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Audio-GD Master 7 vs Metrum Hex

This is a very early comparison between these two dacs. I have owned the Hex for about a year and the Master 7 for 3 days. The Master 7 is brokin in at the factory for 300 hrs but they say it needs 500 to sound the best.
I have listened to both with two sources. One is my AudioNote CDT II transport via a CT-1 coax cable. The second is a MacBook Pro running Yosemite via a Audioquest Jitterbug, a Lite Harmonic Lightspeed 10g USB cable into an Uptone Audio Regen powered by an outboard linear power supply.
Both these dacs are NOS dacs. The Hex uses 16 24bit industrial chips while the master 7 uses 8 1704k chips. The master 7 is currently set for 8 times oversampling. I have not as yet opened her up to try the non oversampling setting
The two dacs sound very different. The Hex is a very smooth, almost analog sounding dac with good dynamics, Wide frequency extension and an overall rich sound. The Master 7 recovers more detail and has the greatest resolution of any dac I have ever hear. Dynamics, both micro and macro are stunning. I worked in a recording studio for many years and the Master 7 sounds very much like a live feed from the control room console.
I hope with a little more breakin or switching to the NOS setting will add a little more richness to this dac. These are two great dacs but I am in the process of selling the Hex
Alan


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Topic - Audio-GD Master 7 vs Metrum Hex - ahendler 12:52:28 08/18/15 (46)

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