Experience with Metrum Octave DAC

I am using a Transparent Reference digital cable from my Meridian 200 transport; my only digital source are CDs.

MIGs are Synergistic Research's vibration control devices. They are stainless steel hollow half spheres. They have a round side and a flat one and the combination you use can sound quite different. I have used a fair variety of different devices of this type and , FOR MY EARS, these are the best I have used and I have a set under all my gear. But absolutely every one I have used is better than the stock rubber feet that come with most units. I recently had lunch with an engineer friend,while we were eating he made fun of vibration devices as snake oil. But afterward when we went to another friends house and I put a set of Ceraballs under his turntable he heard the difference immediately.

After a five week wait, a week of continues play, and running Pure Music, this is a huge improvement over the Squeezeboxes analog outs.

Received mine about a week ago as well, really love the way it sounds even with a bare Squeezebox Touch. Although it has been suggested that re-clocking and upsampling is required to get ideal results I'm not sure that I'll bother going any further as everything is working just fine as is.

The one thing I will say is that putting the Octave in line produced one of the most pronounced and noticeable differences that I have heard from a digital upgrade(Benchmark->Lavry->Audiolab). Better bass, better tone and rock solid in terms of placement of instruments.

We'll see what happens over time but so far it appears to be a keeper. I'll try and report back after putting some more hours on it...

I've been playing with my Metrum Octave DAC for the past 4 weeks, and I have to say, that it sounds spectacular. Super transparent, fast, detailed, smooth, with excellent front to back layering and soundstaging in general. It is indeed a game changing product.

No, it is not better than my uber-expensive dCS Scarlatti, which is still smoother and has even better resolution, but is not that far behind.

This DAC could sell for $5k and (fit and finish aside) could still represent a good value for money.