OKTO RESEARCH DAC 8 Pro - Firmware Update 1.5 Help thread

[DuckToller]

Hi all,

just received an mail from OKTO RESEARCH about the availability of the newest firmware 1.5 for the DAC 8 PRO today.

To be honest, it is likely not as straigtforward as with simple ESS9038q2m DAC chips (did that with SONCOZ and Allo Rev before) and as well with SMSL (bit more complicated). I did not update yet, but read through the information and  - oh boy - some of us will certainly loose their nerves with that.
However, I cannot blame Pavel - I think he did his best to avoid owners sending their DAC 8 Pro back to Prague for something they might do at home, in case they need to.
 

As I am convinced that we together as the "crowd" can support other owners during and after the upgrade process, I have started this thread and I am counting on fellow owners to chime in when experiences are going sideways.

The new firmware is called 1.5.  OKTO provides new ASIO drivers with it.
Here is the information I have receieved by mail from them, avilable also under this link

okto research dac8 PRO v1.5 firmware release announcement Dear dac8 PRO owners, we hope that our product has been enhancing your listening experiences, enriching your favorite music, and inspiring a journey of musical discovery. We are pleased to announce the release of the long-awaited v1.5 firmware version. This update addresses known bugs, enables compatibility with a newly released custom Okto Research ASIO driver for Windows, and introduces several new features. This update employs our custom USB update mechanism with packages delivered as executable files for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. For each operating system, we have created comprehensive, step-by-step installation guides. You can access the release note which includes these guides and the download link by clicking the button below: v1.5 firmware release note It's important to note that Windows users may encounter small inconvenience during the firmware update process. We've found that the generic USB library included in Windows, which our update utility relies on, may cause issues due to inadequate timeout during a specific phase of the update process. This behavior can vary depending on the Windows build version, among other factors. As a solution, we offer an alternative update method that uses a bootable Linux Mint USB stick and is independent of the operating system. Another issue concerns a bug found in units with the earliest firmware versions from 2020, which prevents a successful update regardless of the operating system used. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have an alternative method to resolve this. If your unit is affected, please contact us to request a hardware programming tool that can be connected to the dac8 PRO's digital input board, bypassing the bug. That will be provided at no cost, however we may ask you to forward it to another user in your country after your successful update, with us taking care of any associated shipping expenses. We would like to stress that this bug poses no risk of damaging or 'bricking' the unit; it merely prevents the update from being installed successfully. Firmware version 1.5 brings compatibility with a more user-friendly update method featuring a graphical user interface. We are dedicated to enhancing our products through ongoing updates, and we strive to bring more value to our customers, regardless of when they made their purchase or whether they are original or second-hand owners. In v1.5, we have also implemented a substantial modification to the USB descriptors of the dac8 PRO, enabling 2 and 6 (or 5.1) channel DSD playback on Linux (using MPD/ALSA). This is important not only for Linux users, but also for anyone using a Linux-based streamer. Previously, only 8-channel DSD playback was possible because the unit only exposed an 8-channel DSD configuration. While Windows and MacOS can upconvert the number of DSD channels, Linux, unfortunately, cannot. Our novel approach involves adding separate configurations for 2 and 6 channels into the descriptors, with the resulting number of 6 configurations (or altsets) compared to the conventional 4 (with first 3 being PCM configurations). We have tested this extensively and haven't found any side effects. However, if you experience any unusual behaviour, please let us know. There's no urgency to install the update if you're not facing any issues. Nonetheless, we recommend doing so as future firmware versions will employ the newly introduced GUI-based update process. Thank you for your patience in awaiting this update and for your continued support. We value your feedback and look forward to bringing you even more exciting updates in the future. A follow-up with the Okto Research 2023 newsletter, detailing our future plans, will be coming shortly. Until then, happy listening! Pavel Krasensky, Okto Research founder and developer Copyright © 2023 Okto Research, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

and as pdf hereOkto Research dac8 PRO v1.5 firmware release.pdf

OKTO offers a substantial release note here: dac8pro_fw_15_release_note.pdf

If you are not running into problems with the current setup / firmware, you may want to wait until you do it, because  - as noted - it lacks the straigtforwardeness for the Windows setup. It offers a workaround (in case your Windows version doesn't support the initial upgrade strategy) via a bootable LINUX MINT USB stick (you need to burn that image via Balena Etcher). For IOS and LINUX it does look kind of better ...)

I have pfd-printed the guides and  downloaded all files linked in the setup release note. and attached as a Zip, except of the LINUX MINT iso file which you may acquire through this link here is the installation guide page

Windows procodere:

1.) Step 1 will be to download and run the Zadig utility (deinstall your DIYINHK Asio driver first and restart you audio PC) according to the guide
Zip File below
2.)  Download the software provided by OKTO ( FW Update / Drivers) - all according to the guide
Octo research FW1.5.zip includes all files and docs necessary according to the guide
 

3) In case it fails - continue with "“Any operating system (using bootable Linux Mint USB stick)”
Create Linux USB stick.zip includes Balena Etcher and Guide for creating the boot media. Please download Linux Mint from the link above!

 

So much for the first post!

A+ Tom