Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

I owned the Adagio and have had the LaScala here in my system for an audition.  I agree with gibalok about the Adagio, which I found to be very clean and resolving but with a bit less body and tonal density than I enjoyed from my Level 1 Pavane.  I could tell the Adagio was more resolving than my Level 1 Pavane but after sending my Pavane in for the upgrade, I found the Level 3 Pavane to be more to my liking than the Adagio since it was close in resolution and IMO displayed superior body and tonal density.  I have a very high quality unity-gain, buffered preamp so do not need or want to go direct from the DAC to my amps.  I could live with the Adagio, but preferred the Level 3 Pavane, even when I compared them by running both through my preamp.
I preferred the Level 1 Pavane to the LaScala although that opinion may be in the minority.  I would definitely prefer the Level 3 Pavane to the LaScala.  I have not heard Aqua's Formula but would like to.

Mitch2, thank you for your input.
lived one day more with Adagio and then switched to Pavane/Shrimp - so the sound become dull, fat and significantly less resolving. It seams that it is no way back with Pavane/Shrimp.

Also the dynamic range and the range from quiet sound and lound sound with Adagio become 2x wider. For me it means it brings more emotions to the music as it was designed by sound engineer. The same as you are in cinema with good equipemnt then the movie has wide dynamic range. Its not the same as you watch just TV. So if Pavane/Shrimp plays in 3-7 whereas Adagio can provide 1-10. (1-10 some scale of sound loudness)

Also nobody burned properly XLR outputs from Adagio and XLR inputs in my Flight 100 amp. It imporoved significantly comparing to day 1.

But in the same time I understand that better preamp + Pavane level 1 (and level 3 of cause) can easily touch Adagio but it needs approx 2x more investments (hopefully i can spend 1-1,5k to get Adagio after selling Pavane). IMO

Some more observation. That Adagio in sound signature is more like good Dual mono AKM 4399 DAC than Pavane R2R. So on this level i can hardly say that R2R sounds different that good Delta Sigma. Borders became less obvious.

What buffered preamp you are reffering to?

Thank you

Mitch2 which version of the La Scala did you have Version 1 or Version 2? 

audiotroy, I auditioned the Aqua Hifi La Scala MKII, but not the recent Optologic version.

gibalok, my pre was custom made by SMc Audio - Steve McCormack, and is very close to his VRE-1.  It is a unity-gain, buffered preamp with the VRE-1 outboard choke power supply, a Shallco volume control with AN Tantalum resisters, and Lundahl output transformers that are wound with Cardas copper wire.

For more about the Metrum DACs, I suggest reading Srajan's 6moons reviews all the way through the March 2017 Adagio review and his comparison of that DAC to the COS, LaScala, and Formula DACs.

What about other dacs with pre
ayre? Rockna?