@transience Your comment in another thread about Metrum Acoustics closing shop is correct according to this....
https://metrumacoustics.com/Like a marriage, when SHTF only those involved in the marriage can figure out what really happened, and there are usually two sides to the story.
However, as a former Pavane L3 owner and current Adagio owner (and Jade, and Ambre, and baby Ambre) I can say without reservation that my dealings with
Cees Ruijtenberg have been some of the most pleasurable I have had in my years in this audio hobby. I am also glad Cees said he would help support Metrum Acoustics products if needed.
The posting on Metrum's website sounds like sour grapes and was probably more of an emotional response than a tactical marketing response, which is usually a bad idea. They had an excellent component line-up, solid customer base, and probably could have ridden the wave for awhile if they had only continued providing the stellar customer service I had received from Cees. However, my great customer service experiences with Metrum were all with Cees directly. If he was designing the products, overseeing manufacturing, and taking the lead on customer service, I can see where that would lead to overload and a need for a change in venue. Pure speculation on my part.
Whether the Morpheus is better than the Pavane L3 or Adagio, I wouldn't know since I unfortunately have not heard the Morpheus. I have been trying to decide whether I need a DAC in my living room, which is mostly set up with unobtrusive HT gear. Actually, I am trying to find an excuse to purchase a Morpheus but haven't reached that point yet. I do know the Pavane L3/Adagio are the best in digital that I have had in my system, which includes some very good CD players and DACs by Lampizator and Ayre. They are quite natural sounding and have excellent drive. However, I have consistently preferred the Adagio through my SMc Buffer rather than amp-direct. I would really like to hear the Morpheus since some have spoken about how it fleshes out the sound more than the Pavane L3 or Adagio. It is difficult for me to get my head around how the Pavane/Adagio have clearly superior chassis, more substantial power supplies, and use of separate boards, yet the fairly pedestrian Morpheus apparently at least matches if not improves on the sound of those two former Metrum flagship DACs, designed by the same person as the Morpheus. However, all the positive reviews can't be horse hockey pucks so there must be some truth. I am content to keep my Adagio until I can try and directly compare a Morpheus or the next higher level DAC Cees may reportedly be working on in his spare time.