Has the ASR review/hatchet job on the Musetec MH-DA005 Changed Anyone's Mind?

The DAC is incredible.  I've been starting to think about an aurender N200 to replace my A10 but my DAC isn't going anywhere.

I have 2 of the Musetec 005 units. Though 1 is back in storage waiting another day and another system. The 005 is a smooth DAC and that is one attribute (of many) that draws people to it and sometimes people away from it.

I love the 005 with my Benchmark LA4 preamp and AHB2 monos. The BM gear are or were the kings of the hill at ASR for specs, though I bought them way before ASR ever heard of them. Rory at Benchmark suggested to me by email, that I try the then brand new AHB2. which he thought would be a revolutionary product. With the LA4 + AHB2 combo, that tiny bit of smoothness of the 005 is better than the harder edged Benchmark DAC3B because the DAC3B is a little strong on top and the AHB2 will let you hear everything. Both DACs maybe a little deficient in this regards, maybe error on smoothness on the 005 and error on being a little hot for the DAC3B,

I also tried the Musetec 005 and CODA 07x preamp and it was nice but a little too smooth combo for me. So I sold the 07x and kept the 005. I also kept the more neutral Benchmark LA4 preamp over the CODA 07x preamp (YMMV). The Musetec 005 + LA4 + CODA # 8 (sold) | KRELL DUO 175XD (sold) | Benchmark AHB2 were all amongst the best combos I have had in the house and the 005 was the source to all of them. So a lot of credit to it.

Now, when did the 005 smoothness draw me away from the 005 to something else? It was using it with maybe the worlds best headphone amp, the RAAL VM-1a and SR1a and CA-1a phones. The smoothness of the 005 and the 7 tubes on the VM-1a did not play nice. I had the owner of RAAL also listen to my 005 and his SR1a/CA-1a + VM-1a for 1 month at his shop and he also did not like it. It was too lifeless or smooth. He is a tube guy and his listening skills are likely legendary given that 6Moons wrote a complete page about that. So when he confirmed my feelings I realized the 005 is not what I will use on the VM-1a. I use the DAC3B on it for now. I am enjoying the heck out of it but looking for maybe an upgrade to the DAC3B for the VM-1a (maybe a Briscati). However, I do not plan on selling the 2 005s and when the stored 005 comes back to life it should shine nicely in the second system I am raising cash for now.

There absolutely a place for measurements I guess. Pretty sure a 20k Lampizator dac would measure like sh.t! Could be wrong but guessing so. Does it sound amazing…. I’m betting so. Things aren’t black and white. My new dac sounds much better than the darling RME dac I had before. Is it better? Well the RME likely measures better? Dunno. It’s WAY fu.cking better though. Not even in the same ballpark if you want a natural sound. Colored.. I don’t know …. Don’t care cause I’ve went through the gamut on all the genres of music I listen to and it’s the best digital I’ve heard in my system. 
 

They are measuring a sine wave. So whoopidy doo. 

Nice of ASR to tank the resale value of the 005.......

@yyzsantabarbara How does the volume control of the LA4 compare to that of the 07X? Are the individual inputs on the LA4 able to be individually configured gain wise like the 07X?