Metrum Octave versus Eastern Electric DAC

hi d patterson:

i have been thinking about what you said. the fact that i have not heard the metrum octave.
i think however, that you missed my point.

let me put it in another context.

i would say that i would make you a bet. the terms as follows:

i will pick my favorite tube dac, you can pick your favorite ss dac. design a blind test, and i will prefer the tube dac every time.

now let's apply this to the quesrion raised by thread, namely the minimax vs the octave.

what i was trying to say is that i would guarantee i would prefer the minmax, because i could select my favorite tube, perhaps, change some caps and op amps, over the metrum octave.

such a statement is an expression of my preference for tubed devices over solid state based devices, regardless of the component.

thus i would probably subscribe to the adage "solid state is an unpleasant state".

so i will admit my predilection for tubes does not require me to audition a solid state compoent.

there are a few instances where i can enjoy a solid state dac.

for example, i am using a vinvincent cd s6 tube cd player as a transport connected to a ps audio perfect wave dac, linked by an spdif cable. however, i would prefer the original zanden or original lector.

the reason i can live with the aforementioned components is the interconnect from the dac to a tube preamp. i am using fusion audio romance gold stranded cable.

the cable counteracts the objectionable qualities of the dac. you could also say the cable, colors the sound.

this situation does not change my original statement about tubed vs ss components. i have just found a way to overcome the objectionable qualities of solid state.

i

Mr Tennis, I'm not so sure I agree with your premise that you would pick the tube DAC everytime, especially in a blind test, maybe, maybe not. In any case that would have to be proven to me. I don't find the EE DAC to have a typically characteristic "tube sound" at all although by changing out tubes you can alter its sound, on that I agree.

Having purchased several budget DAC's in the 1K range over the past year and a half, 2 tube and 2 SS, I personally settled for one that is not tube and EVERYONE to a person that has listened to all of them in my system agrees with my preference, overwhelmingly. As my moniker implies I generally prefer tube devices, over SS but I would be going out on a limb to say that this is ALWAYS the case. I haven't heard the Metrum but there seems to be a concensus concerning it and the aspects of NOS over upsampling/oversampling digital devices.

hi tubegrover:

how confident are you:

regarding the three dacs that you recently auditioned, suppose i could pick the stereo system and the tubes, would you bet that i would pick the ss dac that was universally preferred, or would you bet that i would pick a tube dac ?

since you don't know my preferences, i can tell you that i prefer the classic tube sound and no ss dac has it.

Mrtennis,
We all like what we like,nothing wrong with that. If you prefer the "classic tube sound"(what ever that may be to you) then SS just is`nt going to make you happy, simple as that. I generally prefer tube to SS for amplification(see my system). But when it comes to source that preference does`nt hold under all comparisons.

I selected the Yamamoto DAC SS version and like it as much or more than tubed digital sources I`ve heard.Tubes are`nt 'always better all the time' in all situations.It just depends.
Regards,

For what it is worth, I have a EE DAC + with NOS (Mullard)tube and Dexa opamps. For my money, the biggest improvement (by far) in regards to sound quality came from swapping out stock opamps to the Dexa's or Bursons. Replacing stock tube to NOS did improve things but not nearly as much as the opamps. I have also spent a lot of time listening to the unit in both SS and tube mode. While I prefer tube mode the difference is much more subtle than I would have expected. Again, the discrete opamps have a much larger influence on sound.

In regards to the OP's question, I have placed an order for a Metrum and will be able to do a direct comparison between it and a Dexa modified EE. While I have generally preferred tube equipment over SS in the past, I consider myself equipment agnostic and will keep the unit I like best. Will post more after I receive the Octave.