Metrum Octave versus Eastern Electric DAC

Hi Morningstaraudio,

Your 2Cents is highly valued. So, the Dexa Discrete Op amp is the ticket to a more analogue sound, more warmth, more body to the sound? How much in the older volume control unit? Also, I'm in southern GA about 40 minutes north of Jacksonville, FL. How far from here are you? Might be worth a drive to drop it off and get the mod.

He's a long way from you, Chicago area, you can install yourself
Let us know how you like it
Google is a great thing

I'll be brief since the Olympics are on...
You need the DAC Plus version; forget about the upgrade to the original unless (and ONLY unless) you can't swing the money for the Plus version.

See my Audio Blast articles at Dagogo.com about all things EE DAC and the Plus version, as well as discrete Opamp rolling them.

The experience of the Plus version is drastically better than the original. If you have the money to do the Plus version the discrete Opamp upgrade on the original would be a mistake. Nuf said. :)

I mistakenly thought Morningstar was located in GA, my bad. Still no meaningful comparison to Metrum. If none, I believe I will buy a Metrum and conduct a shoot out and purchase the upgraded new EE if it wins, since it doesn't appear that any one here has compared side by side.

Thanks to all that replied. I bought the EE based on Doug Schroeder review.

hi doug:

you frequently use the word "better" , without contextual reference.

thus there is no way to assess the connotation of your statements.

better is subjective, and, as i have said, i think that the "right" tube in the original dac may be preferable to the dac plus.
however, what you consider to be "better" may not concide with my conception of the term.