Sonnet Digital Audio's Morpheus Reviews

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by sahmen, Mar 25, 2020.

  1. sahmen

    sahmen New

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    MOD ADD - REVIEW INDEX:

    ORIGINAL POST HERE:


    Has anyone seen or auditioned this new DAC (Morpheus) from Cees Ruijtenberg's new company, Sonnet Digital Audio?

    https://www.sonnet-audio.com/Morpheus.html

    [​IMG]

    So far, I have read reviews comparing it favorably with earlier Ruijtenberg heavy-hitters like the Adagio and Pavane L 3... The reviews are so favorable that I am actually considering selling my Metrum Onyx in order to upgrade to this. I am particularly interested in how much better sounding it might be as compared to the Onyx, so that I can make up my mind. If you have heard the Morpheus, kindly sound off.

    Thanks.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 1, 2020
  2. EagleWings

    EagleWings Friend

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  3. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    Well I have Onyx and Morpheus with me but have not done any extensive comparison due to my travel and everything going around. Below are few points I noted when I had around 96 hrs on Morpheus
    1. One apparent difference is blacker background of morpheus and hence more clarity
    2. Onyx is warmer of two
    3. Slightly bigger and deeper stage and more space among instruments in Morpheus and hence better imaging compared to Onyx
     
  4. bilboda

    bilboda Florida boomer

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    I can only compare it to Gungnir Multibit A2 and Matrix Xsabre pro (which I really liked but in my meanderings, I downgraded from). he Morpheus is the best of the bunch. It's like a musical microscope. So much more detail, stage expanded in every direction, 3d and holographic, and this is with my lowly JBL LX3xx. Lovely tone, Much snappier percussion and bass, perfect center stage imaging. Love the volume control. Needs new speakers
     
  5. sahmen

    sahmen New

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    This is already very helpful. If you're able to make further listening comparisons later and are willing to share your insights, they'd of course be appreciated. So far I am more inclined toward opting for the Morpheus, even though I like the Onyx enough to want to keep it as well. But keeping it will simply delay getting the Morpheus for some months. The ideal situation for me would be to have them both in the house, so that I can audition them myself, but for now, that sounds like mere wishful thinking.
     
  6. DigitalMaven

    DigitalMaven Acquaintance

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    Found This review on the Sonnet Morpheus.
     
  7. DigitalMaven

    DigitalMaven Acquaintance

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    Boys with expensive Toys. Outa my budget but I think the weis 501 might be in the same ballpark as wavedream. Nice....

     
  8. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Whenever you get the chance, a longer review would be great. I have the Onyx now and have been eyeing up the Morpheus since its inception. However there is a significant price difference between selling the Onyx in CAD and buying new in Euros and dealing with customs/duty... I'd guess it being at least twice as expensive...
     
  9. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    I got these in a while back and have been lazy in putting the product page up until now because I haven't had time with the Covid mess etc.

    I got one (Morpheus) set-up and have compared a lot to my Onyx - and I still love them both - but it seems the Morpheus is meant to compare/compete more with the Pavane in a sense, the sound is much more similar to Pavane/Adagio as the mids aren't as frontal and the transient attack is greater with more plankton. That's not to say the Onyx is MUCH worse or anything, it's just a totally different presentation. The Morpheus seems more focused on a neutral/spacious presentation than any of the Metrum stuff ever did, in a nice way, it doesn't quite have the hammer low end of the Yggdrasil A2 - as it's a touch less girthy and quicker maybe? I'll have to listen more. I would agree with the assessments above, it's main skills are 3d holographic space, black background and a sense of immediate realism.

    I'd be happy to get one over to @purr1n - if you want to or have time to check it out ofcourse, and maybe run a mini tour of 3-5 people after that.
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Definitely!
     
  11. earnmyturns

    earnmyturns Smartest friend

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    Thanks, this is intriguing. When my Yggdrasil A2 moved to headphone duty (from its earlier speaker duty), it displaced the Onyx I had been using for headphones. I ended feeling that the Onyx was a bit too blurry in the lower mids for Redbook material, like painting with a broad bush compared with the Yggdrasil A2's finer brush. But this was at the time when I was also updating headphones (first with Verité open) and amp (EC Aficionado), so other factors might have been in play. Onyx made jazz double bass dense, solid, which I like (lots of modern jazz in my play rotation), but the Yggdrasil does as well for double bass and it was less blurry overall. But more recently, as I listen more on Verité closed with a DSHA-3F, I'm wondering about gaining a bit more space. I'm feeling sometimes as if all the instruments in busy passages are on top of each other with a slight haze sticking all of them together, if that makes sense. I'll keep checking on your impressions of the Morpheus.
     
  12. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    Wondering if this dac is a step up from the Yggdrasil. It seemed the holo spring dac was a good alternative but had certain weak characteristics of NOS dacs.

    For me, Yggdrasil does have a sometimes have a congealed sound, that sometimes can feel a bit compressed. I think it has to do with the blackground + unique staging. Its slightly paradoxical in a sense that it has a bold/big bodied sound, but feels less contrasty. Morpheus sounds like its a winner in those departments, but I don't have enough experience with NOS or metrum/sonnet dacs. Looking forward to @purr1n 's impressions.
     
  13. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    Sorry to derail, but I love how the reviewer pronounces Morpheus.
     
  14. raif

    raif Man made lobster/plankton

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    It would be real nice if that 3-5 man tour included @atomicbob ...
     
  15. Sqveak

    Sqveak Friend

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    Scroll up dude. He announced it here just 6 posts up from yours.
    More reading. Less excitement posting please!
     
  16. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    Apologies, I ctrl+f'ed Zach but must have made a typo!
     
  17. saint.panda

    saint.panda Friend

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    Shipped Yggdrasil A2 a few days before Morpheus arrived so only comparing from memory. I had the Yggdrasil for more than a year and the Morpheus more than a month now. Both are highly competent DACs. The key trade-offs I see:

    1. Compared with the Yggdrasil, both with headphones and now with speakers, with the Morpheus, it often feels like somebody moved the background singers & band closer to the front and the lead singer a few steps back. The blackground and improved 3D imaging are incredible, but there's a darkish / less immediate feel compared to the Yggdrasil A2 that I sometimes miss.

    2. With the Morpheus, there's more organic weight on all notes. Yggdrasil was both more ethereal and more slamming.

    A few other differences but those are the key ones for me. Overall, the Morpheus is a step into my preferred direction, but I wish there was a way to have the best of both worlds.

    The Morpheus' form factor (small, lightweight) and especially its pre-amp functionality are huge pluses and justify the price difference.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2020
  18. Clemmaster

    Clemmaster Friend

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    What source are you using with it? The RN3?

    My Jade was transformed by the use of an Ambre in I2S. The cheaper Pi2AES + RJ-45 adapter gets most of the way there, too.

    The direct comparison with my Yggdrasil A2 Unison had me prefer the Metrum in my headphone setup, for it's better sense of "being there" (call it micro-detail, inner illumination, or whatever)... and actually better bass presentation! I wasn't expecting that, but every DAC that attempted to replace it (of note, Yggdrasil A2 and DirectStream Jr - I also have a Proceed AVP-2, which is old, but great) fell short in the "being there" and bass aspects.
    The Jade hits hard while maintaining very good bass extension and pitch differentiation.

    Can't speak for the Morpheus - which is one my radar - as I've never heard it, but I expect I2S would bring the same type of improvements.
     
  19. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Zach this is great news and thanks got the info! Will you send out a newsletter when you are selling these? PM me if you're not there yet? Cheers.
     
  20. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    I've got the USB units in stock and will have I2S at some point in the future, Morpheus is up on the website with some general thoughts from me in the product description. It's on the "amps and dacs" page.

    I'll work on getting a unit out to Marv and I'll put @Hands next on the list unless he protests. I'll try to make a tour thread in the next few days for the unit.
     

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