Metrum Acoustics Onyx (balanced Dac) and Jade (balanced Dac + Pre)

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by sacredgates, Oct 3, 2017.

  1. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    The plot thickens (or not):

    "Dear All



    Recently I am informed about the problems that some of you had in case of ordering Metrum products. The problem is that I am unable to solve your problems as I have sold the company to the new owner in July 2018. During the first period I was involved as an hired designer (my current company is Acelec Engineering http://www.acelec.nl )but since end of December I stopped working for Metrum. Like you I have no influence on the current policy.

    I think it is a shame that the good policy and service level that I had built up in 28 years has deteriorated in such a short time so feel sorry for this situation

    Kind regards

    Cees Ruijtenberg"
     
  2. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Exit stage left....
    Sad to hear
     
  3. 9suns

    9suns [insert unearned title here]

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    Wow...truly sad news, and there's not even an announcement yet by Metrum about this, so unprofessional...
    When they changed their "marketing style", I've thought: "really, someone who is smart enought to build those devices allows this shit?", well, now makes sense, the answer is: "no, because he isn't there anymore".

    I wish Cees the best with his new adventure, but if I buy something from Metrum, is going to be in the second hand market.
     
  4. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Actually in this type of situations i would like that companies, and ex-owners (since he is also in forums and such), would announce the changes. It always sounds sketchy for me to fly this type of situation under the radar but i do understand that they try to avoid "devaluation" of the products but in this situation it started already and in the form of terrible customer service.

    It's definitely "funny" how so many thought that the marketing changed in a weird way and now everyone is going to be "ahhhhh, now all makes sense".
     
  5. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Wouldn’t it be better to buy from local dealer instead of buying directly from their website and let them worry about the return and exchange?
     
  6. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Oh damn, I had heard about him selling the company and working in the background, but not that he left fully in Dec.

    RIP Metrum.

    Get a good Pavane while you can!
     
  7. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    Ok, well that clears things up. Metrum is dead.

    Carry on with the torches and pitchforks.
     
  8. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Lol you guys are so dramatic
     
  9. Steven Knight

    Steven Knight New

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    I read this thread while I was researching Metrum. I feel compelled to add my recent experience with them. I was looking to upgrade equipment and ran across Metrum. After a lot of reading and shopping, I traded some old equipment and some cash to Hifi Heaven for a demo Pavane level 1 dac.
    After spending some time with the Pavane, I decided to purchase their Forte power amp. I used their 50% down financing and placed my order on a Monday. The next Monday my amp was delivered. I connected it and turned it on. The protective circuitry clicked the power off. I contacted Maria about it and Tuesday I received photos and a description of how to set the front panel to the correct voltage. The amp has two internal switches to select 110 or 230 volts so a step up/down transformer is unnecessary.
    After a little warm up, the amp sounds fantastic through the Pavane. Much better than the amps I was using that were a product of the year in 2017. They sounded crude compared to the Forte.
    Anyway, I am very pleased with the service I got from Metrum and I love their products. I forwarded the thread to Maria and she confirmed what one of you already said. You're not getting the whole story.
    Metrum is not dead. They are delivering top quality customer service and extremely high performance equipment.
     
  10. sacredgates

    sacredgates Audio-Technica's high priest

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    @Steven Knight
    Great to hear you are happy with your Metrum purchases and their customer service.
    Surely I hope not everybody would encounter the bad experience @uelover had. Maybe he got caught in a bad transition time and Metrum will behave decently in future even though Cees Ruijtenberg sold the company... why not? Time will tell...
    The products you acquired were all still designed by Cees...
    But whatever will happen to Metrum Acoustics in future, it will not be the same any more. The very heart of the company is gone.

    P.S.
    Aleady when I talked to Cees in autumn of 2017, I could feel he was getting uncomfortable with the expansion of Metrum. He´s more of a tinkerer than a business manager.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2019
  11. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Shit, one guy has a positive experience because Metrum had to answer a simple question, and then their customer service says we’re wrong about our worries?

    I mean, I’m convinced!
     
  12. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Such a sad and pessimistic bunch.

    Glad to hear you got sorted and enjoying your product. I'm certainly enjoying mine!

    More impressions are better, let's keep that rolling.
     
  13. Orkney

    Orkney Acquaintance

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    Somehow missed all the drama but my Onyx still sounds very good, fed by the Ambre and/or a CDP. May change it out for the new Ayre Swiss Army Knife or some other WonderDAC eventually but it remains a solid choice at the price -- good resolution and recreation of recorded space and rmore consistently forgiving of the thousands of crappy recordings we own and play than the last half-dozen or so DACs I've owned and sold because I couldn't live with them longterm. In that sense I would call its overall musical presentation generous, perhaps even charitable.

    "Can't complain" may sound like very faint praise in the overheated world of audiogeekery but IME comes as a great relief at the point where a DAC collides with music. Hopefully Metrum's new operators manage not to blow any remaining goodwill.
     
  14. Steven Knight

    Steven Knight New

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    It’s nice to see others who are happy with their purchases. Much credit must be given to Wolf Audio Systems and their Alpha 2 for sending such a beautiful signal to the Metrums for digital to analog conversion and amplification. It’s all so musical I couldn’t be any more thrilled since everything is broken in and working nicely together.
    Special thanks to Metrum and Wolf Audio Systems for designing their products for the enjoyment of music!
     
  15. data.noodle

    data.noodle Acquaintance

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    Well that was pretty random
     
  16. Ksaurav402

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    First of all thanks to earnmyturns for letting me buy his DAC.
    W ell have spent close to 10 days with Onyx, thought to put down some of the early impressions I have with Onyx
    My Chain is
    1. Digione Signature (LPS Powered) -> BJ RCA Coax -> Onyx -> Schiit Sys (Volume at 3'o Clock)->Massdrop ZDT Jr -> Zericote Verite universe Pad
    Or
    2. Digione Signature (LPS Powered) -> BJ BNC Coax -> Schiit Gungnir -> Schiit Sys (Volume at 3'o Clock)-> Massdrop ZDT Jr -> Zericote Verite Universe Pad
    RCA Cable is from BlueJeans.

    I have been listening to 2nd setup for past 3 months and then as soon as I switched to Onyx the first thing that popped up was Dense tonality and thick Vocals of Onyx. Now when I compared Gungnir with Chord Qutest, I found Gungnir to have very life like and dense tonality in Vocals but Onyx is denser. There is Mid Bass Bump in Onyx and thats the first thing you will notice and next very apparent experience will be how the Stage moves closer to you with Onyx with emphasis on Vocals. Due to dense tonality Acoustic music sounds great and its fun to listen to Vocals as well however as soon as you switch to Gungnir the stage will be pushed several rows back and little wider. Vocals will sound softer and thiner and hence there will be tendency to go up in volume. However I feel Gungnir Vocals is more life like but the denser vocals of Onyx sounds more musical to me. I didn't feel too much of NOS roll of in treble with Onyx but yes the notes were not as sharp as that of Gungnir. Gungnir felt little bit thiner sounding but I can easily live with Vocals of Gungnir. I dont have 2ch set up but can see with pushed back stage it may have wider stage which is not very apparent with headphone.

    Also Onyx has AES/EBU and I2S input apart from Coax and optical. Recently I got Pi2AES and will try out AES input for first time, have got BJ AES Cable. Want to try I2S but I have no idea about it.
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2019
  17. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    My time so far using:

    Roon > PI2AES > Onyx > LPS and JAN 6C8G tube MCTH > stock HD650

    The difference between BNC and AES (same Wireworld cable for each) is not that detectable in my setup (or my ears) but what I do hear is a slight increase in clarity in the HF. Vocals seem more incisive and have an increase in resolution.

    But after going back and forth, my impression thus far is that there is a c*nt hair of a difference if I'm switching back and forth but I wouldn't put money on detecting which is which in a blind test.
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2019
  18. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    The Jade was transformed when I got the Ambre in I2S. Everything just sounds... real.
    I want to DIY my Gungnir MB to let it accept I2S!
     
  19. Madra

    Madra Acquaintance

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    Looks like Cees is back to the DAC game:
    https://sonnet-audio.com/
     
  20. bengo

    bengo Friend

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