FWIW, when I sent my Pavane over to the Netherlands for the upgrade, I purchased an Ayre Acoustics QB-9 DSD because I wanted music and because I always wanted to try one. It was a nice sounding DAC but IMO and based on my recollection, I would have taken the Hex if I were offered the choice of either. With respect to full disclosure, I have never warmed up to Ayre's house sound and of the several Ayre pieces I have owned, all have been well-built and very clean and quiet sounding, but I ultimately replaced all of them with pieces I found to be more tonally dense and organic sounding. And the other side of that coin, I have owned 3 Metrum DACs.
Back to the Hex, with the highest respect to Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor and Arnold Ziffel, I find the difference between Hex and Pavane to be much greater than reported by acresverde, but that is my opinion of what I hear in my system. The upgrade to Level 3 brings another level of clarity and spatial believability.
And finally, if I were in your shoes, I would be looking hard at the Onyx or, if I wanted to ditch my preamp and simplify my system, then the Jade. Both use the new designed in-house Metrum Transient converter chips that are used in the upgraded Pavane and in the Adagio.
Good luck.
Back to the Hex, with the highest respect to Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor and Arnold Ziffel, I find the difference between Hex and Pavane to be much greater than reported by acresverde, but that is my opinion of what I hear in my system. The upgrade to Level 3 brings another level of clarity and spatial believability.
And finally, if I were in your shoes, I would be looking hard at the Onyx or, if I wanted to ditch my preamp and simplify my system, then the Jade. Both use the new designed in-house Metrum Transient converter chips that are used in the upgraded Pavane and in the Adagio.
Good luck.