Review and Measurements of Okto DAC8 8Ch DAC & Amp

[DWPress]

I use one of these tricklestar power strips with the Okto instead of the trigger:

There are control plugs and switched plugs on this strip. I have my sub amp plugged into one of the "control" plugs so when I turn on the amp it automatically turns on the rest of the gear including the Okto but the Okto doesn't power up until it gets a signal. Turn off the sub amp and everything else turns off. Simplicity at its finest. I believe I purchased it after another ASR member recommended it and it's been working great for at least 3 years here.

 

[dualazmak]

My DAC8PRO is firmware ver.1.32 and the USB-ASIO driver is original DIYIHNK ver.4.59.0 (2019-02-28); I still have no intention of version-up either of them since they are working perfectly fine with my Windows 11 Pro completely silent audio-dedicated PC (ref. here for the latest system setup as of August 3 2023).

BTW, now that the new firmware and new USB-ASIO driver are available, let me ask again(!) one simple question.
Have anybody here in ASR Forum tested/found the followings under new firmware and new USB-ASIO driver?

1. Connect two of DAC8PRO (in pure USB mode or USB/AES mode) to one PC (using two USB cables into two of PC's USB ports) and test whether the new USB-ASIO driver would recognize the two DAC8PRO, i.e. USB ASIO 16-Ch for DAC8PRO would be available for any of DSP software, or not. (I assume the answer would be still "No", though.)

2. Only in the case of the answer for above 1. would be "Yes", can we make the two DAC8PROs in-sync by connecting the AES/EBU OUT (Ch1+Ch2) to AES/EBU IN-1 of the second DAC8PRO?

3. Are there any other "miracle" I/O routing configuration(s) for recognition of two of DAC8PRO (should be in-sync with each other) to be recognized as 12-Ch or 14-Ch or 16-Ch ASIO routing from one PC? (I assume the answer would be still "None", though.)

 

[Zooqu1ko]

Have anybody here in ASR Forum tested/found the followings under new firmware and new USB-ASIO driver?

1. Connect two of DAC8PRO (in pure USB mode or USB/AES mode) to one PC (using two USB cables into two of PC's USB ports) [... ]

Maybe Question 0 should be whether anyone here even has 2 DAC8Pro.

 

[Neddy]

Dueling (Dual-ing) Oktos - interesting questions - I'll be curious as to the responses.
Your detailed analysis and mearsurements, as usual are stunningly complete, and thorough - I have so much respect for you!

BTW, the remote trigger power/on off is not an issue for my install, as a) the horn/super tweeter are cap protected by their (JBL) crossovers (and are still working perfectly after 40 years) so demonstrably resistant to power on/off issues, and b) I do manually power on the Venu360 bi-amp/sub electronic crossover first, which has very good transient protection.
Besides, (the Emotiva controller interface) was simple, cheap, and is super reliable. Can't say I'm crazy about the blue LEDs, but there's always Tape....
I'm also well under the breaker inrush limit, so no concerns on that front either.

Neither the Hypex stereo 'bi-amp', nor the 5 channel A/B surround amp have significant turn on thumps or clicks, either.
The sub amp (Crown) does - but that's a pro sub beast, so unlikely to ever care one way or another.

I have one of those sensor power strips - I may utilize that to power up the devices not under direct Okto control at some point - thanks for the reminder!

(BTW, I've seen about a 25% reduction in electricity usage since implementing (after first chasing down) various 'idle' usage items - suprised the heck out of me (the biggest was to not use any hot water before noon, when the solar hot water system kicks in).
That's about $35/month at the new higher rates approved recently.)
It also somewhat changes the economics (payback time) of solar electric panels....

I've decided I will attempt the firmware upgrade, but probably not til summer project work turns from outdoor to indoor items.

Thanks!

 

[manisandher]

My DAC8PRO is firmware ver.1.32 and the USB-ASIO driver is original DIYIHNK ver.4.59.0 (2019-02-28); I still have no intention of version-up either of them since they are working perfectly...

I also remain reluctant to update my firmware (1.4, I think).

1. Connect two of DAC8PRO (in pure USB mode or USB/AES mode) to one PC...

You're brave!

If ever I contempate extending to a 5-way setup, I'd simply use my Motu Ultralite-mk5, which has 10 balanced outputs. Though not as nice as the Okto (aesthetically, at least ), it's a phenomenal piece of kit.

Mani.

 

[sumitc]

Maybe Question 0 should be whether anyone here even has 2 DAC8Pro.

I use 2 DAC8PRO units connected using the 16-channel AES output of my Trinnov.

 

[dualazmak]

I use 2 DAC8PRO units connected using the 16-channel AES output of my Trinnov.

By your AES/EBU routing (having clock signal in the digital pulses) two of DAC8PRO are fully in-sync, right?

 

[sumitc]

By your AES/EBU routing (having clock signal in the digital pulses) two of DAC8PRO are fully in-sync, right?

Correct.

 

[dualazmak]

If ever I contempate extending to a 5-way setup, I'd simply use my Motu Ultralite-mk5, which has 10 balanced outputs.

Yes.
MOTU, ANTELOPE, and MERGING TECHNOLOGY, etc. ADC-DAC (Audio Interface) gears are in my candidate list, but I am still hesitating as wrote/shared here yesterday...

 

[Zooqu1ko]

I use 2 DAC8PRO units connected using the 16-channel AES output of my Trinnov.

I'd appreciate if you could conduct the tests that dualazmak is asking for, and on top of that, check if the there's any audio coming out of the AES out of the first DAC (i.e. switch the second one to Pure AES mode, and check if the audio from channel 1+2 of DAC #1 is duplicated on DAC #2. Thanks.

 

[dualazmak]

I use 2 DAC8PRO units connected using the 16-channel AES output of my Trinnov.

By your AES/EBU routing (having clock signal in the digital pulses) two of DAC8PRO are fully in-sync, right?

Correct.

Oh, just amazing! This is very much brave and "wise" implementation of two DAC8PRO fully in-sync in audio rig, I believe.
We need, however, the most advanced version of TRINNOV and definite "wife acceptance" which would be almost impossible at least for me.
(And the total sound quality would be rather dominated by TRINNOV.)

BTW, other than TRINNOV, are there any "reasonably affordable" gears to enable 16-Ch AES/EBU digital stereo out (by 8-port of AES/EBU stereo OUT) for one Windows PC?? The possible 16-Ch should be recognized properly (hopefully in ASIO routing) by DSP software within the PC.

 

[dualazmak]

I'd appreciate if you could conduct the tests that dualazmak is asking for, and on top of that, check if the there's any audio coming out of the AES out of the first DAC (i.e. switch the second one to Pure AES mode, and check if the audio from channel 1+2 of DAC #1 is duplicated on DAC #2. Thanks.

I too would like to see that.
However we still have big issue; whether and how the USB-ASIO driver properly recognize 16-Ch or 14-Ch for the two DAC8PRO?? It would be quite hopeless, I assume.

 

[Zooqu1ko]

[...]

BTW, other than TRINNOV, are there any "reasonably affordable" gears to enable 16-Ch AES/EBU digital stereo out (by 8-port of AES/EBU stereo OUT) for one Windows PC?? The possible 16-Ch should be recognized properly (hopefully in ASIO routing) by DSP software within the PC.

As long as the Altitude doesn't support Dante / Ravenna / AES67 (promised for "when it's ready"), the only way to get 16 channels out from a PC is the 16 channel AES in of the Altitude 32, so that doesn't get you anywhere. Why don't you cut out the middleman and get a RME HDSPe AES or something similar?

 

[dualazmak]

As long as the Altitude doesn't support Dante / Ravenna / AES67 (promised for "when it's ready"), the only way to get 16 channels out from a PC is the 16 channel AES in of the Altitude 32, so that doesn't get you anywhere. Why don't you cut out the middleman and get a RME HDSPe AES or something similar?

I "should and/or need to" essentially agree with you, even though my knowledge around AES/EBU looks quite inferior to yours...

 

[dualazmak]

BTW, I am just searching/learning about the rather old-fashion sync mechanism of S/PDIF and AES/EBU.
I hope your web browser would properly translate this web article into English or your language.

We can easily understand that "sync mechanism of S/PDIF and AES/EBU" has already become really outdated in comparison with present "SOTA" Dante and/or Ravenna on so-common-now GigaBit ethernet LAN protocols. The "inter-sync" implementation between home-use affordable digital audio gears, therefore, looks far behind the already available and affordable SOTA technologies, I believe.

In any way, I would be really happy if DAC8PRO "MkII(?)" would have nice master oscillator clocking (10 MHz?) block in it and would have master-clock out/in BNC design so that the second slave DAC8PRO "MkII" can be precisely completely in-sync with the master one; then of course PC-DSP should be able to recognize, by USB-ASIO driver, the total of 16-Ch or 14-Ch for DSP-based multichannel audio processing.

From technical point of view (not from market size and profitability), it is now very easy to implement such "clocking I/O block" in DAC gears since e.g. TEAC CG-10M-A High-Precision Master Clock Generator ( 4-BNC outputs of 10 MHz master clock) is available and affordable around USD 1,000.

I do hope Pavel of OKTO is still keeping his eyes on this thread.

 

[dualazmak]

Sorry to go a little bit out of the scope of this thread on OKTO DAC8PRO, but,,,

I just started to intensively consider another approach/possibility towards "more than 8-Ch" pure and in-sync DAC-only processing (I do not need any ADC and other audio interface functionalities).

I assume, we can hopefully use multiple "2-Ch stereo DAC unit" precisely completely in-sync, if the unit has 10 MHz BNC clocking features, right?

Just for example, TEAC UD-701N USB/DAC Network Player actually has 10 MHz BNC clocking input (inside photo and brief review here); if I would use 6 unit of UD-701N and one master clock generator having 6 BNC clocking out, and if the dedicated USB-ASIO driver can recognize all the 12-Ch through 6-cable USB 2.0 connection to my PC; the total cost would be still beyond the affordable level at present for this setup, though.

If USB-ASIO routing for the above mentioned 12-Ch would be impossible, there maybe another possibility of 12-Ch recognition by LAN connection through 8-port (or more ports) GB switching hub so that all of the 6-unit of UD-701N can be used as 12-Ch in-sync streaming Network Player, I just hope and dream.

I will send my inquiry to TEAC Company for the present possibility of such approach.

Do you know any other stereo 2-Ch DAC unit having 10 MHz BNC clock-In possibly fit for the above approach?

EDIT:
I now have my eyes also on the specifications of Antelope's AMÁRI DAC-ADC having 10 MHz Clock BNC IN as well as BNC Word-Clock IN (still expensive though), and also Antelope's 10MX Rubidium Atomic Clock Generator which has 10-port of 10MHz clocking BNC OUT. Antelope also released rather affordable lower clock generator OCX HD, Pure 2 and TRINITY. I still do not know multichannel capability of their dedicated USB(3.0) ASIO driver for AMÁRI.

 

[dualazmak]

I have one of those sensor power strips - I may utilize that to power up the devices not under direct Okto control at some point - thanks for the reminder!

You are always quite welcome!
As for the power strips I mentioned here on my project thread, I use five of this type (in series, the first one for master switch), as recently shared here;

All of the "usually not in use" gears should be kept fully power-off (unconnected to AC power supply) in terms of possible EMI to other gears especially to phono preamplifier, even though I already applied "maximum applicable treatments/positioning avoiding EMI" on my phono preamplifier (Audio-Technica AT-PEQ30) as shared here.

 

[AudioJester]

I upgraded from fw v1.32.
The new asio driver looks and functions exactly the same as the DIYIHNK version, just labelled okto now.

 

[Veri]

The new asio driver looks and functions exactly the same as the DIYIHNK version, just labelled okto now.

Well it's probably just a licensed Thesyscon XMOS USB driver, pretty much what almost everyone else is using/distributing.

 

[dualazmak]

I upgraded from fw v1.32.
The new asio driver looks and functions exactly the same as the DIYIHNK version, just labelled okto now.

Really thank you for good news, since mine is also v1.32.
May I ask you which "method/route" did you use for the firmware update?