[Stitch]

Had anyone tried using the dacmagic as usb to s/pdif converter by means if it's digital out?

Let's just say there's capacitor burn-in also, but I don't think that's the case with the Octave. Your case is pretty simple' to explain really.  You're starting to notice the improvement - though subtle - over the DAC magic. Or it could be your ear is familiarizing itself to the Octave. That raises another point about comparing DAC at meet has no meaning; and that's why I always do my "dac battles" late at night + volume matched.

About the Octave, it's a very strange case of burning-in and you may notice. The Octave right out the box sounds "lively", or you can call it exciting/hot. However after like a week the sound starts to mellow out

The change is very subtle indeed. The octave does not do anything special in particular, it just does a lot of things right. That would also explain my initial disappointment. That and the fact that it's sound is similar to the DM.

Combined with the GS-1 and DT880 i think I'm getting pretty close to a wire with gain system.

 

[Stitch]

Some shots of the octave in its current habbitat

 

[philo50]

I like that a lot.....

 

[Anda]

Quote:

 

[antonyfirst]

I want the Fallout boy!

 

[Blackmore]

How is burn in going, any updates?
 
THX
 
 
Quote:

How should i burn the dac? Is keeping it powered on enough or should there be music running?

 

[Zoo Animal]

Mine has been on the cooker for just over a day. So far, it is very open & fast on the upper end..hard to even call it liquid as it seems to be a step above that. Vocals have seemed to just emanate or blossom, it reminds me of a very good/neutral tube implementation in the way this happens. 

In my system it is also amazing with horns. Great timbre & texture...everything was lungs, lips and brass. Lesser DACs/CDPs often leave things here sounding like synth-like mono-texture/tone or imitation. I listened to Mingus/Black Saint, a good thrill ride with the Metrum. It is a difficult album and can sound a noisy but each instrument had amazing timbre and separation, it was brought from noisy, blaring cacophony into palpable, coherent strategic aural assault...fun stuff. This is the first time I felt like my speakers were finding their limit, which probably isn't true but hard not to sit and imagine with what a pair of electrostatics would do with this. I imagine a smile induced seizure. 

People have said that the mellows a bit, especially on the upper end as it gets some time on it and an already good soundstage broadens...looking forward to see what comes.

 

[Stitch]

I decided to just listen to it and see what happens. Since it arived little over a week ago it has only been on when listening to it 2-4 hours a day except the past weekend including friday.
It felt pretty bright at first, stingy even at certain songs,  but i am getting more comfortable with the sound with every session. The detail is exceptional already, its very neutral. 
My initial disapointment has made way for surprise and satisfaction. It has lifted a very thin veil of some sort present with the DACmagic. The biggest improvement would be the detail and finess in the mids and upper bass.
 
 
The past weekend i was out and about in the woods all the time and at saturdaynights bonfire someone tossed a spraycan in the fire which popped when i was about 3m away. My ears, mainly the left, are still ringing 1,5 day later...... So i'm not sure how much i can listen to my new toy atm 

.

 

[Blackmore]

Thanks for update. I would say, let it run through the night during a week at least and then try listen again, as it is to early to say something at this stage. This unit needs some good run, imo.
 
 
Just got an asnwer from Cees about USB part in MKII model and here is the answer:
 
USB is copied from the Hex to the Octave, but USB power supply is much complex. We make use of the USB power supply via a new galvanic separation (galvanic DC to DC conversion), with as result that power supply for USB behaves equivalent to HEX.
 
I hope this will help to clarify things a bit.
 
THX
 
 
Quote:

I decided to just listen to it and see what happens. Since it arived little over a week ago it has only been on when listening to it 2-4 hours a day except the past weekend including friday.
It felt pretty bright at first, stingy even at certain songs,  but i am getting more comfortable with the sound with every session. The detail is exceptional already, its very neutral. 
My initial disapointment has made way for surprise and satisfaction. It has lifted a very thin veil of some sort present with the DACmagic. The biggest improvement would be the detail and finess in the mids and upper bass.
 
 
The past weekend i was out and about in the woods all the time and at saturdaynights bonfire someone tossed a spraycan in the fire which popped when i was about 3m away. My ears, mainly the left, are still ringing 1,5 day later...... So i'm not sure how much i can listen to my new toy atm 

.

 

[Stitch]

Thanks for update. I would say, let it run through the night during a week at least and then try listen again, as it is to early to say something at this stage. This unit needs some good run, imo.


Just got an asnwer from Cees about USB part in MKII model and here is the answer:

USB is copied from the Hex to the Octave, but USB power supply is much complex. We make use of the USB power supply via a new galvanic separation (galvanic DC to DC conversion), with as result that power supply for USB behaves equivalent to HEX.

I hope this will help to clarify things a bit.

THX

Since my ears are still ringing it might be wise to skip headphones for a few days and I don't have much time anyway, I'll go and give the burn-in the benefit of the doubt and connect it to my pc and run the disc you mentioned for the remainder of the week.

 

[antonyfirst]

What I don't understand is: where is the difference between the Octave Mk2 and the Hex, regarding usb implementation?
 
Is Hex taking signal only from the USB line, whereas the Octave Mk2 draws also power, and then tries to "fix" it in its own box, thanks to the galvanic isolator?

 

[Blackmore]

As far as I understood, there is no difference in USB operating between the two, only the way the power been generated is differ. You can always ask Cees directly, if you like.
 
THX
 
 
Quote:

What I don't understand is: where is the difference between the Octave Mk2 and the Hex, regarding usb implementation?
 
Is Hex taking signal only from the USB line, whereas the Octave Mk2 draws also power, and then tries to "fix" it in its own box, thanks to the galvanic isolator?

 

[Stitch]

The Octave is now setup with the burn-in file on repeat. Its sounds like a windy ravine/valley or someting

.
I'll let it run for a few days overnightand see what what happens

 

[Blackmore]

Give it a week, dont spare it, just keep running, it will pay off.
 
 
Quote:

The Octave is now setup with the burn-in file on repeat. Its sounds like a windy ravine/valley or someting

.
I'll let it run for a few days overnightand see what what happens

 

[Stitch]

Quote:

Give it a week, dont spare it, just keep running, it will pay off.
 
 

One question, how can certain sounds/noise improve burn-in?