kairosman , though Okto is mostly air, it sounds mighty fine according to the users and professional reviewers. Are you telling me that if you stuff components inside, that should make it sound better? And what trusted members are your talking about? The 3-4 people who keep posting here are not all that familiar to me. I have been here for quite sometime and have only recently seen their activity. In fact it seems these same posters post together on other DAC threads here (go look at the Meitner DAC thread). It seems as if they look out for each other and jump on anyone who other questions the or this product. They seems to be in very close contact with the manufacturer.  I can understand that people love their products and the manufacturers. But feeling offended and defending it like crazy raises red flags. This seems to be going on the same track as the Tekton loudspeakers. You really don't have to use 4 letter words to force your opinion - it only shows frustration. And yes, I can delete my system page and claim to have a $100k system.

Some superb sounding audio components have relatively few parts.

Now this comes from a member whose threads I have read and reached out in the distant past. ozzy, lak, etc are the members that many here trust. ALMARG was another member that I trusted and miss him. And no one bad-mouthed others in their response. This is something you fanboys should learn. Take it easy.

 

And none of you are able to answer - why can one find Musetec so easily while you cannot lay your hands on the Okto? Musetec is a one man show. So ideally it should have been more difficult to find. On the other hand the Okto has a manufacturing facility that employs several people and make them in batches. Still the Oktos are hard to come by. Strange.

Like I mentioned before, I am looking to purchase a DAC in the next few months, but am in no rush. I will take my sweet time to find as much information as I can before I make a decision. Keeping my options open.

@milpai I didn't "bad mouth" anybody - I just voiced my frustration with folks who haven't heard the Musetec in their system opining about it. I recommend just trying it in one's rig to see if it synergizes. After all, it's affordable (for me at least) and easy to sell.

I don't post here often so maybe I don't know and therefore miss as many "trusted" AG folk as you apparently do. Seems to me the dudes who are posting in this thread who actually own the DAC in question are credible despite not being among the dudes you trust.

As for you implying I had once posted my rig here (wrong!) and then took it down so I could bullshit about the cost of my rig, dude, SERIOUSLY?

Just, wow.

But let's leave that ugliness aside and end on a more gentlemanly note... I suggest that since your sleuthing has revealed the Okto as more likely the real deal given its scarcity and positive reviews, not to mention 50% of the price of the Musetec, I'd advise you to buy it and feel happy you made a smart choice.

You know Mr. @milpai, there's an easy solution for your dilemma.  

You've been lurking around here since mid-November AND you've done your due diligence AND you think the Musetec is overpriced for what it is physically AND it costs more than other DACs made in China AND you think that labor is cheaper in China than where the Okto is made (It is not!) AND the Okto is less expensive and has great reviews from the commercial press AND the HOLO is a better value because it has a greater number of parts.  

Consequently it should be very easy for you to cross the Musetec off your "Options" list and be done with it.  Have a good day.  You should be happier now.

@kairosman ​​@melm 
Thanks for the more matured responses.

@kairosman I had never even once mentioned in this thread about the sound quality of the Musetec. So where did you find my opinion about it, that caused the frustration? I did not say that you posted your system and took it down. What I meant was anyone can say that they own a $$$ system to prove their point. At least that is what I felt when you mentioned the price of your system. There are 3-5 posters on this thread who have been keeping this thread alive and almost defending this DAC. Example would be the response from OP. As for the advice - I can do my own research and reach a conclusion.

@melm  I never asked for a solution from you. I will take my time, post on whichever threads I want and try to find answers. You should not have problems as long as I don’t offend you. Why are you so possessive about this DAC? “More parts means more value” is not what I concluded. Please read the “mostly air” comment from a poster above. The Holo is R2R and that takes some build effort was what I was implying. Obviously since such DACs do not use off the shelf chips, they are labor intensive to design and manufacture. So the prices probably reflect that.

These threads are there to share and gather information. I am not sure why you take these posts personally. Per my understanding, you all are owners on the DAC and not this company. But this thread has made me even more aware of what to look for in future when new products show up.