Pavane Flagship NOS DAC
Product Information
PAVANE Super Dac Performance
Pavane Level 3 Dac 3 Upgrade ....
Alpha-Audio report on DAC 3
Metrum's Flagship Digital Source provider - with optional MQA. I2S Digital input Protocol adds icing to the cake when connected to Ambre Roon Endpoint.
Background : Pavane DAC ONE
With the goal of creating a very special 21st Century DAC, designer Cees Ruijtenberg for some time endeavoured to overcome the limitations of modern D/A conversion techniques. This proved an unprecedented challenge, eventually solved by designing an entirely new conversion process - exclusively developed by Metrum Acoustics. Reviewers and Professional sectors have solidly endorsed Pavane's Sound Quality.
'Transient' technology was the result. Each of the new 'Transient' modules being equal roughly, to three of the Industrial grade chips used previously. "Transient - Audio"
However, behind the luxurious front, more than a few new chipsets were employed :
The parallel driven R2R ladder networks, as used in the eight DAC modules, receive an enhanced level of performance, using an FPGA-driven, 'forward correction module'.
This module splits audio samples for each channel, into new separate data streams. Each Dac cluster processes a portion of the data, in the most linear region of the D/A chips. The result of this process, is extremely high linearity, right down to -140 dB. This gave Pavane a realistic 24 bit dynamic range. Due to the dual mono design over the entire frequency range, extremely high channel separation of 120 dB was realised. This contributes to flawless positioning of instruments.
In short, Pavane is a DAC that has taken all the lessons and experience that her designer has gained over the years and combined them into an ambitious, unique new era DAC. It maintains musicality, continues to honour Non-Over-Sampling principles, whilst incorporating modern technical progress.
USB3 Module :
Developed for Pavane, the module was designed with greater flexibility in mind, to accommodate sampling rates up to 384kHz, using an M2Tech XMOS OEM module. Flexibility important to enable implementation of both current and future sound development formats.
Burn time for Pavane takes longer than previous Dacs – 4 weeks min. No need to run music through the system – just leave switched on.
As with all Metrum’s Dacs, Pavane responds to cabling.
For quite some time now, price tags at the 'High End' are often (some might say), at ridiculous levels. Are they justifiable ?
Comments from Art Dudley at Sterophile some years ago, suggests they may not be.
Perhaps demonstrating Pavane's value today.
Pavane DAC TWO :
DAC TWO takes processing power several steps further, by miniaturising and incorporating 2 X DAC ONE modules + FPGA into just one (same size) DAC TWO module. Configuration within Pavane remains the same i.e. but now incorporating 4 DAC TWO Modules per channel.
The Reviews listed below refer to Pavane Level I. Adagio is Pavane Level III with variable gain Digital output. Refer Adagio Product Page and Awards for opinions on Dac performance.
Price : $9,995
DAC 3 Upgrade $12,450
Prices include either USB or I2S factory fitted.
I2S Module $170
USB Module $205
MQA Module $275
Reviews :
WITCHDOCTOR : NZ
"This is where the high-end truly pays off.
The subtlest details and textures could be better distinguished, enriching the music and creating a heightened sense of awareness. The scale, the highs and lows, the building and release of tension, darkness and light, complex rhythms and timbres.
Most importantly, the luxurious flow of music. The bass was warmly organic and tuneful, drums full and resonant and the piano just sounded beautiful – there is simply no better way to describe it.
It’s very tempting to say that the next best thing would be the real thing".
THE EAR : Europe
"Dutch DAC specialist Metrum Acoustics has always been at the forefront of digital technology, but with its latest creation, it has re-written the rules of digital to analogue conversion so comprehensively, that René had no choice but to buy one.
A year ago I would not have believed this performance level is possible at this price. Metrum Acoustics is probably leaving competitors in disbelief. Me, in a few weeks I be will be one of the lucky guys who owns a Pavane." Look "EAR"
After reviewing and returning Pavane, René van Es takes the opportunity to visit the production facility - having ordered one for use in his own system.
A brief overview of Metrum history and manufacturing operations are revealed.
Pavane’s development, assembly and Transient D/A conversion technology feature. "Inside Metrum HQ"
ALPHA - AUDIO : Netherlands
"What can we say about the new Metrum Pavane Dac ? Except that we are particularly impressed by this piece of work. The Pavane is extremely neutral, quick honest. And through all inputs, including the USB input. The design and finish is nothing short of sublime. We have nothing else to say about it .... except ;
What a device – the best Dac ever tested ... Absolutely recommended !"
"Reviews → Stereo → D/A Converters → Show all items → Pavane"
It's a google translation but you get the gist.
6 MOONS : Switzerland
Detailed technical "Information"
"Recorded space … was more obvious. It’s this access which has one enter the inner game of Hi-Fi. One no longer stands by as a watcher. One is immersed.
One is inside.
… tremendous micro detail has us notice more elements of recorded space and the interconnectivity between players; more performer inflections and how those vary emotional meaning; and more of the constant energetic pull that ebbs and flows between tension and release. Gear like this makes it easier to have a splendid and deep listening session.
This deck is for more advanced listeners. They know the ropes of hi-fi’s inner game.
Do you want to "be in" ; or out ?"
HiFi+ & the Absolute Sound : UK + USA
"Playing a variety of pieces I was struck by the variation between them, as the Pavane picked out the nuances as well as the big changes that happened in recording techniques over the years. The Pavane like other Metrum DACs is incredibly revealing of the elements in the music that convince you that there was a living, breathing, and exceptionally talented musician(s) in a studio or on a stage at some point in the past.
The Pavane is a fully PCM 24/384 compatible device, and it doesn’t need fashionable formats or upsampling to deliver the goods; it probably achieves its goals by avoiding them.
What makes a product good in this respect is dynamic and temporal linearity; a bit of low level resolution doesn’t hurt either, but this isn’t as important as those linearities in creating the illusion of musical vitality.
The Metrum Pavane does this significantly better than anything at the price and quite a lot of rather pricier alternatives to boot".
Einsnull : Germany
“And also on the part of the (music) material came a special feature: I have created a rather elaborate Vinyl-rip of the excellent 1977 live-album "On Stage" from British hard rock heroes ‘Rainbow’. Played in the 40,000-Euro league with extremely, carefully adjusted record player with a Phono Stage in the five-digit range, plus a fast 33-bit A/D converter from M2Tech.
The Pavane sounds like a record.
Special attention was paid to noise in this experiment : Normally the timbre of noise only concerns real disc noise. Here however, even the unwanted artifacts of the analogue output sounded authentic. With "normal" material, the Pavane sounds very majestic and does not over-emphasise anything : when required it flatters if the musical situation demands it.
The Pavane performs confidently, demonstrates NOS techniques masterfully and shines with" ... ''Exemplary Authenticity''
HIFICRITIC : UK
Did Pavane fly as high as Octave and Hex in Critic’s opinion ?
Pavane seems to impress in many areas but found ‘not quite perfect’. No Reference/s are specified in review … but the enthusiasm expressed, suggests new levels of Reference SQ have been achieved.
Can we assume improvement over Octave and Hex – as indicated in Chris Bryant’s review ?
No Sound Quality Rating awarded this time ... so we can only draw assumptions from words used in review, to describe Pavane - ‘remarkable’ features strongly, amazed, astonishing, entrancing and exceptional.
So whilst no official SQR …
Pavane is Recommended and “Rated a Bargain” at €4,950.
If a bargain at considerably higher price than Hex – then perhaps we can conclude … Pavane does indeed fly higher !
Audiostream : USA
Extreme NOS
“Yes, Pavane is a better sounding Dac … It gives you more weight, body, tonal richness and a more natural sense of the space of the recording … Think clarity.
The Pavane does a wonderful job of presenting even the most complex music in a natural and inviting manner with every last ounce of nuance intact.
More so than the majority of Dacs that have come through here, the Pavane allows you to hear into the recording and the recording’s quality.
Cees Ruijtenberg is clearly onto something with his new Dacs and that something, according to my ears, is "musical enjoyment"
PC Audiophile : RUSSIA
A most informative Review on many fronts. Concentrating on Information regarding technical and historical knowledge, what we know about sound in theory and how it should apply to our current day thinking. Dispelling some of the myths/hype surrounding certain issues and making us aware of some sound aspects not mentioned elsewhere ... but most importantly - it's the Sound that counts.
"I think Pavane is one of the best DACs available today - standing amongst the most high-quality and advanced devices currently on sale. Moreover, it has one advantage that makes it truly unique - it is value for money. For this characteristic it certainly is more attractive than the other DACs using R2R-matrices, such as Light Harmonic Da Vinci DAC MKII (US$31,000), Totaldac d1-dual DAC (€9,900 Euros) or the MSB Signature DAC V (US$24,990)".
Ljud & Bild : Sweden
Pavane proves revealing of Recordings, instruments, acoustics and accompanying equipment.
"By far, pure sound is unveiled and prominent. Acoustic instruments sound real and present in a way that I cannot remember having heard before. A clarinet sounds as if made of wood. And the details !
Its main competitors are unlikely to be Digital converters but very ambitious Digital Preamplifiers".
Translation from Swedish ..... "No artificial Colouring"
Son et Image : Canada (Quebec)
From Sound and Vision magazine .... Pavane is on the Test Bench.
"Meet the Exceptional" ... is the header.
To find out more ... the Review is available only in the mag.
Professional Use :
German Precision Audio Engineers
From its formation in 1993, Salzbrenner Stage Tec Media group has specialised in both video and digital audio technology and has become a world-leading vendor of professional audio. “STAGE TEC”
Pavane became a reference standard, monitoring the entire recording process at STS Digital Studios. STS are one of Europe's leading audiophile recording and music production studios - used by several component manufacturers e.g. Marantz to produce sampler discs. Marantz are very particular, when it comes to sound quality.
Both Aurix & Pavane featured at Munich High End Show.
For a glimpse featuring Aurix.
Live v. Recording demonstration.
“Fritz de With from STS-Digital has a long career in the recording business and audiophile-ish love for music. This has evolved into very specific recording techniques. Pigheaded as he is, he only agrees to recording if it can be done his way, using his components. Period".
"As a sound-technician I always look for 5 keypoints and disciplines in master recordings :
1.The warm sound, that acoustic instruments possess on their own, but is often not captured by sound-technicians. We attach a great deal of value to the warm sound and try to get this through carbon-fibre and quality microphones, plus an AD-convertor.
2.Acoustic placing and recognition of the musicians in the recording space, feasible with the STS-3 and the STS-6 recording system. For us, the horizontal and vertical resolution in a recording are very important.
3.Phase purity of a recording, both the electric phase (good cable/fibre connections etc), and the acoustic phase must be acquired through proper placing of the microphones. This can be checked by a set of headphones, and of course a phase meter.
4.Symmetry in the recording. This means always placing the microphones in such a way that on both the left and the right side there's an equal division of signal, and not placing mono support microphones on the extreme left and right. These will disturb the symmetrical sound and will give sound-peaks that do not coincide with the total acoustics of the space.
5.Transparency and clarity in a recording. This does not mean an overly sharp recording, but one of softness in tone and clarity, in which especially the 3-dimensional recording-space is being displayed".
Pavane : Level I, II and finally Level III - Super Performance
German Precision Audio Engineers StageTec - join STS in the Metrum Professional arena.
STS Digital's Reference System :
STS Digital at Munich High End : Pavane and Aurix v Live Recording
Pavane is available in Black or Silver. The top panel is a sandwich of steel and 4mm of tempered black coated glass - giving Pavane very distinctive looks.
Pavane is built with a double well damped frame, incorporating bituminous material to avoid vibrations. Around this strong body, sculpted aluminium panels are fixed, to make it even stronger. The chosen approach also masks the use of screws, when viewed from the most important directions.
Toroidal transformers and 8 Transient conversion modules.
AES Digital input Module
USB3 Module
Dac One
Mono Transient Dac board Balanced
Single Ended
FPGA Module : Two years to get the right algorithm. The first time a Dac has real 24 bits dynamic range and extreme linearity at the same time!!
6 Moons listening.
The Human Ear - showing Basilar membrane and the 'filtering' of frequencies within. The limit of our hearing is around 20kHz - for someone with very good hearing.
A standard remote included - to control the available digital inputs.