[atsq17]

That's pretty awesome. A few (potentially silly) questions if you could...
1. Do you need a high quality HDMI cable? If so what did you use?
2. Does Audio GD sell that I2S board separately?

I see you're still trying to get the highest quality USB signal to the SU-1.

I was initially considering the Hifiberry solution with a high end cable like the High Fidelity CT1. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

 

[Energy]

1. There are cheaper options that should work just as well but very few. I recommend grabbing the Apollo AV Lightning V2 online at length 0.5M. I wouldn’t recommend any length longer since that increases jitter.

2. Audio-GD sells it separately for $40.

You will still want to obtain an SU-1 and improve the USB signal such as using an ISO REGEN or iGalvanic. You can go even futher by improving your PC to SU-1/DAC isolation by getting an NUC such as microRendu or equivalent.

 

[atsq17]

Thanks. I am trying to buy it from Kingwa now and I'm having some communication problems. I was asking him about the ribbon cable and he is telling me that he doesn't do I2S cables hehe.

 

[Energy]

He doesn't sell I2S cables, only the short cable that goes from the I2S board to the DAC.

If you're talking about the wires needed for Pavane then that's not possible since I modified it myself.

 

[atsq17]

That short cable is what I meant but there are more wires? I think I might need to check your article in more detail. I am getting a friend of mine who is good at DIY to help out. I'm not too experienced myself.

 

[Energy]

I can probably help you solder it if you send me the I2S board. I have extra wire and the right female dupont connectors here.

 

[atsq17]

So I just got my Pavane yesterday and I've been stealing an hour or two here and there to listen to it. Right now it's paired with a Taurus Mk2 and hopefully a Liquid Gold will be here in less than a fortnight.

I just realized that it's redefined the entire headphone universe for me. Previously the two best DACs I had was the LH Labs Pulse Infinity and the Schiit Gungnir Multibit. Previously I used Audio GD DACs up to the excellent Reference 7. I also have/had the Chord Mojo, Hugo and Hugo 2. Of all these the Hugo 2 was definitely the best and I was hearing things in my music that I had never heard before. It was excellent.

When I tried the Pavane, it wasn't that the soundstage increased (it did) or that there were more discovered details (there was). It was that it transformed my HD800 completely. Previously described as lacking in bass or body or impact regardless of what I connected to it, I struggled to marry good technicals with a tonality I enjoyed. The Mojo gave me the tonality I enjoyed (only just) and the Hugo 2 gave me the technicalities with a slight trade-off in tonality.

When I tried the Pavane, it was really a What moment. It wasn't as if the HD800 was given steroids. It was more like it was given an Ironman suit. Low end grunt I never heard before. Impact, sub bass galore, full bodied sound AND there were more details, micro details, soundstage and better imaging.

Also I'd never enjoyed the Taurus Mk2 with the HD800 because it was just a bit too revealing of what I thought was the HD800's character. Turns out it was just revealing the limitations of my previous DACs. I only ever used the Taurus Mk2 with the Ether and Ether Flow.

Now I am very much enjoying the Taurus Mk2 with the HD800 and Pavane. If the Liquid Gold is going to make things sound better then WOW. Just WOW. I'm really looking forward to how things can get even better. It's already the best I've ever heard.

Of course always wanting to push a little bit further, I was initially going to buy an expensive coax cable but I am now hoping to be able to do the I2S mod to maximize the Pavane. Perhaps when I have a lot of spare funds I can consider the Level upgrades for the Pavane.

I now understand why people say the HD800 can scale. In my opinion the Ether Flow sounds better than the HD800 on lesser equipment but with the Pavane I prefer my HD800 (which is now a completely different headphone) over the Ether Flow. Anyway, it's 2:37AM and I really should have gone to bed a few hours ago but I just couldn't put my headphones down.

Thought I'd share my thoughts here.

PS: Don't get the impression that the HD800s are now bass monsters. It's just that the music is now infused with everything I ever wanted in the HD800 without losing anything that made it great. It's now "just right" for me. Previously it was suffering from what I would consider the stereotypical description of the HD800. Lacking bass, body and impact. Detailed but thin and clinical sounding.

Also: My HD800s are modded with the SDR and cork mods.

Another note: When I want another infusion of extra bass I switch my amp from the Taurus Mk2 to the Liquid Carbon. The sound is more relaxed and bass is more prominent.

 

[TonyNewman]

So I just got my Pavane yesterday ...

Congrats on joining club Pavane.

Is your DAC level 1 or level 2? The reason I ask is that, after having mine upgraded from L1 to L2, I think there is a significant difference between them.

About the only area of criticism I would have on the L1 Pavane sound is that sometimes it can be a little too laid back - perhaps not quite as punchy or impactful as I would like. The upgrade to L2 fixed that for me, without sacrificing the good things that drew me to the Pavane in the first place.

(returning to posting after a period of lurking - hopefully I won't get another stalker flame response - did that guy even own a Pavane?).

 

[Tumyum]

Now you're back, he's probably be back as well . What's the difference between level 1, 2, and 3 in term of sound? Everything is about the same such as sound but clarity and transparency increase as you move up level or everything is better? Similar to the Holo Spring DAC as you move up level?

This lead me to next question and probably Grizzlybeast could answer this. From what you guys described, the pavane's sound speaks to me. love little warm, good bass, and treble little round. how is it compare to the Holo Spring such as which warmer, which got more bass, etc? or they had similar sound and I would be happy with either according to my taste. Thanks for any inputs.

 

[TonyNewman]

...What's the difference between level 1, 2, and 3 in term of sound? Everything is about the same such as sound but clarity and transparency increase as you move up level or everything is better? Similar to the Holo Spring DAC as you move up level?....

There was a few weeks between dropping off the Pavane L1 and getting the L2 back and burned in, so this is from audio memory that can be unreliable, particularly after a few weeks.

My impression is that the L2 gave the Pavane more punch and kick - when the music called for it - without taking away the wonderful musicality that drew me to this DAC in the first place. The L1 Pavane could sometimes be a little too laid back for my tastes - nothing huge, just every so often I was left wanting some more engagement from the more energetic tracks I sometimes listen to.

There might be other improvements, but I would need to A/B test L1 vs L2 to talk about that. Can't say anything more with weeks between listening sessions.

Not a huge difference in L1 to L2, I think. Significant, but not huge. YMMV. For me the upgrade was money well spent.

I have never heard the Holo Spring DAC, but I hear very good things about the Kitsune Edition running in NOS mode. Supposed to be great bang for the buck unit.

This comparison might be of interest:

LINK

The Pavane is L1 in this comparison, and the areas where it loses to the Kitsune are right where the L2 upgrade does its magic (increased punch/impact/engagement - less softness). I would expect an L2 Pavane to perform significantly better in a head to head with the Holo Spring Kitsune DAC, but it is also significantly more expensive.

If you are looking for a cost effective NOS DAC the Kitsune should be worth a listen.

 

[Tumyum]

Thanks for inputs Tony. That link belong to Grizzlybeast, I think and I read many times already. I'm still cannot come up with a conclusion for the sound of the Holo. I got an idea for the sound of Pavane (my type of sound) and an idea for Yggy (stay away from this). Hopefully some of you experienced in both can help me explain the sound signature of the Pavane vs Holo.

Tony, first you get level 1. why you go to level 2? did you hear lvl 2 before or you just want to upgrade? why stop at lvl 2 and not 3? also, for examplw, can you go back to lvl 1 if you dont like lvl 2? would metrum or your audio store allow free upgrade/downgrade within reasonable time frame? Thanks again.

 

[TonyNewman]

...
Tony, first you get level 1. why you go to level 2? did you hear lvl 2 before or you just want to upgrade? why stop at lvl 2 and not 3? also, for examplw, can you go back to lvl 1 if you dont like lvl 2? would metrum or your audio store allow free upgrade/downgrade within reasonable time frame? Thanks again.

My understanding is that the Level 3 upgrade allows for a higher sampling rate, but is otherwise pretty much identical to Level 2 in terms of hardware and sonics (same number of DAC TWO modules and an FGPA per channel for L2 and L3 ... etc). Unless you need the L3 384kHz sample rate support over the L2 192kHz sample rate, then there isn't all that much to be gained. Not much cost difference between L2 and L3 either, so if you want to go L3 it won't kill your wallet. I simply don't hear any difference for the higher sample rates - so L3 doesn't matter to me. YMMV.

LINK

My situation is somewhat unusual. I live in New Zealand, which is rather remote. The chance to sample high end gear before purchase is rare. The local distributor for Pavane only had L1 in stock at the time, so I upgraded to L2 unheard. It's a risk you take when living here. I researched it as best I could via the web beforehand.

The upgrade was done locally. My dealer has an excellent relationship with Metrum Acoustics, so they sent the parts and instructions so that the work could be done locally. There is no way I could have sent my Pavane to the Netherlands (or anywhere else) for the work, crossing multiple customs barriers.

I have the L1 parts at home, so in theory the upgrade is reversible, but I would never do it. L2 is noticeably better to my ears, addressing the areas where L1 didn't quite nail the sound (IMHO).

Free? No. Doesn't work like that. The local electronics folks need to get paid for their time. They are not associated with Metrum Accoustics in any way. Their costs were very reasonable - the upgrade parts were much the biggest cost.

My understanding is that all new Pavanes are L2 (or L3) now. Metrum have discontinued the L1. So if you are thinking of buying a new Pavane you will be getting L2 or L3 in any case.

 

[Chopin75]

I²S input board
Here is a I²S input board from Audio-GD that I modified to replace the existing USB input board on the Pavane so that it can accept I²S.
Since I²S transmission removes the need for a receiver chip and reconversion, I found it to sound significantly better than all other inputs such as USB, S/PDIF, or even AES/EBU. To me, the Metrum Acoustics Pavane sounds better than the Holo Audio Spring that I once upgraded from. The inconvenience here is that the Spring had this input whereas the Pavane didn't. For a long time I wondered how much better the Pavane would sound if it could utilize this type of input. Now the question has been answered. It sounds much better in a way where digital characteristics of sound is removed and this unit now sounds more lifelike than it ever has before.



The Technicals
An ultra-low noise VISHAY/DALE 165Ω resistor (CMF55/RN55) was added to the Audio-GD board to drop the incoming voltage (5.47V) that was once used to power USB input board to a working 3.3V for the I²S input board. Audio-GD's stock "Nover" electrolytic capacitors were replaced with better performing solid polymer Nichicon R7 for faster discharging (lower ESR) in case time variable becomes an important factor with I²S signals. The upgraded capacitors was too large for the space available hence one of them was mounted to the opposite side of the board. The bottom wires (Ground, +3.3V, SCLK, WCLK, and DATA) are soldered each to a female dupont connector and bent to a right angle so that they can fit without hitting the board when connected to the existing header pins (used for the previous USB Input board). I roughly measured the wires, soldered it, and adjusted it to where it would need to make proper contact with the pins all-while minimizing the length to prevent additional induced jitter (caused by longer wire runs).

Board Installation

HI, I find this mod fascinating and I have been debating if I should get the Pavane vs audio-gd R2R7. A main concern is lack of I2S from a $5000 DAC ?? The chinese know how to get the best sound by having I2S as their best connect. I am a bit confused from the pics as to how you connect the I2S to the main board. Initial pics show how the connecting wires are on top of the I2S board, but then it looks like when you attacked the board, the wires are now at the bottom??

 

[TonyNewman]

Kinda curious about this myself - an I2S input for the Pavane. I know folks have done (or had done for them) custom mods that have replaced the USB input with a HDMI I2S input.

I would like to see Metrum offer this as a standard option on the Pavane, and maybe something that could be retrofitted?

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

They offer a I2S card, but is with RJ45 connector, not HDMI.
The upcoming Metrum Ambre will be a Roon Endpoint with RJ45 I2S connector.
Just take a look at Metrum's Facebook for more details.