[gitf03]

   
Not sure on that...you'd have to get some internal shots of the Octave Mk2 and Hex to compare. I'm also not sure how the Mk1 and Mk2 boards differ. Just an area I'm pretty noob in.

Octave MK2:

 
Hex:

 

[Stereolab42]

I'm not sure they stuffed enough capacitors into the Hex. Surely they could have fit a few dozen more?

 

[Clemmaster]

The original Octave had just some resistors in the "output stage". No caps, no transformers. They actually said it has no output stage and that's why it is so "direct" sounding.
 
The DAC chips they use are designed to drive 75 ohm loads with no output stage. They just added some resistors to the output of the 4 DAC (per channel) to make a 82.5ohm output impedance.
 
The Octave mkII uses the OEM board designed for the HEX (which makes use of 2 of them). It's a modular board that can be slave to another one to create a balanced DAC (HEX, again) or be used standalone (Octave).
 
Metrum actually sells this OEM board.

 

[hans030390]

Clemmaster, is the Mk2 setup the same way as the Mk1, in that it just has some resistors in the output stage? I rarely know what I'm looking for when it comes to stuff like this.

 

[Chris J]

Easier said than done. Some "objectivists" seem hell bent on [COLOR=222222]proselytizing[/COLOR] others on the dangers of placebo purgatory. It's like they can't keep such awesome gnosis to themselves, but need to save all others, including those who don't want to be saved. It's like that time where that Jehovah's Witness knocked on my pothead neighbor's door when I lived in Satan Cruz.

That basically explains half the participants in the Sound Science Forum!

 

[skeptic]

 
Easier said than done. Some "objectivists" seem hell bent on proselytizing others on the dangers of placebo purgatory. It's like they can't keep such awesome gnosis to themselves, but need to save all others, including those who don't want to be saved. It's like that time where that Jehovah's Witness knocked on my pothead neighbor's door when I lived in Satan Cruz.

 
LOL!  Love this analogy!  Great post.

 

[SearchOfSub]

LOL!  Love this analogy!  Great post.

Hahaha lol. Nice 1.

 

[remilio]

purrin,
 
you've mentioned good ol' Parasound D/AC 1600 somewhere, saying it's great DAC, but how it compares to modern contenders (NAD M51, Octave etc.)?

 

[molika]

would one recommend the NAD M51 (used) or Schiit Audio Gungnir DAC (new) if i could get the at the same price.

 

[kothganesh]

  would one recommend the NAD M51 (used) or Schiit Audio Gungnir DAC (new) if i could get the at the same price.

IMO, the Gungnir...

 

[xdog]

I have a funny thought experimen:
Here I would considered D/A chip, but this can be easily extended into DACs and amps
Lets take into consideration units size * manufacture gain,
I would (very roughly) guess that this numbers are like:
Realtec HD =: 100mln * 10cents = 10mln $
PCM 179x = 100k * 10$ = 1mln $
Some ESS 32bit chip = 3k * 30$ = 100k $
Some exotic FGPP  (whatever) chip = 30 * 300$ = 10k (I'm really guessing this one)
 
And think that this gain could turn into R&D investment....
You might not agree with the numbers (as I said this is just a guess), but it is something which is worth thinking about.
PS: I know (at least from some forums which I read) that the best equipment is basically DIY sold at 1k~2k$, made by a guys that basically started working with electronics like few months ago, using some few dollar parts [preferably using 50$ fully implemneted board from china] + super special [not produced from 1990, if you wanted to check them] military resitors and NASA grade capacitors, which basically distroys everything upto 5k$....

 

[shortcuttomonct]

  IMO, the Gungnir...

It's pretty close....and keep in mind with the NAD M51 you're getting a stellar preamp and integrated remote control.

 

[purrin]

M51 has more microdetail and nuance but with some grain (non-annoying). Gungnir hits harder in bass and has more edge - is smoother.

 

[kokushu]

Have anybody heard the bmc puredac?  How is that dac compare to all of the previously mentioned dac.

 

[Currawong]

  purrin,
 
you've mentioned good ol' Parasound D/AC 1600 somewhere, saying it's great DAC, but how it compares to modern contenders (NAD M51, Octave etc.)?

 
If you really want an excellent bargain ($300-400) and don't care about being limited to essentially CD quality the Parasound and similar era PCM63K-based DACs are excellent. But at Purrin said, you'll probably not quite get the micro detail of a newer, more expensive DACs. They are for the kind of people who have large classical CD collections IMO, as the presentation of the usual difficult instruments such as piano and violin is wonderful.