Metrum Onyx versus Metrum Pavane

@mrotino 
I forgot to add, if you like your sound now, I would probably not spend the money on the Ambre.  However, the Ambre is a very capable endpoint and in my system has compared favorably with the much more expensive SOtM triad three piece ultra endpoint with which I am limited to using USB.  You will not go wrong purchasing the Ambre but with things like that I would not anticipate the move to be a "game changer."

@mitch2  what would be a game changer in terms of a streamer?

I do not have wide enough experience to answer your question but I will tell you what I can.  I went from an $8K CD player to a Mojo Audio Mac mini server then to the Antipodes DX.  I have had Antipodes upgrade the DX twice and then added an outboard end point so I run Ethernet directly to the DX and then Ethernet from the DX to the endpoint (currently the Metrum Ambre or SOtM triad since I own both) and then either USB (when using the SOtM endpoint) or AES/EBU or I2S (when using the Ambre) into my Metrum DAC.  Switching from the internal Roon endpoint in the DX to the external endpoint (either Ambre or SOtM) was a bigger change IMO than going from Ambre to SOtM.  This current set-up easily tops the $8K CD player and is the best front-end I have had (I do not use vinyl).

Removing my preamp and adding the Adagio DAC-direct actually made some difference in resolution, even though my other DAC is the very good Pavane L3.  I want to try adding the preamp back in so I received instructions as to how to remove the volume control from the preamp circuit by installing two resistors - resulting in a unity gain buffer.  Volume will be controlled by the Adagio while the SMc preamp will maybe add a little special sauce. I purchased two (expensive!) Audio Note 2W Silver Tantalum resistors to perform the bypass so I am excited to hear the result.

@mitch2 thanks for that. My setup is strictly Ambre > I2S > Onyx > XLR >McIntosh MA6600 > B&W 702S2.

I use Roon on my IMAC also

 I think it sounds damn good, but it’s always fun to wonder what I might be missing.

@mitch2 I’m in a spot now with a Schiit Gungnir Multibit and Metrum Onyx. I’ve touched on the differences on another forum ( https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/metrum-acoustics-onyx-balanced-dac-and-jade-balanced-dac-pre.5181/page-12#post-254964) but the short story is that I find Onyx lacks bass authority, slam and texture but I prefer it to the Schiit product for more-or-less everything else.

Now I’m eyeing up Pavane L3/Adagio and thinking "will the bass improve enough that it’s worth it?" Any insights would be great!