Review and Measurements of Okto DAC8 8Ch DAC & Amp

[geronimo1958]

I am very much interested in this product. Measurement wise it looks far superior to playing my audio thru HDMI. Are there any prepros that can take the balanced XLR as input? Also could any such product pass the analog audio thru the prepro to an amp "transparently"? I have the capability to play all my audio and video thru my HTPC except for my OTA TV. Is there any way to input the optical spdif from my TV into the DAC8?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I am very much interested in this product. Measurement wise it looks far superior to playing my audio thru HDMI. Are there any prepros that can take the balanced XLR as input?

None currently on the consumer market. There have been a few multichannel analog preamps with balanced inputs in the past. Is used acceptable? The spl SMC 7.1 is a studio product that might suit.

Also could any such product pass the analog audio thru the prepro to an amp "transparently"?

Well, certainly better than the typical prepro.

I have the capability to play all my audio and video thru my HTPC except for my OTA TV. Is there any way to input the optical spdif from my TV into the DAC8?

Not optical S/PDIF but AES/EBU. Note though, that it cannot handle any of the typical HT codecs.

 

[dualazmak]

With Dephonica it is possible to listen with IIR or FIR. To be honest, I find it difficult to determine the differences. I have not been able to detect the dreaded ringing at FIR with 4th order filters. You have a license for Dephonica, maybe you have a better hearing than me.

Hello Kees,

I could have only a few hours to try Dephonica for the first time, and I stumbled on the multi-channel output routing from Dephocia to DAC8PRO. Since the topics is somewhat away from this DAC8PRO measurement thread, it would be very nice if you could briefly describe and share your multi-channel I/O routing using DePhonica into DAC8PRO, at my multi-channel crossover thread. I am mainly using EKIO, you are using DePhonica, and I believe your info on utilization of DePhonica and DAC8PRO should be very much valuable for many people visiting the thread.

Just for your reference, the thread has been visited and viewed more than 10,000 times since its start on April 9, really big surprise for me.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

None currently on the consumer market. There have been a few multichannel analog preamps with balanced inputs in the past. Is used acceptable? The spl SMC 7.1 is a studio product that might suit.

Well, certainly better than the typical prepro.

Not optical S/PDIF but AES/EBU. Note though, that it cannot handle any of the typical HT codecs.

Aren't there TV's that can handle the codecs?

 

[Kees Huizinga]

Hello Kees,

I could have only a few hours to try Dephonica for the first time, and I stumbled on the multi-channel output routing from Dephocia to DAC8PRO. Since the topics is somewhat away from this DAC8PRO measurement thread, it would be very nice if you could briefly describe and share your multi-channel I/O routing using DePhonica into DAC8PRO, at my multi-channel crossover thread. I am mainly using EKIO, you are using DePhonica, and I believe your info on utilization of DePhonica and DAC8PRO should be very much valuable for many people visiting the thread.

Just for your reference, the thread has been visited and viewed more than 10,000 times since its start on April 9, really big surprise for me.

Hello Dualazmak, In the weekend I will try to write down what I have done. Now I'm too busy with work
Regards, Kees

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Aren't there TV's that can handle the codecs?

I don't know anything about TV processing as I use them for display only. However, I doubt it since they rarely have anything other than ARC or optical outputs for audio.

 

[Dacapalooza]

Bits per sample information is only displayed in either USB or USB/AES mode (for USB data). The reason is that while a USB host explicitly provides this information, the device receiving SPDIF or AES/EBU signal needs to rely on status data provided by a transmitter device. Unfortunately, these are far from reliable...

Hi. Thank you for my dream DAC!
So what you are saying is that the dac8 does not need that info? XMOS & DAC chips processes 24/16 bit the same? Nothing special for 24? Since the DAC does not detect the info it must process the same.

"Far from reliable", is probably stretching it. Can you/anyone name ANY device that passes wrong info? And with AES? And MCH? Many devices, including my entire system relies on that info. The Vanity reclocks native signal. It detects that info in order to know how to reclock. Many DAC's do have bitrate. I guess it's a design decision for an off chance it might be wrong. Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.

Speaking of design, why no Clock input? All Pro DAC's have 'em. I imagine pro people would be way, way more interested in this product then us mere mortals. Now they wont/can't buy. Effects everyone because now DAW's (The source of our sources) will use substandard devices. So the universe would gain if Pro's/DAW's use this device.
BTW: This forum only tested clock with single device, but what about DAW's with 20+ devices with analog stages. Also, my Pro Trinnov (assuming many others) allows for a secondary audio, the unprocessed audio, Trinnov calls it wet vs dry. Anyway, all that's gotta be synced.

Production dac8 PRO got a new generation DAC board, which measures roughly 2dB SINAD better

Congratulations! Well done. Give yourself a raise. (Of coarse clock input would give you around 900% raise...)

 

[Dacapalooza]

I am very much interested in this product. Measurement wise it looks far superior to playing my audio thru HDMI. Are there any prepros that can take the balanced XLR as input? Also could any such product pass the analog audio thru the prepro to an amp "transparently"? I have the capability to play all my audio and video thru my HTPC except for my OTA TV. Is there any way to input the optical spdif from my TV into the DAC8?

Yes. Very easy for you to use this product with your setup & TV as well.
You mentioned you have HTPC, so simply connect with USB to dac8. There are USB TV/Cable/DVR solutions as well.
Not sure why you want XLR/AES/SPDIF at all? (Other than XLR from DAC to AMP.) Your set up is simple - device wise. App wise it will probably take some work. And I read that PC's lack a decent app for 4K playing if you care.
To connect to TV use PC's HDMI to TV for video.

 

[geronimo1958]

Yes. Very easy for you to use this product with your setup & TV as well.
You mentioned you have HTPC, so simply connect with USB to dac8. There are USB TV/Cable/DVR solutions as well.
Not sure why you want XLR/AES/SPDIF at all? (Other than XLR from DAC to AMP.) Your set up is simple - device wise. App wise it will probably take some work. And I read that PC's lack a decent app for 4K playing if you care.
To connect to TV use PC's HDMI to TV for video.

OK. I just found some USB OTA TV devices. I have an old Silicondust HD Homerun Prime but I think it only works with CableTV which I do not have. I will check on some other forums to see which of the USB/Network OTA TV devices work best.

 

[dualazmak]

Hello Pavel of OKTO and my friends using DAC8PRO,

Just for my personal curiosity, please let me know how the DIYNHK ASIO DRIVER and Windows WDM recognize the 16 channels if I connect two DAC8PROs to one PC simultaneously using two USB 2.0 cables.

Of course I know that there should be synchronization issue between the two DAC8PROs, but please ignore the issue now; I just would like to know whether DIYNHK ASIO DRIVER and Windows WDM recognize 16 channels separately and properly, or not.

 

[Zooqu1ko]

Aren't there TV's that can handle the codecs?

They do, but you usually only get a stereo downmix on the digital outs. eARC doesn't really help with the OKTO, you'd be back to extracting multichannel PCM from HDMI, and there appear to be no cheap devices for that.

 

[Zooqu1ko]

Speaking of design, why no Clock input? All Pro DAC's have 'em. I imagine pro people would be way, way more interested in this product then us mere mortals. Now they wont/can't buy. Effects everyone because now DAW's (The source of our sources) will use substandard devices. So the universe would gain if Pro's/DAW's use this device.

Professionals will probably use the AES inputs with their Pro interfaces that have "proper" ASIO support, low latency drivers and whatever else they desire on their workstation. When using the AES inputs, the clock is derived from the AES signal anyway, so no need for a separate sync input. For an ADC on the other hand, a word clock input would be essential.

 

[Eurasian]

I dug some loose change out from under the sofa cushions and pulled the trigger on a DAC8Pro last night! Order #142.

Thanks to Pavel and all of the other contributors to this thread; I am sure this will be a great dac for my 3-way Audiolense system.

 

[Feyire]

Have any DAC8 stereo buyers received shipping confirmation yet?

 

[dualazmak]

Have any DAC8 stereo buyers received shipping confirmation yet?

Do you mean recently?

In my case (order #106) for DAC8PRO, Yes, on May 1, Pavel sent me an email of shipping confirmation with FedEx tracking#, and it arrived at my home in Japan on May 9; I could track the FedEx delivery all the way.

 

[Feyire]

Do you mean recently?

In my case (order #106), Yes, on May 1, Pavel sent me an email of shipping confirmation with FedEx tracking#, and it arrived at my home in Japan on May 9; I could track the FedEx delivery all the way.

I know that DAC8 Pro are shipping. I'm waiting for the very first DAC8 Stereo shipments.

 

[dualazmak]

I know that DAC8 Pro are shipping. I'm waiting for the very first DAC8 Stereo shipments.

OK, understood!

 

[Morla]

any idea when stereo can be ordered again?

 

[Neddy]

A very slick solution...wish I could have found one of the vanities (bonfires or not), but have found what looks like a decent ADC (Motu Pre) to simply convert the Oppo's analog outs to USB. Won't be nearly as hi-res as the Vanity/AES, but I'll only use it for movies and Roku streaming.

Quick update on Motu Pre8 USB, used to get the Oppo's analog outputs (and turntable preamp!) into the PC/NUC for JRiver 'processing'.
I got it working yesterday, and it sounds a lot better than expected - though I have not A/B'd bluray audio discs vs the same tracks in DSD128 yet.
(I'd taken a long dark turn down the 'need DAW software to use it' tunnel - turns out that was a waste of time...should've just plugged it in

Certainly good enough SQ for movies, Roku, and (via an A/B switchbox) the turntable.
Final piece of the 'upgrade to PC/USB' and 'legacy stuff' puzzle.
(Also makes for a pretty slick little 'auxilary' install, too, as the Motu is pretty tiny; pics to follow once I get the old cable messes cleaned up.)

 

[Vincentponcet]

Aren't there TV's that can handle the codecs?

The TV will either send EAC3 through SPDIF or decode it into 2 channels, I assume neither it is what you want.

It looks like you could transmit the multichannels AC3 stream from the TV or streaming services (they all use that for multi-channel sound) through spdif/toslink to an spdif input on a PC, using AC3filter to decode it into multi-channel PCM, then send it to a multi-channel DAC like okto DAC8. All of that using DirectShow Graphedit for the routing.
https://www.avsforum.com/forum/26-h...t-truth-about-spdif-input-7.html#post59130266
Most probably LAVfilter (which use ffmpeg decoders) can do it and is maintained contrary of AC3Filter which has no more hosting.