Okto DAC 8 Stereo (Shout-out)
I know this DAC made a buzz via a Stereophile A+ rating a couple years back, and I can’t say how many times I casually checked if they were back in stock for purchase. A couple of weeks ago I happened to check and they were.
Previously I had read the lead times were up to 8 weeks for a build, but happy to report it arrived in just over a week to the states. Great communication and service from the Okto team. Unfortunately couldn’t get one with streaming on-board due to R-Pi shortages.
Seems well built, nice screen, and overall a smaller chassis than I thought. Hopefully won’t miss lack of single ended outputs. A note you can use this as a preamp and order to custom output voltage to match your power amp.
My initial impressions are as follows: This is the most transparent DAC I have ever heard, previously owning Denafrips Terminator, Holo Spring, Sonnet Morpheus, Aqua La Scala, PS audio PW DSD and others of lesser renown and quality. . The instrument separation is quite good, a wide and deep stage, and an almost eerily clarity that lacks any glassy edginess that sabre DAC based designs seem to be known for. Although I owned a HIFI rose and loved it.
Anyways, kudos to Okto and a heads up they are in stock. Great performance and a very affordable price!
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Is this an overly smooth sounding DAC? How long did it take to get to the USA from Czechia?
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How is the quality of the Raspberry streamer option? Was it difficult to flash the microSD card with a streamer software? How do you connect the card to a computer to do the flash? I am guessing the USB input is the best streaming option with an external streamer. I think I am going to order this DAC and forget about the more expensive DAC I had in mind. That dual XLR output is something I was looking for a long time in a DAC. I can connect my headphone amp and 2-channel preamp at the same time to a single DAC using XLR instead of RCA + XLR.
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@lordmelton I am thinking of getting the Musetec 005 again or the Okto instead of the Playback Designs Edelwise or Dream that I had my eyes on. The Musetec 005 sounds really good on my KEF LS50 Meta and I think it will be superb on my Magnepan LRS+ that I also have in the office. I also think the 005 will be very good with my new Livingroom speaker, the Yamaha NS5000 (amazing speaker). My main issue with the 005 is that it is not a good fit for my RAAL VM-1a tube headphone amp which is in the office. Even the maker of the amp heard my 005 at his shop and said it was not a good match. However, I may sell the VM-1a now since I have a new option for my phones that is about 90% as good as the VM-1a. I could use that new option with the Musetec 005 and the phones. I will be busy for the next 2 months with work and vacations, so I have time to think this out. As you can see in my posts I am going in circles trying to make a decision on this.
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