Metrum Acoustics Metrum Ambre
The smoother, more musical digital handoff is the hook here: Michael Evans of StereoNET United Kingdom heard deeper bass, clearer vocals, better dynamics and sharper imaging, all wrapped in an easy-to-set-up Roon bridge with sensible outputs and thoughtful engineering. It’s a focused network front end that rewards serious digital systems.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Usability
89/100
Value for Money
86/100
Pros
Delivers a smoother, more musical digital feed with deeper bass, clearer vocals, greater dynamics and better stereo imaging.
Easy to set up as a Roon bridge and integrates cleanly with streaming services like TIDAL and Qobuz.
Thoughtful engineering includes a linear toroidal power supply, low-jitter clocks and galvanically isolated digital outputs.
Cons
The feature set is deliberately focused rather than expansive, so it may feel niche to listeners who want an all-in-one streamer/DAC.
The optical output is limited to 96 kHz, which is less flexible than the coaxial and AES/EBU connections.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers describe a clearly more refined and engaging digital feed than the comparison unit, with deeper bass, clearer vocals, greater dynamics, and better stereo image definition. The Ambre is also repeatedly praised as smoother and more musical, with the reviewer calling it highly involving and noting strong improvements across a range of recordings.
Overall Sound
95/100
The review describes audible gains in almost every area versus the reference streamer, including deeper bass, clearer vocals, greater dynamics, better image definition, and a smoother, less grainy presentation. The language is strongly positive, with comments such as 'highly involving' and 'butter-smooth' on familiar recordings.
Digital Signal Integrity
92/100
Reviewers point to two low-jitter Tentlabs clocks, a linear toroidal power supply, and internal separation of the clocking and main circuitry as part of the design. The output stage also offers galvanically isolated AES/EBU and coaxial outputs, which supports the sense of a clean, stable digital handoff to an external DAC.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 89/100
The Ambre is presented as an easy-to-use Roon bridge, and the review highlights straightforward integration with Roon, TIDAL, and Qobuz through a customised Ropieee setup. Connectivity is practical rather than flashy, but the available digital outputs and network input cover the core use case well.
Streaming Software
91/100
The reviewer describes the Ambre as delivering precisely what Roon users want, with seamless handling of digital content and high-resolution services like TIDAL and Qobuz. The customised Ropieee platform and the easy, off-the-shelf bridge experience are both presented positively.
Features Connectivity
85/100
Connectivity is sensible and focused, with AES/EBU, coaxial, and optical outputs, plus LAN input. The review also notes galvanic isolation on the AES/EBU and coax outputs, although the optical output is limited to 96 kHz and the feature set is more targeted than expansive.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Reviewers call the Ambre nicely made and note a well-presented circuit layout with thoughtful internal arrangement. The linear power supply and careful placement of the clocks reinforce a sense of considered construction, though the reviews do not go into long-term durability in depth.
Value for Money
86/100
At £1,099, the Ambre is not positioned as a budget option, and the review frames it as an off-the-shelf bridge for Roon devotees rather than a bargain. That said, the praise for its sound, usability, and thoughtful engineering makes the price feel justified for the intended buyer.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
No reviews found yet
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Power
- 30 VA toroidal transformer, switchable 110/115VAC or 220/230VAC 50/60Hz
- Outputs
- - AES/EBU digital output: When using the AES/EBU digital output a 110 Ohms XLR cable should be used to connect the Ambre to other digital audio equipment. The AES/EBU interface has a galvanic isolation and can handle a maximum sampling rate of 192 kHz - Coaxial Output: A 75 Ohm coaxial cable should be used to connect the Ambre to other digital audio equipment like a DAC for instance. The coaxial output has a galvanic isolation and can handle a maximum sample rate of 192 kHz - Optical output: A standard Toslink cable can be used to connect the Ambre to other digital audio equipment. The max sampling rate of the Toslink interface is limited to 96kHz
- Inputs
- LAN (Local Area Network) input: Connect a CAT5 (or higher) cable to your local network
- Products Dimensions
- 240 x 190 x 70 mm
- Product Weight
- 2.5KG
Manufacturer's Description — Metrum Acoustics
Stream bit perfect low-jitter digital audio with the Metrum Acoustics Ambre. ROON certified, but also works with Volumio, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Audirvana.....
The AMBRE is a ROON certified digital end point, but is also able to run other software. AMBRE has I2S, AES/EBU, SPDIF and Toslink outputs. The AMBRE Endpoint is a great addition to any audiophile setup because of its high quality clocking and power supply components. The hardware platform in AMBRE enables you to stream high res music files from network attached storage or use online streaming services through the powerful ROON platform, outputting bit perfect audio direct to your DAC.
At Metrum Acoustics we do not believe in taking prisoners, hence the choice to provide our clients with a platform with an open architecture. Using our AMBRE, a customer could swap the internal micro SD card, and open up a whole new world with content from different providers or services such as Audirvana, Volumio, PiCorePlayer, Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, moOde or even being discovered in a network using UPnP. Add web radio and play it throughout your house, office, wherever you wish to enjoy music. As for warranty we are OK with you choosing freedom, however as long as the changes apply to the software only.
LAN (local area network) input: Connect an UTP cable with your local network. The AMBRE is made from factory as a Roon end point, contact customer service if you’d like another streaming service installed by us.
Coaxial Output: A 75 Ohm coaxial cable should be used to connect the AMBRE to other digital audio equipment like a DAC for instance. The coaxial output can handle a maximum sample rate of 192 kHz.
AES/EBU digital output: When using the AES/EBU digital output a 110 Ohms XLR cable should be used to connect the AMBRE to other digital audio equipment. The AES/EBU interface can handle a maximum sampling rate of 192 kHz.
Optical output: A standard Toslink cable can be used to connect the AMBRE to other digital audio equipment. The max sampling rate of the Toslink interface is limited to 96kHz.
I2S output: The I2S connection is the most transparent way to connect digital audio equipment over short distances without interference. However still I2S is no international standard in terms of ruggedizing the format or the connectors used. The I2S standard is optimized as an interconnection between Metrum Acoustics products but will work in most cases in conjunction with other gear. If your Metrum Acoustics DAC has the I2S option installed you can use a simple UTP cable to connect both devices!
All outputs of the AMBRE are galvanically isolated.
Non EU? Tax will be excluded after entering delivery address on checkout.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Metrum Acoustics Metrum Ambre
- Audio Art Cable — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Elise Audio — online and in-store — Paddington, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Elite Audio UK — online and in-store — Pittenweem, Escocia, United Kingdom (website)
- HiFi Heaven — online and in-store — Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States (website)
- ZMFheadphones — online and in-store — Lyons, Illinois, United States (website)