Metrum NOS Hex Flagship DAC

[No Disc]

There is a brief mention on Darko's website. http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2012/08/metrum-acoustics-prep-flagship-hex-dac/  and the specs can be found here. http://www.nosminidac.nl/Hex_specs_English.html

Who's planning on upgrading?

No Disc

 

[MomijiTMO]

Saw the price, ordered an Ocatve. I'll be interested to hear impressions though .

 

[preproman]

What's the deal on this DAC?  Any impressions / comparisons yet?

 

[Clemmaster]

Quote:

What's the deal on this DAC?  Any impressions / comparisons yet?

 
I would love to read a comparison with the Master 7!
 
The Hex seems to be something very special, but quite pricey when compared to the Octave :/

 

[Cante Ista]

 

[BournePerfect]

Debated getting this myself-but in the end I ordered a Master 7 instead. Price was not a factor either.
 
-Daniel

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

Debated getting this myself-but in the end I ordered a Master 7 instead. Price was not a factor either.
 
-Daniel

what was the factor?

 

[BournePerfect]

Quote:

what was the factor?

Mainly prior experience with a totl AGD PCM1704UK dac. I know it will have great bass impact, and absolute black background, a pristine top-end, and I much prefer the build factor as well. None of these things are a given on the Hex imo, though we have little impressions to go by at this point. I would be more than glad to eat my words at some point, and make the upgrade lol. But I just don't see that happening...
 
-Daniel

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

Mainly prior experience with a totl AGD PCM1704UK dac. I know it will have great bass impact, and absolute black background, a pristine top-end, and I much prefer the build factor as well. None of these things are a given on the Hex imo, though we have little impressions to go by at this point. I would be more than glad to eat my words at some point, and make the upgrade lol. But I just don't see that happening...
 
-Daniel

Cool! Thanks Daniel. Yeah, I would like some impressions myself. 

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Mainly prior experience with a totl AGD PCM1704UK dac. I know it will have great bass impact, and absolute black background, a pristine top-end, and I much prefer the build factor as well. None of these things are a given on the Hex imo, though we have little impressions to go by at this point. I would be more than glad to eat my words at some point, and make the upgrade lol. But I just don't see that happening...

-Daniel

I can say you made a very good choice, at a recent meet the M7 was the only dac that pulled ahead of the rest of the midrange dacs pack we had present. The Anedio d2, pwd mk2, and the lynx Hilo were all too close to call at the meet but the m7 proved itself superior. I would love to have one!

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

I can say you made a very good choice, at a recent meet the M7 was the only dac that pulled ahead of the rest of the midrange dacs pack we had present. The Anedio d2, pwd mk2, and the lynx Hilo were all too close to call at the meet but the m7 proved itself superior. I would love to have one!

really? hmmmmm......... i wonder how it stacks up against the HAD m51.. Sorry I know this is not the thread for that. I will not ask follow ups. Thats a promise 

 

[SoupRKnowva]

really? hmmmmm......... i wonder how it stacks up against the HAD m51.. Sorry I know this is not the thread for that. I will not ask follow ups. Thats a promise 

The m51 was present as well. It was the only dac that wasn't up to snuff with the rest I felt.

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

The m51 was present as well. It was the only dac that wasn't up to snuff with the rest I felt.

hmmmm thanks!

 

[Cante Ista]

Quote:

The m51 was present as well. It was the only dac that wasn't up to snuff with the rest I felt.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/602771/nad-m51-direct-digital-dac-impressions/765#post_9280303 
 
Could you please meet me at the m51 thread to discuss these differences? I own m51 but have not heard the other dacs you mention. I am interested in potentially upgrading when time comes. If you wold not mind, I would love to hear more on this but not on this thread as it is dedicated to another dac

 

[BournePerfect]

I can say you made a very good choice, at a recent meet the M7 was the only dac that pulled ahead of the rest of the midrange dacs pack we had present. The Anedio d2, pwd mk2, and the lynx Hilo were all too close to call at the meet but the m7 proved itself superior. I would love to have one!

Yes I debated trying one of the other dacs you mentioned-but I feel that most of them would be more similar to each other than different, and felt I've had my fill from living with the DP-1 for a while. I also miss the realistic timbre/tonality of the R2R sound which is absolutely paramount in my book. I feel sometimes that a lot of guys here don't know/remember what real instruments sound like-not just what a hifi recording of an instrument sounds like. We get caught up in transparency, soundstage, details, blah blah blah....thinking the exact science of these devices and utter transparency means it can't get better. But when you hear it like it sounds in real life (I think a lot of us forget)-that is where we have these transcendental(sp?) experiences where the music is all that matters. I played trumpet for 7 years in Jazz and Concert bands from 5th-12th grade-but 'forgot' what real instruments sounded like until I heard my Reference 9 a couple of years ago (I'm almost 36 now). Kind of life changing to instantly get sucked back 20 years to a dusky high school music room after hearing just a few guitar plucks out of that dac...and I pity those who never heard these instruments firsthand, and never know the magic they are missing as they seek out data charts and 'hi fidelity'. I'm excited to see if the Master 7 can recapture that-I'm fairly confident it will.

-Daniel

PS: forgive my android phone errors...