Torq, in the end, do you feel the sonics of the Pavane are, overall, as good as the Yggy, or more satisfying on some level? I did study all your comments, but I did not see this explicitly, but I am inferring it. So if I'm wrong here, sorry.
Just on an ergonomics level, the Pavane (a) does not need to be powered up constantly, and (b) runs much cooler than the Yggy (at least according to Pavane owners I have communicated with).
I feel this is a nice benefit. Thanks again.

For the fun of it, have you ever considered the Altmann Tera-Player?
 
It's R2R (so at least superficially hits some of your original criteria) and NOS, and promises sonic nirvana:

"For the first time in the history of mankind a pocket size music-player is being offered
that delivers super-fidelity sound quality"

Click to expand...

 
And by now it retails at some €10K, which one would think would make it compete with the Bricasti's and Linn Akurates...

torq said:

It's a shame that that information was not apparent when I looked at the Adagio on Metrum's web-site!

I don't do Facebook, nor am I ever likely too, so had you not posted this I'd probably have remained unaware of the most important differences, so thank you for that!

Given the performance of Pavane, and the changes are this big, I'll add it to the list (assuming I can get an audition).

Click to expand...

The flood gates are open! Let's get all those other DACs on the list now!

Haha, just having some fun given the amount of recommendations you've had to turn down. I'm happy you feel you can fit the Adagio in, though. That quick comparison really shows its going to be a top DAC from Metrum and maybe it'll have the smoke to edge out the competition.

I'm really interested in feedback on it compared to the new Aqua Formula DAC.

torofiestasol said:

You're welcome

I wasn't aware of that until today too, they should include that info at the same time they lunch the product, not two months later.

Click to expand...

Luncheons are difficult things to coordinate, I can understand the misstep

For real though, I can't believe they're totally different DACs. I can't imagine why this info wasn't front and centre, nor why reviewers didn't have it to mention.

I had one of the first Tera Players (purchased for 500 Euros) and it sounded very nice if somewhat truncated at both high and low frequency extremes. It's an OK DAP but definitely can't compete with dedicated DACs. 
 
Quote:

landroni said:

  For the fun of it, have you ever considered the Altmann Tera-Player?
 
It's R2R (so at least superficially hits some of your original criteria) and NOS, and promises sonic nirvana:
 
And by now it retails at some €10K, which one would think would make it compete with the Bricasti's and Linn Akurates...

Click to expand...

rgs9200m said:

  Torq, in the end, do you feel the sonics of the Pavane are, overall, as good as the Yggy, or more satisfying on some level? I did study all your comments, but I did not see this explicitly, but I am inferring it. So if I'm wrong here, sorry.
Just on an ergonomics level, the Pavane (a) does not need to be powered up constantly, and (b) runs much cooler than the Yggy (at least according to Pavane owners I have communicated with).
I feel this is a nice benefit. Thanks again.

Click to expand...

 
Overall?  At least at this stage, I'd have to say they're just "different".  Some things Pavane wins out on, some things go to Yggdrasil.  None of the differences are big by any means.  Which you prefer is likely to be down to whether the things Pavane is "better" at are more important to you than the things Yggdrasil is ahead on.  But, overall, it's too early to call it either way for me ... and Yggdrasil's considerable price advantage makes that trickier still, 
 
Leaving Yggdrasil on isn't a problem for me, but I can appreciate that others may feel differently about that.  As for running cooler ... it'd be hypocritical of me to be concerned about that, since I have Ragnarok and a WA5-LE in the same stack - Yggdrasil is cool in comparison to those monsters.

landroni said:

  For the fun of it, have you ever considered the Altmann Tera-Player?
 
It's R2R (so at least superficially hits some of your original criteria) and NOS, and promises sonic nirvana:
 
And by now it retails at some €10K, which one would think would make it compete with the Bricasti's and Linn Akurates...

Click to expand...

That certainly would be a bit of a lark!
 
No, I've not considered that, even in jest.  A chap I used to work with had one, so I've heard one.  Let's just say it was "not my thing" and didn't better the vastly cheaper desktop DAC I was using in the office at the lab at the time.  It did sound better than my AK120 though ... of course, depending on what IEMs you pair it with, so does my DragonFly Red, so that's not really saying that much.
 
I'd certainly compare the Tera-Player with Bricasti in one area though ... and it's not in sound reproduction ...

benny-x said:

The flood gates are open! Let's get all those other DACs on the list now!

Haha, just having some fun given the amount of recommendations you've had to turn down. I'm happy you feel you can fit the Adagio in, though. That quick comparison really shows its going to be a top DAC from Metrum and maybe it'll have the smoke to edge out the competition.

I'm really interested in feedback on it compared to the new Aqua Formula DAC.
Luncheons are difficult things to coordinate, I can understand the misstep

For real though, I can't believe they're totally different DACs. I can't imagine why this info wasn't front and centre, nor why reviewers didn't have it to mention.

Click to expand...

Bloody comedians ... 
 
Assuming I can get an Adagio audition at all, I suspect it will work out that that, the Pavane and the Formula will be something I can do back to back.  It's looking like the MSB and dCS stuff will occur together as well (or, at least, their availability will overlap to a useful degree).
 
The real pain will be the final audition set ... I'm going to push hard for that being done in my home, in my rig, and back-to-back with the other contenders.  There's a fair chance any DAC that I cannot have in that context will simply be eliminated from further consideration, particularly for the units north of $10K.  Now, I've worked hard to not impose on dealers/manufacturers for demos so far, so in most cases it won't be a "I need a second demo unit" situation, but I'm not going to drop that kind of money without hearing it next to the competition.
 
That could also be considered as much a test of good customer will and faith in the product on the dealer/manufacturer front.

  Bloody comedians ... 

 
Assuming I can get an Adagio audition at all, I suspect it will work out that that, the Pavane and the Formula will be something I can do back to back.  It's looking like the MSB and dCS stuff will occur together as well (or, at least, their availability will overlap to a useful degree).
 
The real pain will be the final audition set ... I'm going to push hard for that being done in my home, in my rig, and back-to-back with the other contenders.  There's a fair chance any DAC that I cannot have in that context will simply be eliminated from further consideration, particularly for the units north of $10K.  Now, I've worked hard to not impose on dealers/manufacturers for demos so far, so in most cases it won't be a "I need a second demo unit" situation, but I'm not going to drop that kind of money without hearing it next to the competition.
 
That could also be considered as much a test of good customer will and faith in the product on the dealer/manufacturer front.

Click to expand...

Torq, will you consider to listen to MSB Select II in the future?

onsionsi said:

  Torq, will you consider to listen to MSB Select II in the future?

Click to expand...

 
I believe it is the "Select II" that I'll be auditioning.  It'll be the latest version at any rate.  I just listed it as the "Select DAC" as that's how MSB themselves refer to the current product.

Hi Torq, quick favor, could you quickly mention what headphone amplifiers you like, tube or solid state. (I know you mentioned some above, but I just wanted to ask specifically. I am not asking for any long comment or impressions, just some names since you clearly have a good ear for things and experience).

rgs9200m said:

  Hi Torq, quick favor, could you quickly mention what headphone amplifiers you like, tube or solid state. (I know you mentioned some above, but I just wanted to ask specifically. I am not asking for any long comment or impressions, just some names since you clearly have a good ear for things and experience).

Click to expand...

 
A few that come to mind, and in no particular order ... and keeping the price somewhere between about $500 and $5,000 ...
 
On the tube side, including hybrids:
 

1. Woo Audio WA5-LE
2. Eddie Current Balancing Act
3. Decware Taboo MkIII
4. Schiit Lyr & Lyr 2
5. Schiit Mjolnir 2
6. Woo Audio WA6

 
And from the solid-state camp:
 

1. Schiit Ragnarok
2. Headamp GSX Mk2
3. Eddie Current Black Widow
4. Schiit Lyr 2 w/ LISST (I have both LISST and tubes, but choose to use my Lyr 2 with tubes)
5. Schiit Mjolnir 2 w/ LISST
6. Moon 430HA

 
...
 
You're welcome to ask if I've heard something that is not on that list - though perhaps via PM (or in a different thread) - since if it isn't in the above list I either haven't heard it, didn't care for it, or it's outside the those price bounds by more than +$50.

torq said:

   
A few that come to mind, and in no particular order ... and keeping the price somewhere between about $500 and $5,000 ...
 
On the tube side, including hybrids:
 

1. Woo Audio WA5-LE
2. Eddie Current Balancing Act
3. Decware Taboo MkIII
4. Schiit Lyr & Lyr 2
5. Schiit Mjolnir 2
6. Woo Audio WA6

 
And from the solid-state camp:
 

1. Schiit Ragnarok
2. Headamp GSX Mk2
3. Eddie Current Black Widow
4. Schiit Lyr 2 w/ LISST (I have both LISST and tubes, but choose to use my Lyr 2 with tubes)
5. Schiit Mjolnir 2 w/ LISST
6. Moon 430HA

 
...
 
You're welcome to ask if I've heard something that is not on that list - though perhaps via PM (or in a different thread) - since if it isn't in the above list I either didn't care for it, or it's outside the those price bounds by more than +$50.

Click to expand...

What do you think of the Mjolnir 2 with and without LISST? I was considering getting one to pair it with a Lampi Lite 7. I wanted to have it as an alternitive to mojo. Hows the resolution compared to the other amps here?

maxh22 said:

  What do you think of the Mjolnir 2 with and without LISST? I was considering getting one to pair it with a Lampi Lite 7. I wanted to have it as an alternitive to mojo. Hows the resolution compared to the other amps here?

Click to expand...

 
My personal preference with Mjolnir 2 would be to run it with tubes.
 
Resolution is excellent ... as you'd expect.  The WA6, depending on your choice of tube, would come in somewhere behind it, as would both the Lyrs.  The GSX Mk2 would out-resolve it.  The 430HA would edge it out there too.  Beyond that it'd be dependent on the tubes in use.
 
Like Ragnarok, Mjolnir 2 really wants to be used in a fully balanced system.  I think the Lampizator 7 Lite is only single-ended.  You won't get the best of the Mjolnir 2 feeding it a single-ended signal.  Not that it is bad in single-ended operation, just that it's fundamental design is balanced and it is at its best used that way.  (And that's not a general balanced vs. single ended argument, just one that is relevant to the Ragnarok and Mjolnir 2 specifically due to their innate nature).
 
And, in case you wonder why I had a Lyr, now a Lyr2, and a Ragnarok and not a Mjolnir 1 or 2 ... it's a form-factor thing.  For my personal circumstances, anywhere I could fit a Mjolnir I could also fit a Ragnarok ... so I'd just buy a Ragnarok.

Thank you Torq for sharing all that. Feel free to PM me also if there is any amp info you want to discuss just to return the favor.

torq said:

My personal preference with Mjolnir 2 would be to run it with tubes.

Resolution is excellent ... as you'd expect.  The WA6, depending on your choice of tube, would come in somewhere behind it, as would both the Lyrs.  The GSX Mk2 would out-resolve it.  The 430HA would edge it out there too.  Beyond that it'd be dependent on the tubes in use.

Like Ragnarok, Mjolnir 2 really wants to be used in a fully balanced system.  I think the Lampizator 7 Lite is only single-ended.  You won't get the best of the Mjolnir 2 feeding it a single-ended signal.  Not that it is bad in single-ended operation, just that it's fundamental design is balanced and it is at its best used that way.  (And that's not a general balanced vs. single ended argument, just one that is relevant to the Ragnarok and Mjolnir 2 specifically due to their innate nature).

And, in case you wonder why I had a Lyr, now a Lyr2, and a Ragnarok and not a Mjolnir 1 or 2 ... it's a form-factor thing.  For my personal circumstances, anywhere I could fit a Mjolnir I could also fit a Ragnarok ... so I'd just buy a Ragnarok.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input Torq! My Lampizator is balanced btw