Review and Measurements of Okto DAC8 8Ch DAC & Amp

[hollis]

What would be the easiest/most efficient way to add ONE more channel to the dac8 pro?

What I have in mind is a 7.2 configuration with DLBC upstream (desktop), so the subs would require one channel each.

I'm conscious we can daisy chain 2 dac8 pro to increase the number of channels. Apart from that, is there a way to use the AES/EBU output?

TLDR: No

There is no current or planned DLBC product for desktop. DLBC is currently locked in ~$4k AVRs and prepros. Win/OSX get Dirac Live only. But! Not to fear. I've been testing out DLBC in my living room and its nothing special. I am going back to MSO soon. Also, if you love bass enough to have 2x subs, I highly highly recommend BEQ (bass eq) which is best supported with minidsp 2x4hd or JRiver media center. For that use case, you would run the .1 LFE ch into the minidsp 2x4HD, then the first two outputs to each of your subs. You could also buy subs with built in DSP, and simply Y-cable the .1 LFE output to both.

Also the OktoDAC is is only a usb transport and DAC. It cannot double a channel, do bass management, or do upmixing. You would need something like Jriver media center to that at the OS level, then an output to a 9ch soundcard (most common are 16ch).

I currently run a 16ch PCIE - AES card by Lynx. I run first 8ch of that into my DAC8, I could theoretically buy a second Dac8 and get 8 more ch. I will try that soon as I get more into Auro3d upmixing.

 

[DWPress]

There is no current or planned DLBC product for desktop.

Actually, there is. There are quite a few of us here on ASR beta testing it at the moment. So far no luck with me on Mac and Okto.

 

[hollis]

Actually, there is. There are quite a few of us here on ASR beta testing it at the moment. So far no luck with me on Mac and Okto.

I stand corrected. Thank you.

 

[poopy]

Actually, there is. There are quite a few of us here on ASR beta testing it at the moment. So far no luck with me on Mac and Okto.

What is this beta version? If you go to the dirac website, it is possible to buy the bass control add-on for the dirac live room correction suite multichannel version (desktop). The bundle is ~$850 (-30% with the promo code), or the bass control add-on can be purchased separately.

 

[poopy]

I use a Venu360 to split Ch1&2 for bi-amping (plus sub-tuning for Ch4).
I initially used it's AES outputs, but that meant I couldn't use the little Apple remote for overall system volume control (PC/JRiver volume control only, basically).
So I switched to using analog for that - couldn't really tell the difference, but given the relatively poor measurements of the Venu, some other external box might be a better choice.
In theory, AES should elminate further degradation via yet another AD-DA sequence, but will depend hugely on the 'splitter' you chose.
If you're doing volume control from the PC anyway, the default AES Ch1/2 could make sense (though you'd have to mess with channel numbering on the Okto to do that for your subs.
Might be other better ways to do it, tho.

You are taking advantage of the fact that the AES output is by-default a copy of the L+R channel. Is there a way to output other 2 channels (not L+R), and even if possible, wouldn't you have some sync issues by using another DAC?

 

[DWPress]

What is this beta version?

Go to your customer portal at Dirac and request a trial version. They will send you a download link and instructions.

 

[poopy]

Go to your customer portal at Dirac and request a trial version. They will send you a download link and instructions.

The problem is not getting DBLC, trial or commercial version. I already have it.

The problem is to use DBLC for a 5.4 or 7.2 configuration with a 8 channel DAC like the dac8 pro without having to buy a second dac8 pro or a Lynx card.

 

[Jimrod]

Can anyone who has recently received their Dac8 Pro confirm the current firmware being installed on the new units? Mine is serial #210 received about a year ago running 1.42. I couldn't use my MicroRendu with it running Roon - constant glitching and odd noises through various speaker channels. I switched to a Mac for now and anything PCM is fine but DSD via DOP gives me occasional problems (sweeping pink noises that come out of nowhere and then gradually fade away). I reported to Okto in December and was promised a new firmware package but never received it. I've given up on the follow-ups so wondering if a newer firmware version even exists?

 

[sumitc]

I too was told that a new FW will be released. This was supposed to happen before the end of Feb, but .... My issue is similar to yours.

 

[sebpoterie]

I wanted to try USB/AES mode.

I use now a MacMini / Dirac DLBC -> USB -> OktoDac8Pro instead of my Transporter -> AES -> Minidsp SHD / Dirac

I was afraid of losing quality by using a computer instead of a transport as always.

So I wanted to try Transporter -> AES -> Okto -> USB -> Mac / Dirac DLBC -> USB -> Okto

I found very little information about routing

Pavel wrote : "The incoming AES/EBU data can be processed in real-time or recorded and sent back to the DAC. Software like Audiolense and various DAW packages should be able to do that"


A feeware do the trick LadioCast

I put away carefully my Transporter...


Thanks to NapoleonDynamite & mdsimon2

 

[Kees Huizinga]

okto research dac8 PRO v1.5-firmware​

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[hollis]

okto research dac8 PRO v1.5-firmware​

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Just tried it. No dice (for me).

 

[Kees Huizinga]

"Another issue concerns a bug found in units with the earliest firmware versions from 2020, which prevents a successful update regardless of the operating system used. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have an alternative method to resolve this."

 

[hollis]

"Another issue concerns a bug found in units with the earliest firmware versions from 2020, which prevents a successful update regardless of the operating system used. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have an alternative method to resolve this."

There is also a small note to try the Other OS section.

I am also totally fine doing it via command line as well.

 

[Zooqu1ko]

Just tried it. No dice (for me).

Try the Linux Mint / Any operating system method.

 

[mkt]

I did the update via Mac as described here https://www.oktoresearch.com/assets/dac8pro/fw/dac8pro_fw_15_release_note.pdf no problems.
I had hoped that the update might fix the pop that occurs when going from DSD (DSD over PCM, b/c Mac) to PCM. It did not.

PS. Did it always have the channel activity in the display or something new?

 

[Tom C]

That looks new from mine.

 

[essence]

Mine updated fine on windows, although it did do 1.41 update before going to 1.5. The new active output display is neat.

 

[DWPress]

The new active output display is neat.

Is there a way to toggle it off? I don't need to know that stuff on my unit and adding potential burn in to the OLED. I don't seem to need any of the new updates so may stay with the current 1.42 which has work fine for me so far.

 

[Deleted member 4708]

Updated here too. Zero problems. Love the new display.