Okto Research DAC8 Stereo - Streamer

[Qwin]

Thanks for the Stereophile link Rob, I hadn't seen that review.

[dgolh]

Wherever I read, 4 ou 5 months are frequent. Only 2 units are currently for sale 2ndhand, one in UE and the other in the USA. It seems to be the only way to get one on a sensible time limit.

[dgolh]

Finally, the seller has just let me down. So I will take a totally different direction for now and buy a Cocktail Audio X50D and a "small R2R dac" instead. Probalby a discounted Ares 2.

[dgolh]

Hi Qwin,

I've finally found a 2nd hand Dac8 Stereo. I'll use it with Heed PM Blocks which are only fitted with RCAs. What's the rest of your set ? Are you facing the same issue? How did you eventually fix it?

[Qwin]

Hi Didier
You were lucky to find a used unit, well done.
I have a Freya+ Pre Amp, which has two sets of balanced inputs.
The Okto plugs into one set and my Aqvox Balanced Phono stage plugs into the other set.
The Freya+ has one set of balanced and two sets of RCA single ended outputs, all live simultaneously.
I feed the Balanced outputs into a Marchand active x-over (LP 500Hz) and on to a Nord Class D two channel Amp, which services my bass drivers (Full balanced path).
I use one of the single ended sets of outputs on the Freya+ to directly supply a PrimaLuna PL4 Tube Stereo Power amp. This is connected to Troels Grevesen based passive crossovers in my speaker cabinets and supplies my Mids and Twts. This is a completely single ended path, but I swapped out the RCA sockets on both the Freya and the PrimaLuna for XLR connectors, its still Single ended, but now with a separate shield connection. I hate RCA's, my changes mean all my interconnect leads are the same type and interchangeable, regardless of being either balanced or single ended.

This is my set up:



If you want to see what I did to the Amps etc, find it all here on the bottom row of thumbnails: https://www.jkwynn.co.uk//Projects.html

Ken

[ReggieB]

That's a good find - I don't think they appear 2nb hand very often.

[dgolh]

It comes with the streaming function at a very interested price. It showed on a french Hifi forum at 11:23 and I bought it at 11:25

Retirement has some good points

[dgolh]

@qwin: what are your findings when used without preamp?

[Qwin]

Never used it without a pre amp.
I have the digital volume control disabled (at max), so it's fixed at 0dB output on the display and runs full scale all the time.
I purchased the optional reduced output level and I had it built to a level that matches my Phono stages output.
So both the Okto and my Phono stage produce approximately the same volume level, track dependant of course.
In general, DAC's output levels have pushed up and up over the years, mine has been set to a more sensible level, similar to other line level devices.
It wasn't just attenuated to achieve this, the gain level was adjusted by Okto, there are parts on the board that set the gain level (output).
The Okto through my Tube pre amp sounds great.

[dgolh]

I can now fully support your opinion on this dac: it's really a winner.

It's worth the wait. It's a -no-brainer -(litterally) compared to the RME which is very good in its own right but with so many possibilities (instructions gave me a headache)