Metrum Adagio with 10db attenuation on 552/500

Posted by: EricE on 20 July 2017

 I recently bought the Metrum Adagio which is a great sounding NOS DAC. Perfectly in sink with my 552DR/500DR. This Metrum Adagio has -as it turned out- a very nice feature, a 10db attenuation of its output signal lowering the level from 2V to 0,73 V. The performance of the Adagio stays the same on both output levels.

 Never thought that this could change the performance of the 552 but it just drives it to a complete higher level. The difference is stunning, much more details, space and room. The sound is much more realistic and dynamic. Really a much better pre-amp although I need to put the volume knob at 12 o clock instead of 8 o clock.

The designer of the Metrum was joining this listening session and was stunned as well. Contacted the distributor but they were not aware of this change. Anyone noticed this difference as well?

Posted on: 20 July 2017 by Adam Meredith
EricE posted:

 Really a much better pre-amp although I need to put the volume knob at 12 o clock instead of 8 o clock.

The volume control works very nicely around 12 o'clock - which is where the original designs, using turntables, placed normal use.

Posted on: 20 July 2017 by ChrisSU

As I understand it, this is similar to what you can do with a Hugo into a Naim preamp by adjusting the Hugo volume to whatever level suits you.

Posted on: 21 July 2017 by Harry

I'd be happy to get to 8 o'clock. It's a daft situation.

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by EricE

The position of the volume button is just a consequence of the attenuation. But that is not what this is about. What is important is that the performance of a 552 increases dramatically if the input level is lowered. In my case from 2V to 0.73V. This is rather strange and apparently not noted before.

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by Adam Meredith
EricE posted:

The position of the volume button is just a consequence of the attenuation. But that is not what this is about. 

It may, in part or wholly, be just this. The volume control 'works' best around 12 o'clock. 

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by EricE

Wooh, nice to have a non linear volume control in an expensive pre-amp...

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by yeti42

Your wouldn't like a linear volume control.