Mine is updated to HDP3 as well together with an upgraded powers supply, new clocks, new output capacitors, RFI shielding etc. It doesn't sound bad, in fact it still sounds quite good. (for instance a pretty whole lot better than a Hypex DLCP I have tried lately) I just want some more user flexibility instead of the automated features of the DEQX together with top notch sound quality, something the DSP vendors just don't seem to be able to deliver. I have heard Groundsound, Hypex, MiniDSP, Najda, all sounded mediocre at best. I could live with all of the DSP implementations, well except the Hypex maybe, but I couldn't live with any of the sound quality.
I have seen the JRMC solutions come by a couple of times but I really don't want to use JRMC as I already have Roon, Mp3Toys, Spotify player, Deezer Player, Plex and external Chromecast, Bluetooth receiver and USB that are all in use in my household. I share my setup with my family whom I don't want to restrict to my choices. I have chosen computer playback to be able to choose the music player I like and let my family be free to choose what they like., JRMC is somewhere deep down on the list for any of us. A good quality DAC with nice implemented volume control and remote control like the Oktoresearch with a DSP build in, in a priceclass of somewhere between 1500 and 2000 euro's depending on options Thats's what is really missing in all the options out there. People are willing to pay for quality, not just for cheap as possible solutions. Strangely enough I have gotten four personal messages the last days from people looking for exactly the same thing. No idea why they don't post it here but I think it says something. I know four people myself who are looking for such as thing for years now. After all those years it is almost unbelievable that no manufacturer seems to be wanting to fill in this hole in the market. Many people just want a set and forget device. Not all people want to endlessly fiddle around with software, building loudspeakers and amplifiers is a lot more fun to me.
I have seen the JRMC solutions come by a couple of times but I really don't want to use JRMC as I already have Roon, Mp3Toys, Spotify player, Deezer Player, Plex and external Chromecast, Bluetooth receiver and USB that are all in use in my household. I share my setup with my family whom I don't want to restrict to my choices. I have chosen computer playback to be able to choose the music player I like and let my family be free to choose what they like., JRMC is somewhere deep down on the list for any of us. A good quality DAC with nice implemented volume control and remote control like the Oktoresearch with a DSP build in, in a priceclass of somewhere between 1500 and 2000 euro's depending on options Thats's what is really missing in all the options out there. People are willing to pay for quality, not just for cheap as possible solutions. Strangely enough I have gotten four personal messages the last days from people looking for exactly the same thing. No idea why they don't post it here but I think it says something. I know four people myself who are looking for such as thing for years now. After all those years it is almost unbelievable that no manufacturer seems to be wanting to fill in this hole in the market. Many people just want a set and forget device. Not all people want to endlessly fiddle around with software, building loudspeakers and amplifiers is a lot more fun to me.
I owned SHD for a good while and used the 2 way cross over, The EQ, and Dirac. the DAC part was not bad but not on par with best. i ultimately decided to get a better dac and a pro crossover, EQ unit and im hppy with my choice in part because the improvement of going from SHD to a soekris r2r dac is marked and very welcome and partly because treating the room/working on speaker placement has been more rewarding than using DSP and room correction.
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You didn't answer the question. Are you single amping (just using DSP speaker/room correction), biamping (4 channels) or triamping (6 channels) with your upgraded DEQX ?
As for "set and forget", that applies to all of the software options once configured, not just DEQX.
As for all of the other programs, JRMC has the same solution for simple use. It isn't as complicated for playback as you imply. My wife can boot and play (she has more issues with her iPod).
Install JRMC's WMD driver, set the WMD as the "default playback device" and then all other audio programs use JRMC's fitlers by default without knowing it (or you can configure them to directly write to the WMD instead of the "default playback device"). "Set and Forget" after it is configured. Just use your normal favorite audio programs as usual. Convolution filters can be made by what ever program you choose, JRMC doesn't care.
Thanks
As for "set and forget", that applies to all of the software options once configured, not just DEQX.
As for all of the other programs, JRMC has the same solution for simple use. It isn't as complicated for playback as you imply. My wife can boot and play (she has more issues with her iPod).
Install JRMC's WMD driver, set the WMD as the "default playback device" and then all other audio programs use JRMC's fitlers by default without knowing it (or you can configure them to directly write to the WMD instead of the "default playback device"). "Set and Forget" after it is configured. Just use your normal favorite audio programs as usual. Convolution filters can be made by what ever program you choose, JRMC doesn't care.
Thanks
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In short, you don't have to use JRMC's GUI player if you choose not to.
You can just use JRMC's WDM, filter and convolution engine capabilities beneath the covers to add software XO's and DSP filter capabilities to all of your other audio playback programs.
It is set and forget, autoboots and doesn't preclude your family from using their existing audio programs as usual or require them to use JRMC's GUI player.
A lot of people are not aware of the WDM feature.
You can just use JRMC's WDM, filter and convolution engine capabilities beneath the covers to add software XO's and DSP filter capabilities to all of your other audio playback programs.
It is set and forget, autoboots and doesn't preclude your family from using their existing audio programs as usual or require them to use JRMC's GUI player.
A lot of people are not aware of the WDM feature.
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Sorry, I must have missed that question. I'm using a three way open baffle system so 6 channels, no room correction. The dipole rolloff for bass and mid is compensated with analogue correction filters build into the power amps, no extra boxes for that. I don't use Room correction, well in fact the whole system is in fact Room corrected but not in the Dirac way. I have tried Dirac and others in the past but didn't nearly get as good results as starting with the room and building the whole system around it. Well if you can live with a relatively narrow sweat spot Dirac can work perfectly, but again, I'm almost never listening alone and if I seldom sit in a sweet spot.
Once again, I'm looking at a solution that my grandmother can operate.
Push the "on" button, select input, control volume and GO. Not any more step than that, and zero chance of any settings that can go wrong and not restricted to PC playback only. I really appreciate all the DIY solutions, I'm a DIY guy myself but I do want to share my setup with my family and they love using it, that's number one, number two and number three priority. Otherwise, I would have looked into these solutions a long time ago. My DEQX has never let me down regarding this, well I have to admit, I had to build some extra inputs in to it but it works on the same remote and anyone understands it within a second. My DEQX is on the replacement list for almost 5 years now but I still haven't found anything that can replace it without comprising to many things. Call me stubborn but a PC solution is just not for me, thanks it ain't going to work in my situation.
So my ideal solution is just a DSP crossover with a couple of digital inputs, (no need for analogue these days), and good quality DACS with well-implemented volume control. Something like that simply doesn't exist.
But all this ranting was just for the six million dollar question. All I ever wanted to know Is if there is any successor of the DAC8 DSP in the pipeline or not? I don't expect it tomorrow but maybe in a year or so. If not, I can skip Oktoresearch from my watchlist.
And the solution to your need has already been suggested by a fellow mate in this thread ... within your budget, crossover with minimal room correction, with reasonable dacs, volume control and grandma friendly the name of the game is MINISHARC CONTROLLER -Integrated DSP - made by audiophonics. That is 1.390 euros including taxes.
Just in case you missed that one MINISHARC CONTROLLER -Integrated DSP - Preamplifier DAC Network player - Audiophonics
The dacs on that piece of hardware are reasonable ES9038Q2M DACs, way better than your DEQX (even with the caps upgrades here and there). So there you have it.
In addition to that, it seems agreeable by some of us that a product with superb dacs and mediocre DSP processing power is a very narrow market niche, to put it politely. And even then, there we will be talking about 5k USD because the manufacturer understands the limitations on the DSP side. The price range there seems out of your consideration and that is all right.
Having said that, I have no idea what are the motives (the real ones) that Pavel from Okto has for cancelling the production of his DSP product. I can guess and if I were him, I would have not even considered building it in the first place. But that is my opinion. I have emailed Pavel to see if they could allow some access within the internal board of the Okto DAC8 to reroute the i2s signals coming from the Xmos to the DACS and put back again in the middle a Minisharc (which seems to be still in stock). And I want that just for the pleasure of playing around with stuff, heck maybe if it were some of you interested Pavel might reconsider.
Just in case you missed that one MINISHARC CONTROLLER -Integrated DSP - Preamplifier DAC Network player - Audiophonics
The dacs on that piece of hardware are reasonable ES9038Q2M DACs, way better than your DEQX (even with the caps upgrades here and there). So there you have it.
In addition to that, it seems agreeable by some of us that a product with superb dacs and mediocre DSP processing power is a very narrow market niche, to put it politely. And even then, there we will be talking about 5k USD because the manufacturer understands the limitations on the DSP side. The price range there seems out of your consideration and that is all right.
Having said that, I have no idea what are the motives (the real ones) that Pavel from Okto has for cancelling the production of his DSP product. I can guess and if I were him, I would have not even considered building it in the first place. But that is my opinion. I have emailed Pavel to see if they could allow some access within the internal board of the Okto DAC8 to reroute the i2s signals coming from the Xmos to the DACS and put back again in the middle a Minisharc (which seems to be still in stock). And I want that just for the pleasure of playing around with stuff, heck maybe if it were some of you interested Pavel might reconsider.
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I see order #116 was shipped the last week in June. The recipient stated it took @ 14 weeks.
If OKTO Research is shipping order numbers sequentially, that is @ 2 units shipped in a month between #114 and #116.
I hope they are producing/filling more than 2 units/orders a month.
OKTO Research should update their webpage with the actual/realistic lead times.
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