Metrum Octave versus Eastern Electric DAC

I'll be brief since the Olympics are on...
You need the DAC Plus version; forget about the upgrade to the original unless (and ONLY unless) you can't swing the money for the Plus version.

See my Audio Blast articles at Dagogo.com about all things EE DAC and the Plus version, as well as discrete Opamp rolling them.

The experience of the Plus version is drastically better than the original. If you have the money to do the Plus version the discrete Opamp upgrade on the original would be a mistake. Nuf said. :)

I mistakenly thought Morningstar was located in GA, my bad. Still no meaningful comparison to Metrum. If none, I believe I will buy a Metrum and conduct a shoot out and purchase the upgraded new EE if it wins, since it doesn't appear that any one here has compared side by side.

Thanks to all that replied. I bought the EE based on Doug Schroeder review.

hi doug:

you frequently use the word "better" , without contextual reference.

thus there is no way to assess the connotation of your statements.

better is subjective, and, as i have said, i think that the "right" tube in the original dac may be preferable to the dac plus.
however, what you consider to be "better" may not concide with my conception of the term.

Mrtennis,

"Better" is simply the enemy of "Good"...

Only your ears can decide between the two.

Mrtennis, it should have been fairly obvious; the "contextual reference" for my conclusions is contained in the articles I have written.