Metrum Onyx versus Metrum Pavane

@mitch2 have you had time to listen to the Adagio?

Also, what are the main benefits in using the Jade as opposed to Onyx? Is it mainly just being able to hook directly to a power amp?

@justjames72
Correct, removing the preamp from the chain and any effect (positive or negative) that it may or may not have on your system. There are also jumpers in the Jade that allow you to bypass the volume adjustment and send a fixed output of either 2V or 4V (IIRC).

@justjames72

have you had time to listen to the Adagio?

Just a little - it is nowhere near broken in but sounds pretty good. It does improve on the Jade by displaying a richer tonal quality probably due to more dac chips and a bigger power supply.
I will not be able to try it again until Sunday. I plan to also try the Adagio through my preamp -both through the volume control and after taking the volume control out of the circuit. I have received instruction on how to take the (very high quality) volume control out of my preamp’s circuit so I would then be running my preamp as a unity-gain buffer. It is going to be a lengthy audition if I want to try all configurations and to make sure the Adagio is sufficiently burned to sound its best.

@mitch2 right on, I'm interested in what the difference is. I can't imagine its a big enough difference to justify that price jump from Onyx to Pavane 3 or Adagio

 @justjames72

I can't imagine its a big enough difference to justify that price jump from Onyx to Pavane 3 or Adagio

I currently own Jade (Onyx with volume control), Pavane L3, and Adagio, and can say that while the Jade sounds good, the other two clearly take things to another level. The choice of whether that is worth it depends on system goals, partnering equipment, and finances, but the differences are tangible. With audio its like stepping half the distance to a wall, the closer you get, the smaller the steps.....and you pay more for each smaller step.