[complin]

HEX is 3 times the cost of the Octave. In fact Martin Columns of Hifi Critic rated them as follows:
 
Metrum Hex ... ... ... ... ... ...Score 200
Metrum Octave ... ... ... ... ...Score 185
 
Quote:

I'm not so sure.
Those who heard/reviewed it tend to say the HEX is in another league entirely and still a bargain in the league it belongs to.
Of course, diminishing return is low at this price but those who value the changes a DAC can make might consider the HEX as a significant upgrade over the Octave and justify its price point.

On a side note: I got a Chord QuteHD recently and I'm loving it. It certainly isn't in the same class as either the NFB-27 or DP1 - in a technical standpoint - but it sounds so real and musical that it doesn't matter much.
The last time I described a DAC with such attribute, I'm pretty sure the Metrum Quad was it

 

[Gintaras]

one remark, i use Octave with Audiophilleo 2 with Pure Power, this is the best combination in my opnion since i prefer dedicated USB to SPDIF converters and do not trust onboard USB in most cases. my digital playback consists of dedicated Mac Mini server with Audiorvana (another revelation i picked over Amarra) run via Wireworld USB into AP2+PP via Wireworld SPDIF cable into Octave.

like i said you can find more spacious and detail sounding DACs but you will be hard pressed to find a DAC which sounds so analogue like, big enlightment here boys.

 

[Clemmaster]

HEX is 3 times the cost of the Octave. In fact Martin Columns of Hifi Critic rated them as follows:

Metrum Hex ... ... ... ... ... ...Score 200

Metrum Octave ... ... ... ... ...Score 185

 

What is 100?
The last 15 points can make the difference for critical listening.

 

[Gintaras]

from my experience with high-end there is sense in price and normally you will not get a 1.5k source sounding as goos as 5k source, so i do not doubt Hex must be better sounding. what can happen is when the rest of the rig is limiting on source you may not hear what it is capable of, which means matching components will be very important. this is why i am always scared to change components in my rig and i read a lot before doing it.

 

[philo50]

Quote:

from my experience with high-end there is sense in price and normally you will not get a 1.5k source sounding as goos as 5k source, so i do not doubt Hex must be better sounding. what can happen is when the rest of the rig is limiting on source you may not hear what it is capable of, which means matching components will be very important. this is why i am always scared to change components in my rig and i read a lot before doing it.

+1

 

[complin]

Well here is part of a review from a Dutch member Rudy of our HiFI forum who sums up the differences between the three !
 
So, how do the three compare?
All Metrum DACs have the same signature to me: accurate from top to bottom, and very fast. Cymbals fade very natural, treble is never fatiguing. They are thoroughly musical and enjoyable.
Many times descriptions are made like a veil or curtain being removed in case of an improvement. That is here not exactly the case. It’s like you go to a concert and Cees is the guy in the ticket booth with just 3 tickets left: row 24, 18 or 12. That’s how I would compare the Quad, Octave and Hex. You will attend the same concert from a similar first class seat, but in a different way. If you sit further away, you have less resolution and accuracy. The orchestra is somewhere up there, you could see that the soloist stays in front of the orchestra, but with your eyes closed you can’t easily distinguish it. If you move more towards the stage, you can hear the differences more clearly. The stage gets wider, it’s easier to distinguish the placement of the instruments. There is more air around instruments and the musical performance gets more lifelike.
The most remarkable characteristic if you move from Quad to Octave to Hex is the improvement in reproduction you achieve with bad recordings. Music that was unbearable has become more or fully acceptable.

Any downsides? Yes and no…
Yes, in general the accuracy could reveal weaknesses in the chain. I think that is a characteristic of any good piece of equipment: to tell it like it is. It is an inconvenient truth however for the weakest link. Goodbye!...when the upgrade bug bites again.
And no, I have the idea the each of the DACs perform very well in their price class. So you get a lot of value for money, take your pick according to your budget…and enjoy!

 

 

[complin]

In Martin Colloms review in HIfI Critic from a sound point of view he felt the Octave was more direct and immediate than the HEX.
However at the time the HEX had built in USB, XLR etc so a much more flexible DAC in term of connectivity.  But now we have the Octave MkII?
 
In my experience in of over 40 years listening to audio, price is definitely not a a determinator of how good it will sound!
 
Quote:

What is 100?
The last 15 points can make the difference for critical listening.

 
Quote:

from my experience with high-end there is sense in price and normally you will not get a 1.5k source sounding as goos as 5k source, so i do not doubt Hex must be better sounding. what can happen is when the rest of the rig is limiting on source you may not hear what it is capable of, which means matching components will be very important. this is why i am always scared to change components in my rig and i read a lot before doing it.

 
Quote:

+1

 

[Gintaras]

complin, agree, in high-end it is more difficult and price-performance relationship is tricky too. still i laugh when people take a 1K amp and rave that this will outperform a 5K amp.
that said Metrum DACs are real special product which appeals to those who crave for analogue like sound signature. i admit, you can find more revealing DACs but Metrum musicality is something what can beat them all. it all depends what you looking for. take loudspeakers, i heard a famous PMC-7 loudspeaker that some people say is so linear and revealing... the owner liked it a lot but for me it sounded lean and boring and my Sonus Faber Cremona easily outshines this. that was for me, i must say the owner had different opinion :-D

 

[Clemmaster]

Not the last bit of detail but thoroughly musical...
That reminds me of something!

 

[Gintaras]

Quote:

Not the last bit of detail but thoroughly musical...
That reminds me of something!

 

 

[Clemmaster]

The quad and, recently, the QuteHD

 

[complin]

The Chord DAC's have always had a very dry sort of sound I feel unless this is different?
Quote:

The quad and, recently, the QuteHD

 

[Clemmaster]

The Quad is dry and thick in the mids, too.
I need a better transport and more time to make a better opinion.
Wet isn't an attribute that jumped on me at first, so...

 

[khaine1711]

Be sure to match volume too, since the QuteHD output 3V (3.5db louder) instead of the usual RCA standard output.
 
I don't think the QuteHD is dry, it's just a little more upfront and slightly leaner compared to the Metrum Octave.

 

[Gintaras]

Be sure to match volume too, since the QuteHD output 3V (3.5db louder) instead of the usual RCA standard output.

I don't think the QuteHD is dry, it's just a little more upfront and slightly leaner compared to the Metrum Octave.

???

I find Metrum Octave linear enough and upfront, actually Octave compares well to Naim which is upfront and in-your face sounding, i even find Octave not so forward sounding compared to Naim CDX2 i have too. also Octave keeps good balance between dry and syrupy warm, it's rather slightly dry but only tiny bit. i like more presence in stage, never liked laid back sound, so both Octave and Naim are my favorites.