[kumar402]

Ah.. I think it is cos I like pretty things and seem to look for excuses to spend money.. Thought the metrum ambre and pavane looked good together and both are quite well reviewed too!

Only go for Amber if you have Metrum DAC otherwise those Pi based streamer with LPS will get you very close to it at fraction of a price.

 

[kumar402]

Ah yes.. I've never tried an r2r dac before. I've heard ppl say that about r2r dacs ie either u like it or not. Am curious to see/hear what it's all about.

They indeed are different for better or worse based on your listening preference. I for one like NOS DAC and can’t think of using DS DAC at least for my headphone setup.

 

[gvl2016]

Ah yes.. I've never tried an r2r dac before. I've heard ppl say that about r2r dacs ie either u like it or not. Am curious to see/hear what it's all about.

It really depends. Some better measuring oversampling R2R DACs sound very close to Delta-Sigma to the point you can't tell the difference in a blind test. Metrum DACs tend to have certain character, even when oversampled externally, for better or worse.

 

[sahmen]

Proud owner of the Ambre here, and I want to give one more completely unrepentant, unadulterated, unvarnished and no-holds-barred thumbs up, endorsement, and, of course, recommendation of the Ambre. One advantage of having the Ambre that I do not see emphasized enough resides in its multiple, and hence, versatile, connectivity options : i2S, AES/EBU, S/PDIF Coaxial, and optical.

Having such multiple and versatile outlets may not be important for everyone, I agree, but for anyone who can use them, it could be a fantastic little gadget to have around, not to mention an unbeatable value proposition (i.e the more of the outlets one can use, the more the value rating goes up).

And what is more, it sounds fantastic!

And before you dismiss that multiple/versatile connectivity as some overrated gimmick too quickly, just pause and think about how much money it can save you under certain circumstances. Here's a great example: I am about to install an Uptone etherregen Switch ($640) between my router and the ambre. Here's the ER :

And this is a diagram showing where an etherregen would normally fit in a typical home network

Now I won't go into all the rave reviews about what an etherregen can do to enhance the sound quality of a system. For that, you can visit the ER listening impressions thread.

What I want to point out is that, thanks to the versatility of the Ambre, I can distribute the sq benefits (mainly in noise reduction) of my one Etherregen costing $640, to four different rigs around the house, instead of having to buy four Etherregens, one for each rig, which would cost a total of $2,560. This is a classic case of the apparent paradox in which what appears initially as an expensive solution can turn out to be an unexpectedly significant money saving proposition...

And did I say that the Ambre already sounds fantastic, even with no Etherregen added?

I initially got the ambre to pair with a newly acquired Onyx, which I got by trading up my tried and true, but long-idling, and practically retired Metrum Hex, in a killer deal, which was so generous I just couldn't refuse it, I The ambre was interesting to me, because i wanted to try the i2S connection with the Onyx, something which none of my existing streamers were capable of. The ambre/i2S turned out to be great for what I immediately wanted to do with the Onyx, i.e. build a headphone exclusive near-field listening rig. What turned out to be an expected but absolutely ass-kissing revelation was the ambre's performance paired with the YGGY B in my main reference 2-Channel/stereo/Headphone listening/5.1/7.1 HT speaker system.

The cool thing is that the Ambre did not have to move an inch from its usual place with the onyx in my nearfield rig. One day, out of sheer boredom or curiosity, something prompted me to connect the Ambre to the Yggy B, using a 25ft Mogami AES/EBU cable I had lying around unused, and BAM! After just a few minutes, the ambre/AES dethroned the Sonore Ultrarendu which used to be the King renderer Streamer in that main reference system. I am afraid I have never returned, since that day, to listening to my main 2 channel stereo music on the Ultrarendu/Yggy B combo again, either with speakers or headphones. That is just how good the Ambre sounds in comparison, either through the i2S or AES outlet. I have still not used either of the S/PDIF outlets, but soon that would happen, and if it does, I know the amber is going to dethrone the squeezebox touch, which has been the king streaming device in my home office nearfiled 2-channel powered studio rig too., and it will still be that 1 same ambre servicing all three rigs.

The ambre has indeed been so great that there are days I am tempted to buy another one, just for the sake of repeating the fun experience of buying the first one, but of course that would be insane.

I could continue to tell you even more stories about how a couple of reversible mods can do to elevate the sound of the Ambre even more, but I think I have made my enthusiasm about it sufficiently known for now.

That, in short, was what I was willing to tell anyone considering the ambre from a fence. Those impressions haven't changed one bit today.

 

[cj3209]

Proud owner of the Ambre here, and I want to give one more completely unrepentant, unadulterated, unvarnished and no-holds-barred thumbs up, endorsement, and, of course, recommendation of the Ambre. One advantage of having the Ambre that I do not see emphasized enough resides in its multiple, and hence, versatile, connectivity options : i2S, AES/EBU, S/PDIF Coaxial, and optical.

Having such multiple and versatile outlets may not be important for everyone, I agree, but for anyone who can use them, it could be a fantastic little gadget to have around, not to mention an unbeatable value proposition (i.e the more of the outlets one can use, the more the value rating goes up).

And what is more, it sounds fantastic!

I initially got the ambre to pair with a newly acquired Onyx, which I got by trading up my tried and true, but long-idling, and practically retired Metrum Hex, in a killer deal, which was so generous I just couldn't refuse it, I The ambre was interesting to me, because i wanted to try the i2S connection with the Onyx, which none of my existing streamers were capable of. The ambre/i2S turned out to be great for what I immediately wanted to do with the Onyx, i.e. build a headphone exclusive nearfield listening rig. What turned out to be an expected but absolutely ass-kissing blessing was the ambre's performance paired with the YGGY B in my main reference 2-Channel/stereo/Headphone listening/5.1/7.1 HT speaker system.

The cool thing is that the Ambre did not have to move an inch from its usual place with the onyx in my nearfield. One day, out of sheer boredom or curiosity, something prompted me to connect the Ambre to the Yggy B, using a 25ft Mogami AES/EBU cable I had lying around unused, and BAM! After just a few minutes, the ambre/AES dethroned the Sonore Ultrarendu which used to be the King renderer Streamer in that main reference system. I am afraid I have never returned, since that day, to listening to my main 2 channel stereo music on the Ultrarendu/Yggy B combo again, either with speakers or headphones. That is just how good the Ambre sounds in comparison, either through the i2S or AES outlet. I have still not used either of the S/PDIF outlets, but soon that would happen, and if it does, I know the amber is going to dethrone the squeezebox touch, which has been the king streaming device in my home office nearfiled 2-channel powered studio rig too., and it will still be that 1 same ambre servicing all three rigs.

The ambre has indeed been so great that there are days I am tempted to buy another one, just for the sake of repeating the fun experience of buying the first one, but of course that would be insane.

I could continue to tell you even more stories about how a couple of reversible mods can do to elevate the sound of the Ambre even more, but I think I have made my enthusiasm about it sufficiently known for now.

That, in short, was what I was willing to tell anyone considering the ambre from a fence. Those impressions haven't changed one bit today.

Great read. The Ambre IS a great little streamer. Really like it via AES.

 

[Roasty]

I'm tempted to buy a Pavane, but unsure if I should get the USB or i2s config..

 

[gvl2016]

EtherRegen.... Sigh.

 

[gvl2016]

I'm tempted to buy a Pavane, but unsure if I should get the USB or i2s config..

Go USB for flexibility. The USB is internally converted to I2s anyway. i2s input is only mildly interesting if used with the Ambre.

 

[nicodem]

I've been using PI+JustBoom DIGI HAT as my Roon client but then upgraded to Baby Ambre and finally to Ambre. It simpy sounds better due to the better design of DC, isolation etc.
So if you have a nice DAC then it starts to make a difference.
I would say that if you need SPDIF - go fo baby ambre; if planning to use i2s - go fo Ambre and you will be fully happy with this.

 

[Roasty]

If i go USB Pavane first, then add an Ambre later on, am I going to regret the USB pavane since can't use i2s with ambre?

Or is it really, just not that big of a deal?

 

[gvl2016]

You can later buy the I2S board and install it yourself.

 

[nicodem]

If i go USB Pavane first, then add an Ambre later on, am I going to regret the USB pavane since can't use i2s with ambre?

Or is it really, just not that big of a deal?

Upgrade to i2s module at Pavane for 125€
And personally I prefer SPDIF over USB so this would be even my first option or AES/EBU before even starting to think about i2s.

 

[Don Quichotte]

I've been using PI+JustBoom DIGI HAT as my Roon client but then upgraded to Baby Ambre and finally to Ambre. It simpy sounds better due to the better design of DC, isolation etc.
So if you have a nice DAC then it starts to make a difference.
I would say that if you need SPDIF - go fo baby ambre; if planning to use i2s - go fo Ambre and you will be fully happy with this.

So there is a sound difference between Baby Ambre and Ambre when using SPDIF?

 

[nicodem]

Yes, there is - slightly more detailed and soundstage is wider. Noticable but not really a big deal.
Where are you located at?

 

[lithiumnk]

Proud owner of the Ambre here, and I want to give one more completely unrepentant, unadulterated, unvarnished and no-holds-barred thumbs up, endorsement, and, of course, recommendation of the Ambre. One advantage of having the Ambre that I do not see emphasized enough resides in its multiple, and hence, versatile, connectivity options : i2S, AES/EBU, S/PDIF Coaxial, and optical.

Having such multiple and versatile outlets may not be important for everyone, I agree, but for anyone who can use them, it could be a fantastic little gadget to have around, not to mention an unbeatable value proposition (i.e the more of the outlets one can use, the more the value rating goes up).

And what is more, it sounds fantastic!

And before you dismiss that multiple/versatile connectivity as some overrated gimmick too quickly, just pause and think about how much money it can save you under certain circumstances. Here's a great example: I am about to install an Uptone etherregen Switch ($640) between my router and the ambre. Here's the ER :

And this is a diagram showing where an etherregen would normally fit in a typical home network

Now I won't go into all the rave reviews about what an etherregen can do to enhance the sound quality of a system. For that, you can visit the ER listening impressions thread.

What I want to point out is that, thanks to the versatility of the Ambre, I can distribute the sq benefits (mainly in noise reduction) of my one Etherregen costing $640, to four different rigs around the house, instead of having to buy four Etherregens, one for each rig, which would cost a total or $2,560. This is a classic case of the apparent paradox in which what appears initially as an expensive solution can turn out to be an unexpected considerable money saving device...

And did I say that the Ambre already sounds fantastic, even with no Etherregen added?

I initially got the ambre to pair with a newly acquired Onyx, which I got by trading up my tried and true, but long-idling, and practically retired Metrum Hex, in a killer deal, which was so generous I just couldn't refuse it, I The ambre was interesting to me, because i wanted to try the i2S connection with the Onyx, something which none of my existing streamers were capable of. The ambre/i2S turned out to be great for what I immediately wanted to do with the Onyx, i.e. build a headphone exclusive near-field listening rig. What turned out to be an expected but absolutely ass-kissing revelation was the ambre's performance paired with the YGGY B in my main reference 2-Channel/stereo/Headphone listening/5.1/7.1 HT speaker system.

The cool thing is that the Ambre did not have to move an inch from its usual place with the onyx in my nearfield rig. One day, out of sheer boredom or curiosity, something prompted me to connect the Ambre to the Yggy B, using a 25ft Mogami AES/EBU cable I had lying around unused, and BAM! After just a few minutes, the ambre/AES dethroned the Sonore Ultrarendu which used to be the King renderer Streamer in that main reference system. I am afraid I have never returned, since that day, to listening to my main 2 channel stereo music on the Ultrarendu/Yggy B combo again, either with speakers or headphones. That is just how good the Ambre sounds in comparison, either through the i2S or AES outlet. I have still not used either of the S/PDIF outlets, but soon that would happen, and if it does, I know the amber is going to dethrone the squeezebox touch, which has been the king streaming device in my home office nearfiled 2-channel powered studio rig too., and it will still be that 1 same ambre servicing all three rigs.

The ambre has indeed been so great that there are days I am tempted to buy another one, just for the sake of repeating the fun experience of buying the first one, but of course that would be insane.

I could continue to tell you even more stories about how a couple of reversible mods can do to elevate the sound of the Ambre even more, but I think I have made my enthusiasm about it sufficiently known for now.

That, in short, was what I was willing to tell anyone considering the ambre from a fence. Those impressions haven't changed one bit today.

Totally agree with you.

I am rediscovering my library after addition of Ether Regen and audiolinux for pi4 on ambre.
I have upgraded to pi4b. Better than pi3b+(stock).

Modded ambre is in same league as DCS network bridge according to some reports.