@yyzsantabarbara no this DAC isn’t overly smooth, not at all actually. It isn’t harsh either. Took 9 days from order to arrival to the States.
Also, yes it only has two sets of XLR outs.
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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I just heard from the Okto folks. Said my unit should ship within 1 to 2 weeks, despite them showing as "in stock" at the time of purchase. It's entirely possible that the delay is because I also ordered the custom output voltage and someone has to physically make the modification. I did see something when I checked out that said "4 in stock" or "4 left" when I purchased late Sat night |
@shooter41 My understanding is they do need additional time for custom output voltage adjustments. I got mine standard and it still took a couple days to send me tracking info.
It's a good feeling supporting small businesses! Hope you like it. |
I have owned the dac8 stereo and I was truly amazed. Previously I had mytek Brooklyn bridge and Merason Frerot. The Okto was another level. Big and wide soundstage, clean, pure, transparent and detailed yet not analytical nor cold. I have sold it because I needed SE. I now have spring 3 kte and sometimes thinking to get an Okto again. They are very different so not possible to direct compare. Considering the MSB discrete and the T+A 200 too. |
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