Experience with Metrum Octave DAC

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

Lewinskih01, this being my first DAC, other than the Touch's analog outs, I've nothing to compare it to. Keep in mind the lead time for the Octave is 5-7 weeks.

I'm told, barring any poor reception, the Airport Extreme should stream more than enough bandwidth for the touch. Still, I haven't heard of a comparison between the Touch being directly fed by a Mac Minior or over wifi.

Maybe someone here can answer that?

Stanwal, that's some lead time. There's no way to audition and it sounds like resale would be ripe if one needed to. There is more positive comments on a Audiophilleo and Stello U3 reviews.

Thanks for the response

Vic

Lewinskih, my latest news regarding using the Squeezebox Touch. First I should point out that my lack of computer speak and a general inability to describe what I'm trying to do has been frustrating to some responders elsewhere on the net. Others have been very helpful. I was assuming the SBT had a USB output! See what I mean, I'm a real Moe.

So far the best reading about the Octave has been on the Computer Audiophile and Audio Circle. I'm now very certain the Metrum Octave was the smartest DAC purchase, implementing it to utilize its full potential is the rub. Currently, using a Mac Mini>any cheapo USB cable>Empirical Audio's Offramp>Quality SPDIF cable> Octave may be the best implementation to date.

Empirical Audio's Chief engineer Steve Nugent has been great. They had a product called the Pace Car that was somewhat designed to put between products like Sonos and SBT. Using it with the SBT required a mod to the SBT. Anyway, the Pace Car is out of production but a new devise that should be called the Syncro is a reclocker that would go between the SBT and a DAC without any mods to the SBT.

The one caveat is that the reclocking may not be bit perfect and of course limited to the SBT's 24 bit-96kHz. Keep in mind this devise is under going some beta testing, the enclosure for the board is not ready. It may be about for weeks away from release and the price is an estimated $500.

Lewinskih, nada, I'm still at least six weeks out to receiving the Octave.

Instructions for connecting a USB DAC to Squeezebox Touch (Changing the SBT's USB from an input port to an output port)

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=82110

This disables all other outputs but they can be easily restored by resetting.

Stanwal, so that took seven weeks?

What are MIGs?

How are you be feeding the Octave SPDIF, USB converter?

Elberoth, thanks for posting your impressions of the Octave. Like Lewinski I'm interested in your source and any software such as Pure Music.

Your component selection over the years has been spectacular but I've really enjoyed your photo journal of your rooms evolution. In my opinion this is the craft of good audio. Looks terrific, keep it coming.

Vic