Metric Halo review

[bdiament]

Hi elcorso,

 

Thank you for your kind feedback about "Equinox".

 

You can use TRS to XLR, yes. If it is an output from the LIO-8 though, you might want to use TRS to male XLR, not female. (The input to a regular XLR cable - or to your preamp - will be female, so you'd need a male XLR connector out of the LIO-8 to mate with it.)

 

I've been listening to different server apps and so far, have not found (or measured) an audible difference from iTunes, which I'm using for my own server. (Other apps are on the machine but don't tend to get launched as much.) Playback from iTunes is a perfect match for playback of the original master files, therefore anything that sounds different (even if "better") is by definition, a departure from the sound of the original. So, I've been sticking with iTunes myself.

 

Best regards,

Barry

www.soundkeeperrecordings.com

www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

 

[f1eng]

I have not bought any audio equipment without listening first to it for 35 years.

One of the really sad things about the combination of mail order, then internet purchase, and the obsession with price over everything is the loss of dealers where one could listen. If you buy HiFi to look nice in your room, fair enough, buy the cheapest price without listening. If you buy it to listen to, any discount is insufficient to compensate for something you don't like - particularly if you bought on recommendation and then discovered years later there was something else you much preferred, you just didn't know it... Years of listening to something less good when you did not need to.

 

[Purite Audio]

Yes, when you introduce a customer to a product, lend him your demonstration unit for over a month, and then the customer buys somewhere else because it was a $100 cheaper, exasperating!

Keith.

 

[ItemAudio]

+1 for the comments comparing this pair: I have both here at the moment. The ULN-2 is markedly inferior in all departments to the LIO-8. In fact, I'm not sure the ULN-2 is particularly good value relative to its price. Having said that, every studio-grade converter north of £1000/$1500 is a perfectly competent device. But the ULN2 just doesn't play with the big boys.

 

However the LIO-8 makes a very interesting head-to-head comparison with the Prism Orpheus which in my view still stands as the leader of the pack at this price point. Both are very, very good.

 

Inevitably there are differences: it's tough to call which of the pair is the more truthful, but the Orpheus is a more attractive listen, with more naturally rendered reverb trails and a little more instrumental body. The LIO-8 suffers from the typical edginess induced by it's switching power brick PSU: low frequencies slightly 'starved', high frequencies a bit 'etched'. On balance, the LIO8 sounds a lot like a Benchmark DAC1 done right: it's evidently striving for absolute neutrality and resolution without particular concern for timbre.

 

The Orpheus is a strange beast: a rare combination of sweetness and light. It sounds 'voiced' in a way studio DACs usually are not. It throws a freakishly large soundstage that appears almost too good to be true. It wouldn't be quite right to call it 'warm', but it aspires to a fleshier presentation of acoustic instruments without being at all overblown. By comparison the standard LIO8 is unnaturally lean. In a system that is inherently mellow-sounding, this could be a welcome blast of fresh air. Conversely, with dry studio monitors, the Prism DAC is deliciously seductive, and no less resolute or dynamic than the LIO-8. More or less transparent? Tough to call.

 

Over Christmas, I'll be auditioning the LIO-8 with a linear PSU against the Prism: I suspect there will be very little to choose between them at that point. It will be interesting to compare the best of these with the forthcoming Antelope Zodiac Gold + Volticus bundle at a similar price.

 

So it's crystal clear that no vested interests are being promoted, we DO NOT CURRENTLY RESELL EITHER PRISM or METRIC HALO!

 

[f1eng]

Still feeling guilty, but I was still unsure when I returned your Sonic Model 5 and the loyalty discount for a ULN-2 owner buying a LIO-8 direct meant it was the best part of £2000 cheaper, not $100.

At the Sonic price it would have likely been a no-sale anyway I suspect.

Still, my principles are revealed as somewhat tarnished.

 

[f1eng]

When I was looking for a more up to date DAC for streaming than going iPod/Wadia 170i/Goldmund Mimesis 20 (in my main system), or Apogee mini-DAC USB (bedroom) the MH LIO-8 and Orpheus were amongst the several alternatives I auditioned at length (weeks).

There was little to choose between them overall and in the end the LIO-8 was cheaper for me at the time. The Orpheus is nicer to look at and if it had been the cheaper of the two I would have chosen it, it was that close.

I tend to agree with your analysis, though, in the end decided the LIO-8 was more transparent. FWIW.

Keith from Purité Audio was kind enough to lend me his linear power supply to try and I heard absolutely no difference, to my surprise.

My main system is all thoroughly filtered using a Goldmund AC-Curator, so I think it is pretty well immune to mains borne crud. My conclusion was that the MH unit is well optimised for its power supply in itself, and if there is mains borne rubbish generated by it, my system filters it out adequately.

Don't forget the Orpheus has an internal switched mode supply, so can not be bypassed...

 

[ItemAudio]

Studio gear is a difficult gig for a reseller: Keith and I and one or two others are doing our best to get behind a few pro-audio brands, simply because they work so well.

 

But the margins are much smaller than 'audiophile'-branded equipment - which is exactly why they're such good value for buyers.

 

They're also expensive to keep on the books as demonstrators. We only offer to lend stuff we really believe in, but of course that's no guarantee a customer will buy... the urge to bag a bargain is sometimes stronger than loyalty to the dealer. But hey - resellers have little sense of loyalty either - so don't worry!

 

With my shopper head on last week, I discovered that I could buy a new Prism Orpheus from a(n unnammed) UK dealer this week for only £80 more than we can buy it from the distributor. Either it was stolen, or they were prepared to sell it for 2% margin. Within days, I was shopping for a pair of AKG pro headphones. Again, I could find more than one dealer prepared to sell it to me as a punter for £5 more than their purchase price (which I knew in advance).

 

Such is the pro audio market right now: great for buyers, impossible for small dealers to compete on price.

 

[bdiament]

While there is certainly no argument with what anyone likes or dislikes, I believe it is important to distinguish between this and observations of what the gear is actually doing (or not doing).

 

I see the same thing in many reviews in the magazines, not just audio but music, movies, almost anything. I think perspective is important as it puts a review (or even a personal comment) in a larger context from which a reader can get a better picture of that which is being reviewed.

 

That said, a few comments of my own:

"...The ULN-2 is markedly inferior in all departments to the LIO-8."...

This is true... in the same way a Lambourghini is just not as fast as a space shuttle. I wouldn't say the Lambourghini is "inferior" to the shuttle though, unless it was designed to achieve the same goals. Clearly, it was not.

 

Same thing for the ULN-2. It was not designed as an all out assault on the state of the art. It *was* designed to have very quiet, great sounding mic preamps (which it most certainly does - even if they were later surpassed in the ULN/LIO-8).

 

In order to supply that context I referred to above, I should say I'm basing my comments not on how I feel about the ULN-2 or ULN/LIO-8 relative to other gear but on how the output of each compares to its input.

 

I have said before that in my experience, most digital gear tends to fall into either of two general groupings:

 

1. There is the the "enhanced detail" group. These are devices that add apparent detail, usually in the form of spurious harmonics that are not present in the input signal; some call it detail, personally, I call it "distortion".

There are plenty of rave reviews in the magazines and on the Web about these devices.

 

2. And there is the "silky smooth" group. These devices make everything sound "good", smoothing out the edges on not-so-good recordings - and smoothing out the edges on good recordings as well; everything is made "pleasant" and smooth" regardless of the input signal. There are plenty of rave reviews in the magazines and on the Web about these devices.

 

If either of these is the desired goal, the devices in each respective group will garner the accolades of those they please.

 

There is also a third, much more rarified group where the devices are faithful to their input and do not editorialize by superimposing their own sonic thumbprint (however pleasant or "good sounding" that might be) on the signals passing through them. Instead, these devices reveal the input for what it is, for better or worse.

 

Now despite all the talk of "accuracy", not everyone (even those who know what accuracy is) really wants it. I don't see anything wrong with that because the ultimate purpose of our systems is to bring us pleasure. But as I said at the start of this post, we might want to distinguish between what we like and what is (or is not) true.

 

 

"...it's tough to call which of the pair is the more truthful, but the Orpheus is a more attractive listen, with more naturally rendered reverb trails and a little more instrumental body. The LIO-8 suffers from the typical edginess induced by it's switching power brick PSU: low frequencies slightly 'starved', high frequencies a bit 'etched'..."

 

Indeed it is a tough call as to which is more truthful - if one is simply comparing two devices relative to each other as opposed to relative to an absolute. It is easy to get mislead as well.

 

If one is partial to a device from the "enhanced detail" group and compares it with a device from the third group, the later might appear dull, lacking in Life and uninteresting. If one is partial to a device from the "silky smooth" group and compares it with a device from the third group, the latter might appear "edgy" with "low frequencies starved" and perhaps a bit "etched" on top.

 

On the other hand, comparing a device to an absolute, such as the input signal, can make things considerably easier when it comes to performance evaluation. Most folks don't have access to masters or mic feeds, so it is understandable when the comparisons become relative and subjective. But they need a context is a reader is to get a picture for themselves. (To my mind, the best reviews don't merely tell me what the reviewer thinks. All too many "critics" mistakenly believe this is their role: to tell us what they think. Personally, I couldn't give a shirt what they think. A good critic will provide information I can use to figure out what I think.)

 

I wonder if the comments about "...typical edginess induced by it's switching power brick PSU..." would have been made if the listener did not know what sort of supply the '8 used. I've compared the stock supply with several others now, some SLA, some linear. Most sounded appreciably worse, destroying the '8s stupendously natural bass. (That's another thing: "starved"? perhaps next to a device with a slower bass. I have never heard the '8's equal and the bass was the very first thing about it that dropped my jaw - it shows just how flawed most other digital bass is.) The very best external supplies equaled but did not surpass the sonics of the stock supply. It is my belief that many listeners get caught up in parts instead of the whole. And sometimes (not always but sometimes for some listeners) knowing parts ahead of the listen gets in the way.

 

So, in the end, we're all going to have somewhat different perspectives, it is true. I just like context; an overall picture. Rather than bright monitors with dull devices or the reverse, I want to know what I might think of a device with accurate monitors. And by comparing output to input, any difficulties in assessment of accuracy go away rather quickly.

 

Again most folks don't have access to masters or state-of-the-art microphone feeds. But there is still a way they can get a more accurate picture of what any device is doing: listen for differences between different recordings. Every master sounds very, very different from every other master.

The gear that reveals the most differences is the most accurate. Any colorations in a device will be superimposed on everything that passes through it, hence diminishing the inherent differences in the recordings by applying common colorations to all. If accuracy is truly the goal, listen for the gear that reveals the greatest differences.

 

And separate this from what you like (or don't like). They just might be different things.

 

All just my own perspective of course.

This is not a criticism of anyone's point of view and I hope it isn't taken that way. It is merely my response, which is a wish for an overall context, based on the fact that my experience is different from what I saw described.

 

Best regards,

Barry

www.soundkeeperrecordings.com

www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Purite Audio]

Frank Hi, no problem you are not alone! I believe the Amarra and Metric Halo models have the same rrp, the Model 4 has the +DSP software included, the loyalty discount did make the MH version a little cheaper.

May I take the opportunity to wish Chris and all the CA posters a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

( Frank I have to sell my Alphas to make way for the Betas , you have an opportunity for redemption ) very best,Keith.

 

[fishnchips]

The mainstream press will NEVER review the likes of MH or Prism. Heck, the British audio press discovered computer audio only when Linnaimeridian found out about it. One may bite Linnaimeridian to one's peril; more so with the feeding hand of http://www.absolutesounds.com/index.php?page=17 .

 

[elcorso]

Hi again Barry,

 

I like to correct: AyreWave and Amarra sounds "better" for sound "better to me", than iTunes. Remember that English is not my main language, but Spanish and other latin languages, but you should notice by my writing.

 

Please make this test: Listen to "Ulf Wakenius (Signature Edition)", with iTunes there is a lot of harsh (digititis?), with AyreWave there is less harsh, but with Amarra, there is almost not harsh and the music is more listenable, nothing hided, nothing added, less listening fatigue.

 

But, with your incredible "Equinox", the software doesn't matter too much, but there is still and improvement in the reproduction: Your feeling of being there with the musicians, and also, less listening fatigue in long sessions (over one hour).

 

"I have not bought any audio equipment without listening first to it for 35 years"

 

Regarding to this, the only thing I can do is to listening to the gear in some friends home in the USA. My country is so small, but also with a lot of crazy music lovers (I don't like very much the term "audiophile", even it is part of the name of this forum).

 

Regarding PSU's, linear vs. switching, I really don't care very much about this. My main goal is to isolate the switching one's from the power line that feeds the analogue gear (but this is only my personal experience). And (I believe) that most of good analogue is constructed with very good isolation, like Audio Research, Ayre, Parasound and others. Who said: "Too much of a good thing is bad thing?"

 

Merry Christmas to all,

 

elcorso

 

[f1eng]

Were I to have the cash the Betas are what I would be interesting in too I'm afraid...

Happy Christmas,

Frank

 

[f1eng]

Keith Howard reviewed the Prism Orpheus in HiFi News. I have the issue somewhere. One of the reasons I looked into it.

 

[bdiament]

Hi elcorso,

 

Thank you again for your very kind comments on "Equinox".

(I am already planning recording sessions for the next two Soundkeeper releases - one with a rock singer/songwriter and the other with a jazz quartet led by the bassist who played on "Equinox".)

 

By the way, your English is very good; I have no trouble understanding you at all. (I wish more teachers in America spoke as well. ;-}

 

"...Listen to "Ulf Wakenius (Signature Edition)", with iTunes there is a lot of harsh (digititis?), with AyreWave there is less harsh, but with Amarra, there is almost not harsh and the music is more listenable, nothing hided, nothing added, less listening fatigue...."

 

I can fully understand it if you prefer the sound from one of the other apps. My feeling is, if I have proven (to myself) that iTunes playback is exactly the same as playback from the original master, and you hear harshness from iTunes, I would suspect the "Ulf Wakenius" original recording is harsh.

 

Of course, a direct match for the master is not what everyone wants and I would make no argument against a preference for something that makes things "smoother" or less harsh. It isn't what I would choose for myself, preferring instead to hear everything a recording has to offer, for better or worse. But I would make no argument against whatever brings a listener musical pleasure.

 

If "Equinox" sounds good on iTunes (and I believe it sounds exactly like the original master recordings - and measures exactly the same too), I would expect it to be somewhat softened and defocused by apps that make harsh recordings sound more pleasant. (To my ears, iTunes is certainly not adding any harshness to "Equinox" (or anything else) and is not diminishing the soundstage dimensions or focus. Such things would be easily verifiable in null test comparisons against the original masters.)

 

But my experience so far with different server apps is that as long as one is not applying any sort of process (including even the smallest volume change), they sound (and measure) the same. Perhaps I'm missing something. As always, I'll continue to listen and compare whenever my schedule allows me to. So far, I'm not hearing (or seeing the slightest hint of) what others have described.

 

Happy holidays and the happiest of New Years to all!

 

Best regards,

Barry

www.soundkeeperrecordings.com

www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

 

 

[Purite Audio]

Frank Merry Christmas to you and your family, when the Betas do arrive perhaps If you are ever passing you can pop in, Initially I am having a passive crossover with some extremely nice silver mica caps, then perhaps we may try the digital crossover in the Trinnov.

Very best,Keith.

 

[wappinghigh]

Hi again everyone. Having visited the store, I have the following questions.

 

1/ To avoid the problems of FireWire input degradation and interruption when daisy chaining ( I do this already with 2 WD backup drives)...will one of these firewire hubs eliminate this problem?

 

http://www.nitroav.com/product/113/

 

2/ How time consuming is it really to set up the MH software and once this is done and your system is setup how you want, is there any chance of you losing this setup and having to start all over? I'm still confused on how easy it is to switch between input and outputs from the computer interface, or the actual MH device, AND whether or not you can do this using the IR remote.

 

3/ They didn't actualy have one to show me or the software setup. I think this is because Australia is obviously a very small market and we are talking about a premium product here, and their obvious target audience is young kids, DJ's and muso's who may not want to spend 5K on a DAC... Particularly when they're leaving it on the dance floor as they disappear on a "lude" break! I gues they might loan them and sell a couple to high end sound studios...but those guys would have a 100K plus spend with them...not a much smaller spend/hifi type relationship that might say start up with a guy like me...

 

The sound of the MH may be superior, but how much more complicated is it to set up and use....as compared to the Sonic Studio, Apogee and RME?

 

I mean what the heck is this all about? http://www.mhsecure.com/v5mm/dsp.html...and do you even have to touch this stuff? what is DSP?

 

Thanks again...

 

[bdiament]

Hi wappinghigh,

 

"...1/ To avoid the problems of FireWire input degradation and interruption when daisy chaining ( I do this already with 2 WD backup drives)...will one of these firewire hubs eliminate this problem?"

 

While I believe some users may keep Firewire drives on the same bus as their MIO (Metric Halo interface), most that I know use USB when for the hard drives when the Firewire bus is occupied by the MIO.

 

I use the Firewire connection to my drive when loading music, then switch it to USB for listening.

 

More information can be gleaned (sometimes from the designer himself) at:

http://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/mobileio

and from the manual, which can be found at:

http://www.metric-halo.com/media/MobileIOUsersGuide.pdf

 

 

 

"2/ How time consuming is it really to set up the MH software and once this is done and your system is setup how you want, is there any chance of you losing this setup and having to start all over? I'm still confused on how easy it is to switch between input and outputs from the computer interface, or the actual MH device, AND whether or not you can do this using the IR remote."

 

Using the included templates, it can take only a few minutes to set up the MIO Console (i.e. the software). Once you are comfortable with it, I find it takes only seconds to reconfigure on those occasions I want to do so. However, you may find the basic template serves all your needs, perhaps with only some minor modifications or perhaps as it is.

 

Your settings for the console are saved in a .cnsl file, of which you can have many if you choose to, then load whichever you want at will.

 

One of the windows in the Console is the Monitor Controller. You add whatever inputs and outputs you want and from there, switching is as easy as clicking a button in the window. (You can also switch from the front panel of the hardware but since my ULN-8 is on a rack across the room, I find it easier to use the laptop screen that is in right in front of me. Also, with the ULN/LIO-8, it is possible to use an Apple remote but I haven't done this and so don't know what you can use it for other. Folks on the MIO list - at the first link above - can answer this, I'm sure.)

 

 

 

"3/ They didn't actualy have one to show me or the software setup. I think this is because Australia is obviously a very small market and we are talking about a premium product here, and their obvious target audience is young kids, DJ's and muso's who may not want to spend 5K on a DAC... Particularly when they're leaving it on the dance floor as they disappear on a "lude" break! I gues they might loan them and sell a couple to high end sound studios...but those guys would have a 100K plus spend with them...not a much smaller spend/hifi type relationship that might say start up with a guy like me..."

 

Sorry to hear that. Having one of these devices in front of you and being able to see it and the software in action would certainly make things more clear than any amount of words I can write.

 

If you search YouTube for "Metric Halo", I believe you'll find a number of videos there that might help.

 

 

 

"The sound of the MH may be superior, but how much more complicated it is to set up and use....as compared to the Sonic Studio, Apogee and RME?"

 

The Sonic, being OEMd from Metric Halo, is actually very similar in many respects. It has its own version of the Console. I don't believe the MIO is any more complicated to set up than any other device with nearly as much capabilities and due to B.J. Buchalter (the designer) being a superb programmer and interface designer, may well be easier.

 

 

 

"I mean what the heck is this all about? http://www.mhsecure.com/v5mm/dsp.html...and'>http://www.mhsecure.com/v5mm/dsp.html...and do you even have to touch this stuff? what is DSP?"

 

The link isn't working but I can answer anyway. DSP adds capabilities but they may be functions you are not interested in. It adds a SHARK chip to handle the extra processing, so the load is taken off the computer's CPU. DSP adds additional EQ and other processing algorithms over and above what comes "standard" with the unit in the MIO Console.

See the table (scroll down) here:

http://www.mhsecure.com/v5mm/dsp.html

(which may be the link you provided)

If you don't need the added processors, amp modelers (great for musicians), etc., you don't need DSP. (DSP comes "standard" on the ULN/LIO-8)

 

 

There is a learning curve involved; again, that is true of anything as powerful as this hardware/software is. But don't despair. It is really easy once you get familiar with it. The manual, in the second link above, is a BIG one but it covers much ground that you may never need to learn. Go slow, ask questions - here and at the MIO list - and you'll soon find it not only easy but amazing in that you can create whatever you can imagine.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best regards,

Barry

www.soundkeeperrecordings.com

www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

 

[Bob Stern]

wappinghigh asked: A question for everyone with the new IR MH's. Using them as a preamp/DAC. How many individual digital inputs are there, and can these be selected straight from an IR remote like the apple.

 

The LIO-8 and ULN-8 have 8 AES inputs, so they can receive digital audio from 8 different devices (such as CD transports) having an AES output.

 

However, I don't see why you would do this. Wouldn't you want your primary audio source to be a music player program on the Mac?

 

In any event, the infrared remote of the LIO-8 and ULN-8 can only control volume and mute, not input selection. You can use an infrared remote to select input using a 3rd party remote control utility such as Sofa Control installed on the Mac to which the Metric Halo box is connected.

 

[wappinghigh]

"Wouldn't you want your primary audio source to be a music player program on the Mac?"

 

Well, not exactly. I have two digital audio listening styles (for want of a better description)

 

Sure, one is directly using iTunes for high res downloads. But the other is using a multi room digital player (Sonos) . I use this for pure convenience. Being able to shift what's playing from my study, (where all the good gear is) to other rooms in the house, and visa/versa is a big thing for me.

 

[ted_b]

Although much more info is available via the user manual, here is a small sample:

"With the new Infrared remote support, you can control input and output gains, control modes and the Monitor Controller level and mute from across the room, without even having a computer attached. If your computer is attached and MIO Console is running, you can even select the Monitor Control input source and output destination."

 

IR codes can be mapped to remotes like the Pronto to control very many aspects of the MIO console and hardware. The online or PDF manual has several pages instructing you how to program IR commands to control any knob and any function within a knob or control. The Apple hardware remote is predefined, but any universal remote accepting NEC codes will learn.

 

[Bob Stern]

Ted, I did not mention the use of the remote to control the front panel knobs because I do not see how that is helpful to an audiophile using the LIO-8 merely as a DAC. The front panel knobs are useful mainly for controlling microphone gain during recording of live music. I don't know any way to use them to select different inputs in the Monitor Controller or to switch the clock source among internal clock, word clock and AES.

 

[ted_b]

ANY input by using the monitor controller, and according to the text, those are available via remote....frankly, dunno. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[fredhammersmith2]

Hi everybody

 

Just wanted to say that i found what i think is a great (and incredibly small and cheap) set-up for my MH ULN-2.

 

I paired it with the new pro active Neumann KH120 speakers. Those little monitors are just fantastic IMO. Unbelievable, the bass pushed by those tiny speakers.

 

I still have room for significant improvements. I still use Windows with my MH (Win 7, J River, Wasapi). I have Mogami cables that probably could be improved on. And i use MH monitor outs at full volume (numeric volume control on JRiver and gain attenuation on the speakers providing the headroom).

 

But all in all, with 900$ for a second-hand ULN-2 and and 1.5K for the Neumanns, i have a great set-up. And my Atma-Sphere S30 OTL amp is getting dusty.

 

For all the audiophiles on a budget out there, pro material can be a great option.

 

[Bob Stern]

This reduces the price of the LIO-8 to $3000.

 

https://www.mhsecure.com/mhdirect/home.php