Wow, this is interesting! If you will include a few presets programmable this would be a real buying argument.
I guess in several cases the benefit would overrule the possible sound compromises.
At least it would be finally possible to hear most of the Rock/Pop genre with proper tonality 
Maybe we could add a bass boost button to the front panel! I am kiddingā¦
Yeah but seriously, people who can hear their room without most room node effects first time will be excited, in case sonic compromises stay small. Will be interesting if thereās noticeable loss.
Thanks Paulā¦
I am needing to get off computer and go with a kick ass server. Octave, from what I am reading, is going to be just that. My problem is room correction. Without it, I cannot hit that sweet spot. Just tired of all the computer/USB/regen/LPS/ BS!! Need something that just works and works VERY WELL!! I know I am preaching to the choir here. You have heard it all before.
Thanks for getting back to me, and thank you for making such killer āAmerican Madeā products!!
Canāt wait to see and hear the Octave!!
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Technology moves on - Iāve just looked at the processor power and SSD support now available for NAS. Roon is now available as an application to run on current models of Synology and other NAS, and apparently does so without problems (apart from perhaps grossly upsampled DSD!).
So Paul will it be possible to install Octave on a (sufficiently powerful) NAS? Iād be prepared to pay or donate to see such a NAS application package implemented. Iāve supported MinimServer in this way for years - even with the limited processing power of my Synology DS412+ it does transcoding and serving with no hiccups whatsoever. Iām contemplating upgrading to a DS918+ with SSD which will be able to handle Roon and, I assume, Octave.
Iād guess there might be strong interest in such a NAS Octave āpackageā as it would provide a low cost entry point to the PS Audio Octave hardware+software system. No need to buy any server hardware apart from the lens-based PS Audio renderer (ethernet-to-I2S).
@davidl I was under the impression that PSA was coming out with their own music server because they wanted to control the HW and SW. I could be wrong.
Yup, Iād guess that michaelās right. Donāt think thereās any chance of that scenario.
ā¦and one would need Bridge (which IS the HW for Octave) anyway to stream from the NASā¦ so I donāt understand the need for this use caseā¦
My understanding from past posts by Paul is that the Octave hardware will input ethernet and output I2S to connect to the DS DAC, with a choice of music from an onboard hard disc or an ethernet stream, both handled by the Octave software and all controlled remotely by an Octave app running on a tablet or phone.
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Correct. Unlike Roon, weāre taking the approach that everything matters. That the only way to ensure a productās performance and sound quality is to control the hardware and software.
Roon is a great example of the opposite. While their software is second to none, the sound of their server varies from hardware to hardware. Thatās fine for them because their goal isnāt what ours is. From what I can tell they want to be the go
to provider for a music interface across as many brands and platforms as possible. Itās an admirable goal and we wish them the greatest success.
Our goals are a bit less ambitious. We want to make the best sounding music interface in the world.
Weāre not too concerned about taking over the market. Though I have certainly been accused of worshiping the goals of Pinky and the Brain, itās not so in this case.
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I see it different. I see you (PSA) playing in the music server market which isnāt where Roon or JRiver and others are playing. I see PSA competing against Aurender and others. I guess with the new Roon Nucleus Server they are getting in the music server market but like you said their main market currently is user interface.
@Paul
speaking of Server SQ have you been able to listen to the prototype yet?
what is the latest on when Octave will be released? Before fall?
Haha we are all dying in anticipation and would like to be a fly on one of Room Oneās walls to have a peek!
I have not been able to listen to the latest prototype as the engineers are stuck trying to get audio through I2S without much in the way of success. Sigh. Software issues at the kernel level have been stumping the team for more than a month now and itās driving
us crazy.
Meanwhile we are moving forward on the UI after having finished work on the UX. Once the UI is finished we will be in the coding phase and hopefully testing a working system sometime in May. Maybe in time for my birthday!
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Paul, when speaking about UI finished, does this mean UI on a tablet for controlling music selection and playback as well as UI on a PC for administration functions?
We are only supporting tablets and phones of both Apple and Android varieties. We will not be supporting computers.
Ah I seeā¦there are just several processes like multi selecting large amounts of albums during administrative processes when updating library fields, reimporting directories/albums after backend storage moves or restores etc. that make me worry about how this could be done by finger navigation on a tablet.
For my primary audio setup, this could make sense if sound quality is better, but will there be some way to also be used as a one server core to feed many devices through the network with compatible endpoints?
I have three systems that I currently use Roon for; one fed through USB, one through Ethernet, the other through Airplay. Will there be a way for Octave to achieve the same?
Yes, weāre planning on implementing multi-room support. Iām not sure yet if it will be an out the gate feature, but thatās one of the beauties of the design for Octave - like with the DSD and DSJ, weāll be able to continually add features and improvements throughout the life of the product.
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Will you be able to beat one of the best Audio Transports of the market: Esoterik N-03t?