Metrum Octave versus Eastern Electric DAC

Sibelius, I am doing the same, except I found a used Metrum, should arrive in about week. Then I need to purchase the EE upgraded plus and intend to do that after I listen to the original EE no upgrades against the Metrum.

Mikirob - Great. Will be interested in reading about your findings. Congrats on finding a used Octave. I've been looking for about three weeks without any success. I'm really looking forward to comparing the two.

Mr. Tennis I don't fully understand your question. When you say pick do you mean prefer? I have no clue as to which you might prefer, I can only say what other listeners prefer in my system. So far as "classic tube sound" ala your preferred Conrad Johnson MV 125 amp, the Minimax Plus is in no way reminicent of that type of sound, actually it doesn't have a tube sound at all to my ears. This is neither good or bad. It is a fine DAC, just not the most preferable is all. The tonal balance in stock form does not meld ideally with my system even using different tubes and I've tried them all. I agree with what Charles stated, my preference for tubes generally lies in amps and pre-amps. I don't mean to get too off topic from the question of the thread, Metrum vs EE since I haven't compared the two but my experience leads me to believe that the design of the output stage and power supply are the most important factors in designing a DAC. Tube vs SS, less a factor, YMMV.

i have used a 12au7 brimar in the minimax. while i did not achieve a classic tube sound, i heard the affect of then tube.

it created a "flavor" to the sound of my stereo system, which i would conjecture could not be replicated by a ss dac.

Received my new Metrum Octave last Tuesday and have had 5 extended sessions listening to a variety of music (jazz, rock, solo piano, solo violin, orchestral). In all sessions I have also been switching in and out my modded Eastern Electric Dac Plus (with Dexa discrete opamps and Mullard NOS tube) for comparison purposes.

My impression of the Metrum is that this NOS DAC is very smooth and analog like. The music has great flow with little sibilance or listener fatigue.

When I swap the modded EE Dac plus back in my system there is more resolution and dynamics while also eliminating any unpleasant digital glare. This has been my impression across all listening sessions and musical selections. The smoothness of the Metrum renders every disc I've played extremely listenable and satisfying. However,the modded EE Dac just seems to capture a bit more detail and nuance in the music and in the end I find I have a stronger emotional connection while listening with the EE Dac.

That being said, I can see situations where a Metrum may be preferred. Folks with very detailed systems might enjoy the more laid back presentation of the Metrum compared to the more dynamic EE. As with everything in Audio, system synergy and musical priorities are paramount.

For reference,the following is the rest of the equipment I have been using:

Shindo Vosne-Romanee Preamp
Shindo Haut-Brion Amp
PS Audio PWT Transport
Tonian classic 12 Speakers

I will continue to play around with the Metrum for a while to see if any of my impressions change over time.