Uprgrading my Metrum Octave DAC

Forgot to mention the perfect wave MKII as another potential. I realize the ayre and brick are a few years old now, but from what I've read, they still hold their own with modern DACs.

Mccance,

I hear you: I have my Octave connected to a Lamm LL2, into a McIntosh MC275 and I'm pretty happy. I, too, wish the Octave had BNC instead of RCA.

What's your source, before the AP? I have a Squeezebox Touch, with software mods, and I'm looking at adding an AP2 in between to reduce jitter. Maybe a dedicated server later on to replace the SBT.

The Octave DAC is hard to beat, but the source is actually more important. There are two things to consider:

1) drive the Octave with a lower jitter source like Off-Ramp 5, Diverter HR or Synergistic

2) sell it and use a Wired 4 Sound DAC2 driven with I2S from an Off-Ramp 5 - this is a world class sound

Other than that, consider more expensive DACs that enable you to eliminate your preamp. The steps to good digital sound are:

1) reduce source jitter
2) eliminate or reduce the effects of digital filtering in the DAC
3) eliminate active preamp and drive the amps directly
4) couple to the amps directly using a good transformer and balanced cables

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve,

HNY to you.

With all due respect (and there's a LOT), it's hard to say what THE most important piece is. You could back up even farther than your "source" suggestion and talk about the recordings.

An excellent recording on 44/16 followed by high-end but mediocre downstream components will still sound better than a crap recording (mastering) on whatever rez you wish, followed by anything you wish.

To me, it ALL matters and it all matters about equally because if ANY piece is broken, it all comes tumbling down.

It's not much different than the analog chain: master>>LP>>cartridge>>tonearm>>TT>>cabling>>phono preamp>>preamp>>etc., etc.

Which one of those do you want to be really crappy? None.

Same for digital. And in my experience, this is what a large percentage of the audiophile population does not get and it results in Vinyl biggots that think digital is crap, no matter what.

Basically, they have just never heard it done right.

Regarding your list 1-4, I disagree with 3 and 4.

#3) An preamp is a preamp whether it's in the DAC or external. If you plan to control the volume, you are going to need one. The Octave does not even have a buffer and takes the output directly from the DAC chips. I choose to let a SP17 do the rest, partly because I love the ARC sound and partly because it's also a phono preamp and offers various input switching, remote volume, etc.

#4) Not interested in transformers, or capacitors anywhere they can be eliminated, especially directly in the signal path. (and yes I know the SP17 is full of caps, but that's the default world of tube amp design). Balanced cables were designed for common mode noise rejection in long runs of cables, primarily in the recording studio and performance arenas. They don't do much for a 7 inch run.

RM

Interesting Idea about coupling DAC directly to amp. Which DACs do you know of that are capable of doing this? I guess you just need a DAC with the right output impedance, why do you need balanced cables though?