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Sonnet Digital Audio MQA Module

Sonnet Digital Audio MQA Module

Reference:

2850

Condition

New

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€240.00 (tax incl.)

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Brand:

Metrum Acoustics

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Description

MQA Optional module for Sonnet Morpheus DAC

The MQA module is available as an option and will be recognized as soon the module is installed in its socket. The module includes MQA technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording. ‘MQA’ or ‘MQA Studio’ indicates that the product is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. ‘MQA Studio’ indicates it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner.

You may think that Sonnet Digital Audio is a new name in the world of the true Hi-Fidelity and the digital technology, but it is only partially so. For sure, Sonnet it is a new brand, but it includes all the previously built-up know-how in Metrum Acoustics, with the most recent technological/product optimizations developed since mid-2018, when Cees Ruijtemberg left Metrum Acoustics to start Sonnet Digital Audio.

Who is Cees Ruijtemberg (Ed.)

Cees Ruijtenberg is the Dutch digital genius. After founded and developed Metrum Acoustics and after having produced some of the best DAC available today at extremely competitive prices, gifted with the most complete, balanced and deeply natural sound, today Cees presents with the top DAC Sonnet Morpheus the design of a further refined Metrum Pavane Level 3. You can hear the difference.

And not only: other device is being designed and built, and within the others, today available, the exceptional "Hermes" digital streamer.

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Product Details

Reference 2850

Designer

Metrum Acoustic at a glance

All Engineering (AE) is a company with a history of innovation in many fields within the world of electronic design. In the audio industry AE is primarily known today for its brand Metrum Acoustics. In the electrostatic speaker field their experience dates back to 1989 and gradually over time broader electronic applications have evolved.

A diverse range of acoustic system products have been created during this period, always relying on sound electronic design principles. Digital signal processing has played a significant role in more recent developments.

In hi fidelity audio AE’s attention was initially drawn to the limited availability of certain componentry. Established manufacturers supplying these key components decide how signals should be processed. No alternatives are available and therefore this greatly influences the sound image that is realised.

Current trends among manufacturers are to use the technique of ‘oversampling’ or ‘upsampling’ within the digital to analogue chipset itself. This forces designers to utilise this method of signal conversion for their own products. It also means that many brand systems use the same building blocks and consequently sound the same. The sound images created by such systems can actually betray the componentry that has been implemented.

These sampling techniques were introduced to fulfil the need ‘to smooth’ the conversion process from digital to analogue and prevent phase distortion. Particularly during the years following the introduction of CD replay, conversion methods proved insufficient with regard to sonic artefacts. In response strong filtering methods were employed and the oversampling technique was born. These techniques however had disadvantages which manifest themselves for example in areas of transient response.

Today there is a growing view that ‘non oversampling’ or NOS for short, offers many benefits but without the compromises mentioned above. AE dedicated considerable time and attention to researching the NOS premise and found its audible benefits valid up to a certain point.

The question then remained how to remove these sonic artefacts without resorting to oversampling. This question was answered by the first product made by AE the NOS mini DAC Quad, a digital to analogue converter designed and manufactured with modern high speed industrial grade chipsets, free from most of the disadvantages of the past. These techniques are improved over time and used over the entire range of products. The most important result is the sound, which was never so close to the analog origin.