I have owned the Octave II, Hex and Pavane.
The Hex is a good sounding DAC that displays the reason many enjoy the NOS sound. It sounds very natural and musical but it is indeed bettered by the Pavane, which is a very good DAC. The Pavane removes a touch of coarseness that is not apparent when listening to the Hex alone, and also adds resolution and impact at all frequencies.
I have also auditioned the Adagio in my home for a couple of weeks. The Adagio, which uses Metrum's new Transient DAC TWO modules displayed an almost eerie clarity and natural sound that may give some a reason to sell their vinyl rigs. Although the Adagio's volume control worked quite well, I liked the sound better when played through my preamp so I really did not need it. The Adagio is a better DAC than the Pavane, but there were aspects of the Pavane's sound that I enjoyed more. Luckily, Metrum offers the best of both worlds and I just received my Metrum Pavane DAC back from The Netherlands after being upgraded with the same Transient DAC TWO modules that are used in the Adagio. The transparency is exceptional and the result is an analog-like relaxed musicality - transparent, resolving, nuanced but very natural sounding.
I have not heard the Minuet but you may want to read Jan de Jeu's review since he gave it his "Product of the Year" vote. The review concludes with,
http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/metrum-menuet-digital-analogue-converter
The Hex is a good sounding DAC that displays the reason many enjoy the NOS sound. It sounds very natural and musical but it is indeed bettered by the Pavane, which is a very good DAC. The Pavane removes a touch of coarseness that is not apparent when listening to the Hex alone, and also adds resolution and impact at all frequencies.
I have also auditioned the Adagio in my home for a couple of weeks. The Adagio, which uses Metrum's new Transient DAC TWO modules displayed an almost eerie clarity and natural sound that may give some a reason to sell their vinyl rigs. Although the Adagio's volume control worked quite well, I liked the sound better when played through my preamp so I really did not need it. The Adagio is a better DAC than the Pavane, but there were aspects of the Pavane's sound that I enjoyed more. Luckily, Metrum offers the best of both worlds and I just received my Metrum Pavane DAC back from The Netherlands after being upgraded with the same Transient DAC TWO modules that are used in the Adagio. The transparency is exceptional and the result is an analog-like relaxed musicality - transparent, resolving, nuanced but very natural sounding.
I have not heard the Minuet but you may want to read Jan de Jeu's review since he gave it his "Product of the Year" vote. The review concludes with,
"If I were in the market for a new DAC at this price point, the Menuet would be on the top of my ‘must hear’ list."Minuet review:
http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/metrum-menuet-digital-analogue-converter