[Paul Staples]

Let me know how you get on, and your impressions mate

no worries!

 

[Paul Staples]

l-k-s-audio-mh-da004/9038's heat sinked

l-k-s-audio-mh-da004 - The hot trannys underside re-location, heat sinked to chassis floor

l-k-s-audio-mh-da004/Italian Amanero USB socket, isolated from chassis

 

[Lodwales81]

l-k-s-audio-mh-da004/9038's heat sinked

l-k-s-audio-mh-da004 - The hot trannys underside re-location, heat sinked to chassis floor

l-k-s-audio-mh-da004/Italian Amanero USB socket, isolated from chassis[/QUOTa
And the sound quality ?

 

[Paul Staples]

Hi 'LOW' ~


...thank you for your patience! I am not prepared to make a 'rash'/ill-informed guess at the quality. I have barely started to listen to this device that needs 'burning-in' first! As you yourself stated: "there is a lot of money riding on this purchase", and therefore I would presume that the last thing you would want is a hasty guess at the sound quality? I have only listened to a couple of albums once! I need to listen to: rock, vocal, classical, mood, atmospheric etc. to gain a better overall view of the '004's' capabilities, IN MY OPINION (ONLY!). Please make no attempt to 'rush' my verdict prematurely. I want to give you an accurate assessment and that takes time and patience! What I can say is this: - this device is no counterfeit Chinese junk! It has top quality components in critical areas and the circuit design appears to be well thought out with a 'top' fortress like build quality and assembly! Sound wise I would say initially and prematurely that it certainly 'holds its own' against anything I have previously owned and it is under-priced for what it offers you!

A cautionary word: please remember that I am not upgrading from a £5 mono AM radio! i.e. I consider that I am upgrading from a pretty ‘hi-end’ system already! With a view to diminishing returns (biggest bang for the buck) and all that – I don’t expect earth shattering ‘improvements’, but instead small minor and subtle changes in performance ‘here & there’! Marginal differences in perceived execution. A kind of ‘photo finish’ analysis – no less!

At this early stage: I am not motivated to return the L.K.S. on the grounds that it sounds massively inferior to any of my previous DAC’s (Inc. Chord 2Qute/ Cary 100t/ Wadia 321 & Weiss 202).

 

[dcguy73]

If anyone reading this thread is interested in a gently-used LKS MH-DA004 DAC, I am interested in selling mine. PM me. I haven't put up a for sale ad yet.

 

[Whitigir]

So, I put up my lks004 for sale for a short period @ 1,100 included regular priority shipping in the US. But I don’t think people appreciate this DAC much. They probably don’t believe how good the 004 is.

Anyways, from the modification of my R2R7. I now have brought it into the LKS-004. Instead of having the Amanero module easily removable (which is not necessary), having it straight soldered on instead of Brass-Pins = the best conductivity.

I took pictures of internal shot too. There are more on the underside, but who care ? I don’t think people care anyways.

So here is the result:

This is real sonical improvements. Easy, and effective! I have yet to tinkered with anything else. There is no need to what I have observed by far. I didn’t even bother for so long about the Brass Pins on the module. Until now, the R2R7 spit in my ears that these Brass Pins are horrible

By the way, look at that Balanced/Discreted Analog output section! So awesome, so very compact, and yet so very complex, nice

 

[Paul Staples]

So, I put up my lks004 for sale for a short period @ 1,100 included regular priority shipping in the US. But I don’t think people appreciate this DAC much. They probably don’t believe how good the 004 is.

Anyways, from the modification of my R2R7. I now have brought it into the LKS-004. Instead of having the Amanero module easily removable (which is not necessary), having it straight soldered on instead of Brass-Pins = the best conductivity.

I took pictures of internal shot too. There are more on the underside, but who care ? I don’t think people care anyways.

So here is the result:

This is real sonical improvements. Easy, and effective! I have yet to tinkered with anything else. There is no need to what I have observed by far. I didn’t even bother for so long about the Brass Pins on the module. Until now, the R2R7 spit in my ears that these Brass Pins are horrible

By the way, look at that Balanced/Discreted Analog output section! So awesome, so very compact, and yet so very complex, nice

What about the 4 pins on the side of the Amanero board, don't they need replacing with soldered contacts?

 

[bibo01]

@Whitigir
What exactly did you replace the present Amanero with?

 

[Whitigir]

What about the 4 pins on the side of the Amanero board, don't they need replacing with soldered contacts?

They are Pins for power supplies board on top to connect and power the Amanero. No need fancy wires for powersupply.

@Whitigir
What exactly did you replace the present Amanero with?

Still the same upgraded Amanero, I just replaced the Brass Pins connectors toward the processor board into solid silver wires

The reason why is that I recently discovered about these Brass Pins that carries Data, clocks, and Vcc do affect the sound quality.

 

[rikm]

...well ok I guess, but how will you be able to flash the firmware if the board is now soldered in place?

 

[OscarJr]

So, I put up my lks004 for sale for a short period @ 1,100 included regular priority shipping in the US. But I don’t think people appreciate this DAC much. They probably don’t believe how good the 004 is.

Anyways, from the modification of my R2R7. I now have brought it into the LKS-004. Instead of having the Amanero module easily removable (which is not necessary), having it straight soldered on instead of Brass-Pins = the best conductivity.

I took pictures of internal shot too. There are more on the underside, but who care ? I don’t think people care anyways.

So here is the result:

This is real sonical improvements. Easy, and effective! I have yet to tinkered with anything else. There is no need to what I have observed by far. I didn’t even bother for so long about the Brass Pins on the module. Until now, the R2R7 spit in my ears that these Brass Pins are horrible

By the way, look at that Balanced/Discreted Analog output section! So awesome, so very compact, and yet so very complex, nice

I bought mine for that much last year, so there's bound to be some people in the US interested. I couldn't have been the only one. It's just very difficult to convince people to spend that much on just a DAC. It has to be pretty much someone obsessed with music. I see you have the silver one. The one I bought was black. I wish I could have found a silver one when I was looking. I'd buy yours if I had any use for it. I use the LKS004 at home with my 2-way monitor setup, and at work I use a Resonessence Labs Concero HD.

 

[Whitigir]

...well ok I guess, but how will you be able to flash the firmware if the board is now soldered in place?

Doesn’t matter if it is soldered on. There are room to flex, and the mean to remove the board is to short the 2 Pins in order to erase the data for upgrading to the next.

Firmware update guide

I bought mine for that much last year, so there's bound to be some people in the US interested. I couldn't have been the only one. It's just very difficult to convince people to spend that much on just a DAC. It has to be pretty much someone obsessed with music. I see you have the silver one. The one I bought was black. I wish I could have found a silver one when I was looking. I'd buy yours if I had any use for it. I use the LKS004 at home with my 2-way monitor setup, and at work I use a Resonessence Labs Concero HD.

Yes, this DAC is excellent for it price

 

[Paul Staples]

Doesn’t matter if it is soldered on. There are room to flex, and the mean to remove the board is to short the 2 Pins in order to erase the data for upgrading to the next.

Firmware update guide



Yes, this DAC is excellent for it price

what is your reason for the sale please?

 

[Whitigir]

what is your reason for the sale please?

I acquired r2r7, which I put a lot of works into it, and the 004 is laying on the side, but I will just keep it. The performances surpass the prices on the 004

 

[Paul Staples]

I acquired r2r7, which I put a lot of works into it, and the 004 is laying on the side, but I will just keep it. The performances surpass the prices on the 004

The "Audio-GD - R2R 7 HE" looks to be nearly 3 times the price of the 004 when purchaseed new! There 'should be' some sort of 'improvement' if you splash out (up to) another £2000!!