This is what I'd like to see.
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Review and Measurements of Okto DAC8 8Ch DAC & Amp
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
graz_lag
Major Contributor
Tatteredmidnight
Active Member
The DSP version of this isn't even in another league, it's on another planet, price/performance wise. Assuming it performs similarly, it redefines what is possible at any price point, let alone for less than a DAC3. This is really a golden age for affordable, high performance audio (affordable considering it's 8 channels of the best measuring DAC to date, DSP, and an integrated streaming endpoint, which is an embedded rpi, even crazier).
OP
- Thread Starter
- #84
It is on my list for this week if I don't have to travel to return some gear. Thanks again for the support!
OP
- Thread Starter
- #85
A wood fired neapolitan pizza place that I had no idea is rather close to us: https://www.pizzeriabruciato.com/
Okto Research
Member
Hello everyone,
first of all, thank you for all the feedback, we really appreciate it. I hope I will be able to answer most of your questions in this post.
DAC8 Stereo is going to contain Raspberry Pi in a same way the DAC8 DSP is. We will specify it more clearly on the website.
That was a typo, thanks for pointing it out. Also, we are going to add the inputs provided by the Raspberry Pi (ethernet and wi-fi through an external radio) to the specifications on the respective product pages..
A lot of people asked about Roon capability, I believe Volumio can act as a Roon endpoint.
Of course, nothing prevents you from SSHing to the Volumio and installing custom USB hardware or from running other Linux distributions or other software. Physical access to the RPi is also very straightforward.
All of the USB inputs on our devices are UAC 2.0 compatible and will work in a way Amir described.
Based on the review, we are going to make these changes:
1) Default voltage on the balanced outputs is going to be 4Vrms. No change in performance is expected.
2) We are going to increase the gain of the headphone amplifier so it is able to deliver more power to higher-impedance headphones. While the headphone amplifier packs enough "umpf" to drive a pair of speakers to a pretty loud level for a near-field listening, the output voltage was set so it would not clip with an 8 Ohm load. That is, however, unnecessary and it makes much more sense to adapt it for a headphones.
Based on your feedback, there will also be an option for a black front plate. If you are going to order, please write that in the order note. If you already ordered and want a black front plate, just e-mail us.
Also, I would like to point out that the production design of the enclosure is going to be sturdier without the top lid flex.
If you sent us a message, please be patient, as we received a crazy amount of them and will be answering for multiple days.
Thank you all,
Pavel Krasensky, Okto Research
first of all, thank you for all the feedback, we really appreciate it. I hope I will be able to answer most of your questions in this post.
DAC8 Stereo is going to contain Raspberry Pi in a same way the DAC8 DSP is. We will specify it more clearly on the website.
That was a typo, thanks for pointing it out. Also, we are going to add the inputs provided by the Raspberry Pi (ethernet and wi-fi through an external radio) to the specifications on the respective product pages..
A lot of people asked about Roon capability, I believe Volumio can act as a Roon endpoint.
Of course, nothing prevents you from SSHing to the Volumio and installing custom USB hardware or from running other Linux distributions or other software. Physical access to the RPi is also very straightforward.
All of the USB inputs on our devices are UAC 2.0 compatible and will work in a way Amir described.
Based on the review, we are going to make these changes:
1) Default voltage on the balanced outputs is going to be 4Vrms. No change in performance is expected.
2) We are going to increase the gain of the headphone amplifier so it is able to deliver more power to higher-impedance headphones. While the headphone amplifier packs enough "umpf" to drive a pair of speakers to a pretty loud level for a near-field listening, the output voltage was set so it would not clip with an 8 Ohm load. That is, however, unnecessary and it makes much more sense to adapt it for a headphones.
Based on your feedback, there will also be an option for a black front plate. If you are going to order, please write that in the order note. If you already ordered and want a black front plate, just e-mail us.
Also, I would like to point out that the production design of the enclosure is going to be sturdier without the top lid flex.
Yes, dim or off. Timer values are 10s, 1min, 5min.
113dB @ 100mW into 32 ohm load
If you sent us a message, please be patient, as we received a crazy amount of them and will be answering for multiple days.
Thank you all,
Pavel Krasensky, Okto Research
Jimster480
Major Contributor
The bar has been reset?
I wonder why Okto decided to go with the older ES9028.
While almost everybody is going for the latest and greatest: ES9038, even double ES9038, they decided to ignore it. What is wrong with this ES9038?
Attaching a RPI to the dac is a great idea. I suppose the connection will be done using I2S?
@Okto Research Can you install a NanoSHARC module inside the stereo version of the DAC8? I'm torn between the stereo and the DSP version. So either a "Stereo DSP" version or an option to install a NanoSHARC inside the Stereo version would solve this need.
Hi everyone,
First post but long time reader of the reviews and forum discussions.
I'm currently aiming at a new audio configuration where I could mix Home Theater and Hifi. However, dac sections of HT receivers are not ideal regarding Hifi usage. Using two devices : HT reveiver and audiophile DAC is possible but less user friendly in the frame of familiy use.
I was wondering if the DAC8 DSP could do the job as part of a configuration composed of :
- a Blu-ray Disc Player performing the blu-ray Decoding and some movies streaming (e.g. Netflix),
- the DAC8 DSP doing the source selection, music streaming, room correction, volume and DAC section
- active monitors or Hypex power amplifier + Speaker
Few questions :
- Do you think this configuration makes sense ?
- Would it be possible to integrate Dirac Live on the DSP as does miniDSP on DDRC-24 SharkDSP ? This would greatly ease room correction process for me (I'm not sure I can setup a correction based on REW and other software for a 5.1 configuration).
- What would be the requirements on Blu-ray disk player interfaces so as to comminicate with the DAC8 DSP (raw audio format) ?
It's maybe not the use case you had in mind in the first place designing this product but I think (I may be wrong) it could make a lot of sense in this situation. It could somehow represent an end-game solution for integration of both HT and Hifi.
What do you think ?
Kind regards,
Guillaume
First post but long time reader of the reviews and forum discussions.
I'm currently aiming at a new audio configuration where I could mix Home Theater and Hifi. However, dac sections of HT receivers are not ideal regarding Hifi usage. Using two devices : HT reveiver and audiophile DAC is possible but less user friendly in the frame of familiy use.
I was wondering if the DAC8 DSP could do the job as part of a configuration composed of :
- a Blu-ray Disc Player performing the blu-ray Decoding and some movies streaming (e.g. Netflix),
- the DAC8 DSP doing the source selection, music streaming, room correction, volume and DAC section
- active monitors or Hypex power amplifier + Speaker
Few questions :
- Do you think this configuration makes sense ?
- Would it be possible to integrate Dirac Live on the DSP as does miniDSP on DDRC-24 SharkDSP ? This would greatly ease room correction process for me (I'm not sure I can setup a correction based on REW and other software for a 5.1 configuration).
- What would be the requirements on Blu-ray disk player interfaces so as to comminicate with the DAC8 DSP (raw audio format) ?
It's maybe not the use case you had in mind in the first place designing this product but I think (I may be wrong) it could make a lot of sense in this situation. It could somehow represent an end-game solution for integration of both HT and Hifi.
What do you think ?
Kind regards,
Guillaume
Couldn't you just use 2 channels on the DAC8 DSP?
I wonder why Okto decided to go with the older ES9028.
While almost everybody is going for the latest and greatest: ES9038, even double ES9038, they decided to ignore it. What is wrong with this ES9038?
The digital part of both chips is the same. But the 38 has another analog part with higher (4x?) output current, wich is as far as I know the reason for the better specs. But it is probably not easy to make full use of this higher output current. As you can see in this test the DAC8 performs better then the double 9038 PROs (place 2, 3, 4 in current Master SINAD) tested here, even without channel paralleling. Okto Research designed an excelent output stage for the 28 and it is probably not easy to adapt it to the higher current of the 38.
So as long as you cant really make use of the 38, there is imho no point of using it. Except writing it in the spec sheet, so people buy it.
Of course, but then I would not have the "best in class" system for stereo sound (Even though I'm well aware that there is no way in hell for me to tell the difference soundwise between the two system without active DSP).
@Okto Research , I believe the current design supports either 110v or 220v. Would you make a version to support BOTH voltages (maybe a switch at the back)? It would be much more convenient for people who need to relocate frequently.
The problem with top quality HT+HiFi solution is that you need to process for example Dolby Atmos and then send 8+ PCM tracks to external 8+ channel DAC. And I don’t know any such consumer device. Some high end HT processors has SPDIF out which supports only PCM stereo or compressed Dolby Digital 5.1. Digital audio from TV is the same. Only hope for quick adoption of eARC.
I am playing with a Trinnov Altitude 32 processor which is equipped to provide AES3 output (8 or 16 channels) on DB25. That is is separate from the 32 analog outputs.
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OK, thank you very much vitalii427 for your reply.
Just to understand well, you are saying that no Blu-ray disk player can output 7.1 PCM signal over coaxial or optical connection ?
I had the impression this was the possible reading for example Panasonic DMP-UB700 or 900 operating instructions.
But on the other hand, Pioneer UDP LX500 outputs PCM over 2 channels only on SPDIF or 7.1 on HDMI for audio.
I may have missed something ... but clearly this connection point is critical in the implementation I was aiming at.
@Okto Research, what do you think about connecting the DAC8 DSP to a blu-ray disk player ?
In the case it is possible to retrieve 7.1 numerical signals at the DAC8 DSP, what about implementing dirac live to perform room correction before DAC section ?
Regards,
Guillaume
I've been waiting for this test to show up, and even though I was expecting good results I wasn't expecting quite this good. May have to start saving my pennies - I was looking at a Motu 8A or Ultralite Mk4, but this looks like it might just be worth the premium.
Does anyone know if there will be a dac and preamplifier but with 2 channels?
And not 8 channels.
That would be great then I could replace my Grace Design M902 (and use it as headphone amplifier) and use this in my main system.
And not 8 channels.
That would be great then I could replace my Grace Design M902 (and use it as headphone amplifier) and use this in my main system.
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