Review and Measurements of Okto DAC8 8Ch DAC & Amp

[Kal Rubinson]

Hi Kal,
Can you tell when you ordered yours and what the ordernumber is? I ordered mine January 16, ordernr. 96, so I'll know how long I have to wait.

No info. Mine was a request (a long time ago) for a review sample.

 

[Kees Huizinga]

OK, thanks.

 

[Russ_L]

Whoo eee. Just received a message from Pavel that "we're re-starting the US tour with a production DAC8 PRO" and I should have it in a week or two. Can't wait! A fellow club member has the Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA to compare with. Two fellow club members have the Lamizator Pacific DAC. We'll see (hear) if USD $1,000 or $2,000 bests $27,000.

Well over 100 members between two clubs. Lots of ears will be listening.

Russ

 

[beefkabob]

ys ago and have yet to hear a response. I was going to purchase their standard DAC8 since I eventually want to go surround sound but I had some questions about their stereo model and the lack of communication, the radio silence is worrisome. I definitely don’t want to get caught stuck with an unwarra

Whoo eee. Just received a message from Pavel that "we're re-starting the US tour with a production DAC8 PRO" and I should have it in a week or two. Can't wait! A fellow club member has the Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA to compare with. Two fellow club members have the Lamizator Pacific DAC. We'll see (hear) if USD $1,000 or $2,000 bests $27,000.

Well over 100 members between two clubs. Lots of ears will be listening.

Russ

Ohh! Lampizator (say that 10 times fast in Polish)! With the Special Edition Riccardo Kron Anniversary tubes! They have "magical sonic properties [...] due to the fact that anodes are covered with zirconium".

 

[Hifihedgehog]

2) (...) A new PRO order is expected to ship in early February.
(...)
Cheers
Pavel, Okto Research

I have a quick question about general shipping processing time so I would like to get a pulse for what others’ real world experiences have been here with the fulfillment process. In leisurely skimming the thread, my understanding that I have garnered is the processing time has generally amounted to 1-2 months as the site indicates. In connection with this assessment, is this accurate and if so, is this still the case? So if I take it correctly, if I placed my order on Tuesday, February 11th as I did this past week (my order is in the very early 100s), then I should naturally expect my order to ship out between mid March and mid April, right?

 

[wineds]

I have a quick question about general shipping processing time so I would like to get a pulse for what others’ real world experiences have been here with the fulfillment process. In leisurely skimming the thread, my understanding that I have garnered is the processing time has generally amounted to 1-2 months as the site indicates. In connection with this assessment, is this accurate and if so, is this still the case? So if I take it correctly, if I placed my order on Tuesday, February 11th as I did this past week (my order is in the very early 100s), then I should naturally expect my order to ship out between mid March and mid April, right?

Probably yes

 

[Neddy]

Mine was about 3 months exactly to ship date...but I placed my order right after he said the Pros were starting to ship.
Worth the wait, in my opinion.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Mine was about 3 months exactly to ship date...but I placed my order right after he said the Pros were starting to ship.
Worth the wait, in my opinion.

Totally. It’s the best multichannel DAC I could buy so I am absolutely willing to wait.

 

[sahihe]

Hi, I am planning to use DAC8 Pro for a 2.4 system with L+R and 4 subwoofer channels, but need your help in understanding how exactly this would work, and if anyone has used it in a similar setup.

I have two primary use cases...

1. Convolve 2 channel music played via Roon/JPlay with XO filters to create the 6 channels. Feed those to DAC8 via USB.

2. Take Toslink output from Chromecast audio and convert it to AES (not yet sure exactly how). Feed that to AES input on DAC8, configured in USB/AES mode, to have that AES input channels replicated on USB to the host computer. Now convolve those 2 input channels on USB, with XO filters to create the 6 channels. Feed those back to DAC8 via USB.

Does this plan make sense? Any issues/gotcha's with my understanding of how this will work?

Also, in case of USB/AES mode, does the DAC to host input USB connection switch to synchronous USB mode, driven by the DAC's clock? I don't think I am quite clear on how this mode exactly works.

Thanks!

 

[Veri]

Also, in case of USB/AES mode, does the DAC to host input USB connection switch to synchronous USB mode, driven by the DAC's clock?

@Okto Research is the Sabre chip within the Okto DAC8 typically running sync or async? I wonder.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

@Okto Research is the Sabre chip within the Okto DAC8 typically running sync or async? I wonder.

The specs sheet says it all:

USB (asynchronous, UAC2.0 compliant) 8-channel I/O, up to 192 kHz / 32 bit, DSD128 or DoP64

 

[Veri]

The specs sheet says it all:

OK, makes sense that leaves the AES input.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

that leaves the AES input.

Here's the answer for that buried in the manual on page 11:

AES/EBU connections require a synchronous operation

 

[gvl]

That I think is out of context. The DAC can run in sync mode with async USB, and it can also run in async mode despite the fact AES/EBU is synchronous. I suspect the ESS chip itself always runs in async mode in the DAC8.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

That I think is out of context. The DAC can run in sync mode with async USB, and it can also run in async mode despite the fact AES/EBU is synchronous. I suspect the ESS chip itself always runs in async mode in the DAC8.

Given two of three modes, Pure USB and USB / AES, as described on that page are using the USB, I would say mostly yes to your comment above. However, the Pure AES mode expressly states that "it does use the recovered AES/EBU clock for processing the received audio data."

 

[gvl]

Just guessing but all that probably means there is no ASRC between AES and USB on the way to PC doing DSP. The Sabre chip can still run as async.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Just guessing but all that probably means there is no ASRC between AES and USB on the way to PC doing DSP. The Sabre chip can still run as async.

There is no USB host in this mode and no PC involved.

 

[Dacapalooza]

Today is good day to buy a DAC. 2020 and no flying cars but I can finally buy a decent Blu Ray DAC. Yay!

I am not an engineer nor audio geek, I love movies. I simply want to play movies in the most state-of-the-art way.
According to my analysis this is my best hope digitalwise.
My new system: Oppo 203 -> Vanity AES -> Trinnov Demon -> Dac8.

I actually have 2 of each Oppo 203 & Vanity. I want to be the captain of my own ship for as long as possible. Especially no decent HDMI AV DAC that exists. Just like that mission impossible movie, you must swap out a card and evil stuff happens. What one must do for Hollywood, sheesh! I wanted to swap it out while hanging from zipline, but lacking sufficient ceiling height I had to settle taking my kids to It Ropes Course in CT.

Both are the newer v1.4 which JVB said improves the AES circuitry. Also 1.4 is user configurable AES vs SPIDF by placing these red caps. I think JVB called them jumpropers?

Trinnov Demon Tear down

DAC Chip:

2003 tech. Yikes! Although, what I like about the DAC it is dedicated PCM. Can DSD be disabled the DAC8? Can DSD be Dsd.? I am changing my alarm screens states from Disabled to Dsd. I can custom states.

Teardown of the product that started it all, the Audyssey Equalizer that the Trinnov replaced:

 

[gvl]

There is no USB host in this mode and no PC involved.

Ok, maybe I should read the manual then.

 

[Dacapalooza]

Question: I don't see AES transformers. Are there?
The Trinnov has LAN transformers shared with 16 channels, but some sorta transformers nevertheless. While the Vanity has transformers per 2 channels.