The brand-new Métronome DST, a French-made (and thus EU-produced) CD transport, comes with some extra and highly interesting features.
The Métronome DST is brand new cd-transport. Wich in essence means it’s a CD player — but without a built-in DAC, leaving that part up to you. The benefit? You can pair it with a DAC of your own choosing to get the sound signature you want. A particularly notable feature is the ability to output read data not just as PCM, but also as DSD. Depending on your D/A converter, that could offer real advantages. Upsampling is also an option. Output quality tops out at 32-bit / 384 kHz for PCM and up to DSD256 for DSD signals. Do note, however, that DSD256 is only available through the I2S output. If you’re using S/PDIF coaxial or AES/EBU, the limit is DSD128.
The Métronome DST uses a slot-in drive mechanism manufactured by Austria’s StreamUnlimited — a company founded by former Philips engineers, which adds an extra layer of interest for audio enthusiasts.
The Métronome DST is priced at €4,950 and will be available starting in May or June of this year.