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Musetec Audio (LKS Audio) MH-DA005 Review (DAC)

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 202 82.8%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 26 10.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 4 1.6%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 12 4.9%

  • Total voters
    244

alpha_logic

Active Member
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Aug 16, 2021
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Why would it be on your list? Subjective reviews?
No, I need to see reliable measurements first - subjective reviews are not the deciding factor when it comes to buying decisions as far as I'm concerned.
No, the build quality, parts and implementation on this DAC looked really good, so I thought it had some real potential. I could never find any reliable measurements for this DAC before Amir reviewed it though, so that's why I didn't buy one. What a shame, this could have been an outstanding DAC!
 

DanielT

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Music is the ice cream. We are not here to judge that. We are here to judge the thing you serve it on.

That aside, the right analogy would be which chocolate ice cream you like. The food industry routinely uses blind testing:


But you refuse to do so in audio.
Fascinating this with how our senses work. Like this and then there are still people who work as professional chefs.

Maybe a little OT, but still.:)

 

A Surfer

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I understand. Since the concept is totally rejected here with absolute certainty, I assume, break-in/burn-in is a laughable notion.

I'm not likely to make any progress here. I will say this. The issue is not what you know but what you don't know. It is epistemological. Science progresses by considering data that conflicts or challenges what is currently believed to be true. Dogma is not science.
That is the most ridiculous tripe I have ever heard. I'm sorry, I'm not usually mean and blunt, but really? This is the stuff that fills up the pages at head-fi. It is shameful anywhere here it is beyond belief.
 

AudioSceptic

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No, I need to see reliable measurements first - subjective reviews are not the deciding factor when it comes to buying decisions as far as I'm concerned.
No, the build quality, parts and implementation on this DAC looked really good, so I thought it had some real potential. I could never find any reliable measurements for this DAC before Amir reviewed it though, so that's why I didn't buy one. What a shame, this could have been an outstanding DAC!
Yes, going by the looks/build, this looks genuinely high end, and the subjective reviews would lead you to think it really was. Shame it's all show, and no go!
 

Garrincha

Addicted to Fun and Learning
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Jan 11, 2022
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No, I need to see reliable measurements first - subjective reviews are not the deciding factor when it comes to buying decisions as far as I'm concerned.
No, the build quality, parts and implementation on this DAC looked really good, so I thought it had some real potential. I could never find any reliable measurements for this DAC before Amir reviewed it though, so that's why I didn't buy one. What a shame, this could have been an outstanding DAC!
I admit, it looks nice, great design and all. But still, even if it measured fine, what need is there to pay such a price for a DAC? You get SOTA starting from $100, if you want many connections, nice built quality and everything, maybe it’s justified to pay $1000 at max, but $3400? No thanks.
 
Last edited:

AudioSceptic

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I admit, it looks nice, great design and all. But still, even it it measured fine, what need is there to pay such a price for a DAC? You get SOTA starting from $100, if you want many connections, nice built quality and everything, maybe it’s justified to pay $1000 at max, but $3400? No thanks.
I think there's a lot of psychology in this. As long as megabucks gear exists, supported by subjective reviews, there's a reluctance to accept that anything costing a tiny fraction of that can really be that good, no matter what the measurements say. Some think that there's also an "impress your mates" factor too, but just how many audiophiles have audiophile mates to impress (mates who aren't audiophiles won't even notice; it's not like flash cars, or certain watch brands, where everyone knows what they are)?
 

nyxnyxnyx

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I admit, it looks nice, great design and all. But still, even it it measured fine, what need is there to pay such a price for a DAC? You get SOTA starting from $100, if you want many connections, nice built quality and everything, maybe it’s justified to pay $1000 at max, but $3400? No thanks.
I say there are many factors, some of them are more understandable than others. People might be swayed by sheer subjectivism, they might have an ego and a need for boutique, exotic items, they might live life with the logic "you get what you pay for" (which can be correct in other subjects), maybe they are stubborn and not opened-mind enough to verify for themselves etc...
Or alternatively, some people are just too loaded :D
 

AnalogSteph

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No, the build quality, parts and implementation on this DAC looked really good, so I thought it had some real potential.
It may be looking good to a layperson, but to the trained eye there's a number of red flags even in this department. The designer seems to have been well-versed in audiophile nonsense but not very much in more basic aspects like electrical safety or compliance testing. That's definitely not an area I want to be concerned about in a device that costs 3 grand.
 

Garrincha

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I think there's a lot of psychology in this. As long as megabucks gear exists, supported by subjective reviews, there's a reluctance to accept that anything costing a tiny fraction of that can really be that good, no matter what the measurements say. Some think that there's also an "impress your mates" factor too, but just how many audiophiles have audiophile mates to impress (mates who aren't audiophiles won't even notice; it's not like flash cars, or certain watch brands, where everyone knows what they are)?
Completely agree. In fact, if you are not too much into this matter, and if ASR didn’t exist, it would be hard to know for sure that often much more expensive gear is even worse or at least not better. In most areas it is like that. A Ferrari is much nicer than a Huandai. Almost nobody “needs” a Ferrari, but still it is nice to drive. And it is faster, accelerates better etc. not so with many Hi-Fi equipment and this is a remarkable fact that one really has to get used to.
 

doitttt

Member
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Feb 8, 2021
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I have questions amir
have you listened to dac
yes dac measures very poorly
 

Veri

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I have questions amir
have you listened to dac
yes dac measures very poorly
It sounds like a DAC. It doesn't measure very poorly anyway, just not state of the art or 'excellent'. Very poorly would be something like the PS Audio stuff reviewed here.
 

Ralf Stocker

Active Member
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Jan 22, 2019
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The build quality is great. A fest for snake oil lovers. Unfortunately, it's like real life. A beautiful woman can be the devil inside.
 

mocenigo

Major Contributor
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$3k dac is relatively cheap in my book, so as far as confirmation bias, I was expecting much lower performance. The Okto exact opposite, far exceeded my cost/value biases. I can be biased in many different directions depending on mood, I could want/need a relatively lower priced component to out perform more expensive component, or I could want/need a more expensive component to out perform the lower priced component to justify my purchase. Remaining mindful of these biases is critical in eliminating them as biases.

Now, arguing the superiority of individual sensory perception and/or our inherent human sense limitations vs. a set of objective measurements may be valid. That battle won't be settled in this thread, go over to audiogon forums for that futile battle.

But there is no need to spend more than 1K bucks to get the SOTA, so $3K is 3 times too expensive anyway.
 

doitttt

Member
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Feb 8, 2021
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maybe could help, new firmware for lks 0005, as well as new driver, maybe the result looks better, with measurements
 

doitttt

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well i did not buy lks 0005,i was missing 100euro ,to buy it.
bought gustard a22 instead ,cost only half.
 

doitttt

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now must say that confusion is total, with sound
lks 0005 measures poorly
 

AnalogSteph

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well i did not buy lks 0005,i was missing 100euro ,to buy it.
bought gustard a22 instead ,cost only half.
Dodged a bullet there. Realistically you could have spent even less (these days you can get very good DACs for sub-500 already) or gotten more features (e.g. what the RME ADI-2 DAC has to offer), but anyway.
now must say that confusion is total, with sound
lks 0005 measures poorly
I wouldn't trust this "compairison" as far as I can throw it. The guy tried to establish quick A/B switching at least, but no precise level matching was performed, and trying to compare (halfway decently-measuring) DACs by ear is generally hopeless anyway, even if you aren't approximately in your late 60s as he seems to have been.

We all like a good story about an underdog emerging from the shadows to give the competition a run for the money. Not uncommonly, however, it turns out the underdog is just a dog. Buyer beware.
 

doitttt

Member
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yes
i well satisfied, with my gustard a22 mqa
measures well, as well as good sound, on mine, neumann 310a
 
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