Metrum Acoustics Pavane DAC listening impressions

All,

general product info is here:
http://www.metrum-acoustics.com/PavaneEN.html

starting this thread after hearing a Pavane DAC at @MisterRogers, included as part of an amazing chain:
mac mini --> Audirvana+ USB out --> Mutec 3+USB AES out --> Pavane XLR out --> EC Studio --> HE1K

being accustomed to a home rig similar to the above but with
Yggdrasil as DAC and XLR --> ISOMax --> SE EC Black Widow1 --> HE1K

my ears were treated to a DAC that does compete with Yggdrasil, much to my delight and surprise!

more details forthcoming.

 

(Reserved for future edits of initial listening session.)

Sorry for the long delay, let's review.
spent 20 minutes wearing out the A/B switch on @MisterRogers EC Studio, going from
Yggdrasil SE to EC Studio
vs.
Pavane XLR to EC Studio
(to HE1K)
source material via MacMini, Audirvana+ and 24/96or192 lossless material.

a few characteristics stood out:

Pavane delivers an increased step forward in vocal placement with many tracks.
Yggdrasil pulled some vocals back into the mix.
won't claim any severe changes to depth of sound field other than this upon initial listen tho, as this will likely
be a personal (and headphone) preference whether it's noticeable or preferable.

Pavane delivered a taller sound stage presence.
imagine a rectangle of ratio 3 tall x 5 wide, that was Yggdrasil.
Pavane jumped up to a 4 x 5 sound stage, which was appreciated.

Pavane delivered a smidge different, perhaps more spatial location of some instruments.
placement was a bit "higher" than Yggdrasil, this could be the 4x5 rectangle tho.

micro detailing, hm sometimes Pavane appeared to have a slight lead, string decay or attack.
hard to tell, very track dependent IMO.

won't get into "value propositions" at the moment other than:
would retail MSRP of Pavane be worth the extra $ over Yggdrasil MSRP?
probably not.

BUT if prices were equal-ish, could easily envision many folks preferring the Pavane DAC into TOTL amps.
with HE1K the Pavane vocal forward step and 4x5 delivery gives the HE1K more perspective.
had I (still) owned the HD800, bet the Yggdrasil would be a more comfortable pairing.

Hope for a longer audition of Pavane this summer for certain!
there is more to be uncovered, including lesser recorded material and different musical styles (acoustic vs. processed).

btw where's the emoji for:
paypal begging toward a EC Studio Jr amp....wow, EC tube amps are da bomb!

 

I need to bring my Model S up to Denver again so we can do a comparison. Had the new Metrums been available when I got that, would have been a tough choice. Maybe I'll feel silly for not waiting after a comparison.

 

Metrum is non-oversampling. No DSP, upsampling, digital filter, oversampling, you name it...well, unless you spring for the FPGA models with "forward correcting" whatever. I do think they use a mild 70khz, first-order filter though, if that counts.

 

post #2 updated FWIW

 

Got my 10-15mins in today between Pavane and Yggdrasil. Pavane is an excellent sounding DAC, even ignoring my preference for non-oversampling. Big step up from their previous generation of DACs, and maybe the best in non-oversampling I've heard (or in general, regardless of NOS). Note that all of this is based on brief listening and is subject to change based on further comparisons and time spent listening.

My thoughts on the two are as followed, clearly exaggerated to better show texture of the cereal:

- Pavane does staging really well. Wider, taller, more depth than Yggdrasil. Placement of everything was spot on. Good layering. And yet when the music called for something to be intense and in your face, the Pavane did that better too. Yggdrasil sounded more like it was on a flat plane and sort of held there in place.

- Pavane does have a slightly sweeter and fuller sound to it. It almost makes the Yggdrasil a bit clinical sounding in comparison. It might be closer to the Gungnir Multibit in overall tone and timbre but without the other ways Gungnir Multibit loses ground to Yggdrasil. The fuller sound on the Pavane coupled with the point above, better at making elements seem in your face that need to be, the Pavane overall felt like it hit harder and with better dynamic swings.

- Resolution is surprisingly close on the two. Edges on the Pavane were a hair softer but still very well defined. Mostly due to a common trait of oversampling, the Yggdrasil did have sharper edges, but bordering more on the territory of sounding artificial than natural vs. Pavane. Again, some will prefer the razor sharp edges of oversampling vs. non-oversampling, but damn if this is not incredibly close - best I've heard of a non-oversampled DAC yet, I might think.

- Most notable on acoustic guitars was the way the Pavane produced a wonderful sense of that resonance you get from the open, wood body on the guitar. It just sounded compressed and flat on the Yggdrasil. Vocals on Pavane better kept the sound of resonance you get from the chest and sounded more three-dimensional.

Really, this might be the first non-oversampling DAC I've heard that just doesn't seem to give anything up against the best oversampling DACs out there. It's almost always been a matter of accepting some trade offs to go for the sound you prefer, but that's almost non-existent in this case. While, yes, some of the inherent differences were apparent between NOS and OS, the Pavane seems to make ground and perform even better than the Yggdrasil in areas where non-oversampling would usually falter.

I'm listening to the Musette now to as I write this, and it has a lot of the same magic. But my guess is the thing that pulls it all together for that "wow" moment is when you add the forward correcting FPGA module and start paralleling chips in the Menuet and Pavane.

Overall, things are looking very good for the new Metrum products, and the Pavane was just stellar. Eager to get more time with it down the road!

 

wait in line for more time with a Pavane.
I've pitched a tent on @MisterRogers (small) front lawn. camping should be easier this summer (for DAC time) than last winter (for EC Studio time).

only caveat I wanted to add-
we were listening to Yggdrasil SE out to Studio IIRC vs. Pavane XLR out to Studio.
not suggesting balanced was the root cause for the deltas we heard, just wanting to be clear.

ps. yes, Mutec 3+USB was in the chain. @MisterRogers want to verify the paths for us?

 

@jexby just said everything I needed to.

 

@Hands, I've read your musings with DACs over the years and have gotten a very good sense of what you really like. I hope that one day after you save up for a house or when you find a more permanent place to stay, that you will consider going to vinyl. Both you and I have slightly different tastes in DACs, but I really do think that vinyl is where our tastes would finally converge.

 

Got the house under my belt.

Vinyl some day, for sure.

 

plastic platters from the Neanderthal age and diamond needles.
where is the -1 emoji?

edit: add smiley. because to each his own.

 

That is wise.

Terms such as "resolution" as applied in the DAC world even don't apply in vinyl world. Everything you have said about various the DACs only lead to one place.