Metrum Dac owners

@ajnackman  

I have the Onyx, and I used to use it via USB and my MacBook Pro laptop.  It sounded ok, with no pops or other distortions.  I did go thru all sorts of USB correction devices, decrapifiers, Ultrarendu, etc. but not much really improved.

I then got a Matrix X-SPDIF2 ddc, which converts USB from the MacBook to either SPDIF (coax), and AES (xlr), and while I can only upsample to 192k, the music is soooooooooooooo much better than via USB. 

Highly recommended to go this route, though I am not sure if it's my MacBook or the USB that was lacking in the orig setup. I imagine that the EITR would be a positive move too, though I haven't tried it.

I don't have a Metrum DAC (although I'm interested).  However, with my Hegel HD25, about a year ago I replaced my Curious USB / W4S Recovery combination (which I previously thought was great) with an Eitr.  It was a major improvement - probably the most satisfying upgrade I've made to my system. I was literally laughing before I sat down on my listening chair, the difference was so obvious.

So I just got a schiit eitr and all I can say is wow. I was previously using usb out from my laptop into the amethyst, which initially I thought sounded really nice. After throwing the eitr into the chain, the sound is so much more natural. Its hard to explain but isolating the laptop power supply really has helped. I would say that it has reduced some glare I was getting from my system on digital playback. I’m just using a cheap blue jeans SPDIF cable. It took about half a song to realize that this was probably the best 150 (I bought a b-stock unit) bucks I’ve spent on my system. Of course your system has to be revealing enough to notice, I haven’t tried it on my desktop system.

Just a thought - rather than more resolving perhaps it might simply be that your DAC isn’t as well isolated on the USB as it could be.

I have a Metrum Adagio which is by far the best DAC I have ever had. I find the Metrum to be extremely responsive to the set up.

The biggest difference to the DAC ($12,000 AUD) has been the addition of Empirical Audio Syncromesh. Steve Nugent from EA has just updated what was a stellar performer to a 7 psec specification. The effect of the Syncromesh isn't subtle and adds improvement is soundstage width, height, detail, dynamics and most importantly renders a very natural and "in the room" sense.

I have compared almost every combination possible and I can say that the onboard Xmos USB in Metrum is not great. What is great is the BNC input. That is a different beast altogether. BNC is the sweet spot and the Synromesh is true 75 ohm.   If you can use a good PS - such as an Sbooster, you will never look back. Steve also makes a Dynamo PS which is a modded Paul Hynes - optimised for digital that I haven't tried yet.
 
I also found that the XLR (as have a few reviewers) sounds better than the RCA.