NOS DACS
Product Information
Reference-Price-Level NOS R2R DACS
Metrum Acoustics join with Sonnet Digital Audio to offer ...
A complete range of high performance NOS DAC Converters & DAC/PRE's at various, very competitive price points.
Amethyst combines both Dac & Headphone Amplifier.
Refer Product Pages for the complete Range :
Metrum's Range now sees DAC3 implemented as an upgrade over DAC TWO
Morpheus MKII
PASITHEA FLAGSHIP NOS DAC - DVC
2023 Digital Audio Progress - Update from 6 Moons :
2 DACS MAKE THE HIT LIST
PASITHEA $9,795 ... or $73,000
2023
"Once again, Cees and his team have hit the mark with performance and price. Pasithea feels twofold compared to Morpheus".
Michael Lavorgna is putting together a Sonnet Digital Audio System.
In Part One ... "Pasithea" is put through its paces.
Srajan Ebaen
It's a 60th Birthday present to himself .... "Miss Peach has now upgraded my big System's Digital to the next level".
New 6 Moons Reference DAC-PRE
New Alpha-Audio Reference DAC-PRE (below)
2022 Products of the Year - Jaap's Pic : "DAC PASITHEA"
Reviews
Soundstage AU
"Exceptional Value Award"
"The momentum now ramps up to an avalanche with the new Pasithea DAC, the usurper to the throne of Sonnet’s top offering.
Yes, the Goddess Pasithea lives in this DAC” …
Alpha-Audio audition ... does it 'measure' up ?
"The insightfulness, calmness, control and authority we hear gets us thinking: where are the limits ? When does the progression stop ? A noise floor of around -160dB is incredible. That’s well below our Bryston and Pass labs XP-12 which are around -130dB if we remember correctly".
"In short : that is where the weak link(s) now lies"
6 Moons conclude ...
"Cees Ruijtenberg has now wholly eclipsed his best-ever work at Metrum"
The development of SDA-3 NOS D/A Modules has reached fruition with Pasithea. 8 new Modules (over Morpheus' 4 SDA-2) feature - requiring double the power from the Toroidal Transformer. Power is completely separated between Digital & Analog domains. Noise floor has been dramatically reduced with improved linearity. Connectivity now includes both I2S & USB. The new design improves further on Amplifier compatibility when driving a Power Amp direct via Digital Voltage Control.
"A New Horizon"
MORPHEUS
Stereophile : Recommended Components Fall 2022
"Sound Quality to Price Ratio very good"
Stereophile for the 1st time Review a Ruijtenberg NOS DAC
USA : In Barn
Morpheus is now employed by Record Industry to Master Digital to Analogue conversion - direct to their Neumann LP cutting Lathes.
From Czechoslovakia
Julia ... "More in-room with musicians"
Chinese Review Translation.
Translated Conclusion :
"Here is a very astonishing device which surprises as much on form as on substance. Compact, devoid of the usual Audiophile components and other gold-plated sockets, Morpheus emphasizes innovation and sophistication of circuitry - rather than the cost of its components and its cabinet. It’s an eminently purist approach in the best sense of the word.
As for its sound behavior, it derives its legitimacy from studio experience more than HiFi.
Indeed it focuses on an extraordinary power of resolution in this price range and plays the role of acoustic facilitator. The sound is always particularly comfortable and pleasant, except if the sound recording was botched of course.
In a world that sometimes tends to standardize, this little converter brings a big breath of fresh air.
"With sophisticated technology the Sonnet Morpheus achieves exactly the sound that makes Ladder Dac’s so unique. Its fresh, detailed and exceptionally spatial sound inspires across the board. In addition, the Hermes is an ideal Source device with its great performance and individually adaptable software.
All facets of the individual components were evident and the precise dynamic play never seemed to overwhelm the Speakers and even at the listening position one never felt overwhelmed despite the abundant information.
Instead, the Sonnet Combo allows you to dive deep into the music or just be entertained.
Sonnet knows how to get optimal results from Digital Audio Signals. With the combination of I2S transmission, the sophisticated Ladder Dac concept and the loss-free Pre-stage, one tries to influence the Signal as little as possible and thus to receive as much information as possible.
Hermes and Morph reward this work with an excellent sound experience that is worthy of their names as role models".
For the full (German ) "Review" :
''The World's Finest Audio Products''
No need for words here - Jaap Veenstra from Alpha-Audio reports :
Will Morpheous NOS Dac roll-off HF ?
“This is complete nonsense as there is so little info in that area of music. So called roll off is the absence of pre and post ringing. So the opposite is true ... people get used to artefacts". C.R.
Perhaps exemplified by HiFiNews Music Reviews ... where often 'noise' is what you get/hear in the Ultra sonic range. "Cymbals/Hi-Hats" come in at the top with 3-5000Hz frequencies and it's only with 2nd-6th order harmonics that 8-24kHz enter the fray (if we believe the above).
Rene van Es Reviews Morpheus with some long awaited (but brief) comparisons with Adagio/Pavane L2. In use Supertweeters ... which should highlight any HF deficiencies.
"PMC fact.12 speakers on Townshend Podiums with Townshend Supertweeters. I go over I2S to enter Morpheus The DAC ensures that a blow to a drum can actually be experienced in this way and that cymbals rustle in the air. A lot higher than the Bass drum, in accordance with reality. Piano is beautiful with its harmonics".
Ideal Headphone Frequency Response :
It’s interesting to note that Tyll Hertsens (Inner/fidelity), proposes an ideal HP target response curve - diminishing above 10kHz and down "-10dB at 20kHz". Response charts for various Phones tested are provided. Would you hear any roll-off from upstream components (if there was any) at highest levels ?
$6,250
R2R NOS DAC with Variable Reference Volume Control :
Standard output 2V RCA - 4V XLR. But ....
Variable Voltage output too : Internal circuitry allows for 3V RCA or 6V XLR output configuration to your Power Amplifier ... should this be necessary or of benefit.
A new generation of D/A conversion modules (SDA-2).
New "Amanero" USB implementation.
No drivers required for Linux or MAC - Windows operating systems refer above.
Morpheus houses 2 Modules per channel and provides extremely high linearity. Noise floor ... which delivers a realistic 24-bit Dynamic range. The new Modules feature 4 new ladders with each channel using 8 resistor ladders. A new FPGA arrangement now see 4 in use, with improved software enabling a 6dB improvement - reducing noise levels even further to -155dB. Refer Specs for details.
Options include the new USB implementation, I²S connectivity, MQA Boards (which feature revised signal routing). A DSP Board is also under consideration. All are modular concepts and user friendly. Morpheus is essentially a complete redesign over previous models. The optional I2S input is available for connection to the forthcoming Sonnet Roon Streamer. This provides the purest signal path - where data and clock signal are kept separate during transport from Streamer to DAC.
Mono Power Amplifiers are also on the drawing board to enable a complete playback system ... just add Acelec Model One Monitors to complete the chain.
The 6 Moons story concludes with a 'Blue Moon Award' ... "Purple Haze"
