Eversolo DMP A8 - Is this the end for all other streamers?

[Alex S]

FWIW(2) I bought the Master Edition because it was discounted and amber light. It has a good dac but less good than the Topping D70 Pro Sabre which is really good. This is using both from a MacBook via USB. If I play local files from the Eversolo it sounds very nice and better. Streaming Qobuz I can't really hear a difference between its own software or the MacBook's.

As I said earlier, the EQ will come to A-6 models via firmware so I wouldn't get the A-8 for that (presuming it's the same/as competent).

 

[JTC]

I’m not sure if they will: the DSP seems to be a separate discrete module not present in the A6. And whilst I imagine a degree of DSP could be put in place without that module, I can imagine Eversolo not doing so for reasons of product differentiation.

 

[Alex S]

That’s what I thought too but a rep of theirs confirmed on ASR: “We are developing a global PEQ&GEQ function for DMP-A6”. Make of that what you will.

 

[Eoin]

Just noticed on a review of the A-6 that it seems to do Apple Music natively. That’s the only device I’ve seen that can. (Apart from maybe casting from Apple Music from an android phone to a chrome cast comparable device )

 

[JTC]

I was using it with an Apple Music trial (which just expired). I wouldn’t bother, AM isn’t great.

 

[krenzler]

FiiO R7 can do Apple Music natively too.

 

[JTC]

My only quibble about the A8 was that it didn't have fixed analogue line outputs, but it turns out that it does - the RCA and XLR outputs can be used together, or separately, so I can connect my SPL headphone preamp via RCA outputs set at 0dB and use the XLR to connect directly to my Genelecs with the resistor ladder volume control.

To be honest I wasn't sure whether I could compromise with just an A8 into my Genelecs (forgoing DAC and SPL preamp) but it's a really great combination and I wouldn't really say that it's in any way worse than the more expensive system to my ears* - more a question of slightly different tonal presentation (and I mean slight) and definitely not one of detail etc.

* caveat: I've been quite open that my hearing is not what it was, so someone else might listen to my A8:Genelec versus A6:VII:SPL setup and hear greater differences and/or prefer one (or the other) more definitively. I'm well aware that failing hearing gives the benefit of not being quite so able to hear the differences as I used to, which means that a slight downgrade might not be a downgrade to me at all.... YMMV

 

[JTC]

Have set it up with P8 into balanced analogue inputs (via Whest phono stage of course) and, lo and behold, I can get dancing meters for vinyl playback

 

[JTC]

Apologies for the organisation of the rack btw - being a demo A8 etc. it’s all a bit temporary. Not shown: Venus II, Jay’s, Whest etc.

 

[JTC]

PS. Sounds great this way!

 

[Alex S]

With respect to EQ and the A6, this is the relevant section from the devs on the latest firmware:

“The EQ function is only available when the input source is the internal player and is effective only for stereo PCM with a sampling rate lower than 192 kHz. All stereo audio with a sampling rate higher than 192 kHz or all multi-channel or DSD audio will bypass output. Of course, as some of you may want, a global bypass will also be an option. As we sincerely hope to offer users with more choices, so instead of a simple global EQ function, we configured different curves for different output setups using profile settings. This inevitably brings some learning costs. But I believe you'll figure it out quickly. Currently, it features a 15-band GEQ and a 10-band PEQ (Freq/GAIN/Q) that can be customized. While we've tested its stability, there might be a reduction in the number of bands in the final version to lighten the CPU load. This is why this version is labeled as Alpha.”

 

[edo]

My only quibble about the A8 was that it didn't have fixed analogue line outputs, but it turns out that it does - the RCA and XLR outputs can be used together, or separately, so I can connect my SPL headphone preamp via RCA outputs set at 0dB and use the XLR to connect directly to my Genelecs with the resistor ladder volume control.

To be honest I wasn't sure whether I could compromise with just an A8 into my Genelecs (forgoing DAC and SPL preamp) but it's a really great combination and I wouldn't really say that it's in any way worse than the more expensive system to my ears* - more a question of slightly different tonal presentation (and I mean slight) and definitely not one of detail etc.

* caveat: I've been quite open that my hearing is not what it was, so someone else might listen to my A8:Genelec versus A6:VII:SPL setup and hear greater differences and/or prefer one (or the other) more definitively. I'm well aware that failing hearing gives the benefit of not being quite so able to hear the differences as I used to, which means that a slight downgrade might not be a downgrade to me at all.... YMMV

Will you sell your Venus and stick with the A8? I wonder if I'd be happy selling my Naim 52/Supercap, 250, nDac & Epos-14's and replace them with an A8 and active ATC SCM40.

 

[JTC]

Will you sell your Venus and stick with the A8? I wonder if I'd be happy selling my Naim 52/Supercap, 250, nDac & Epos-14's and replace them with an A8 and active ATC SCM40.

Venus is for sale. I do think the Venus is better, but by a margin that's small enough to be worth conceding for the reduced box count. System as currently configured is basically A8 into Genelecs; tt and cd transport remain but the A8 is basically doing the streamer and preamp jobs really well.

 

[maro73]

Hello Folks
Just have in the house a DMP A 8 for demo
First impression : nicely built
NOT EASY TO CONFIGURE
Compared to Lumin app or Aurender : well Eversolo app is not that good (better the hifiRose though)
I'm seeing loads of downsides (not on sound , but on usability)
I'll report soon
Cheers

 

[JTC]

Hello Folks
Just have in the house a DMP A 8 for demo
First impression : nicely built
NOT EASY TO CONFIGURE
Compared to Lumin app or Aurender : well Eversolo app is not that good (better the hifiRose though)
I'm seeing loads of downsides (not on sound , but on usability)
I'll report soon
Cheers

I've found it very usable. What are you struggling with? I had it fully configured (except for indexing my SSD) in about five minutes, and it's been 100% rock-solid since. The app, yes, I agree, but nobody uses the app - use the 'Cast' function to control it using screen mirroring, that's what everyone (including me) does.

 

[Fergus]

but nobody uses the app

I like the app!

 

[edo]

Venus is for sale. I do think the Venus is better, but by a margin that's small enough to be worth conceding for the reduced box count. System as currently configured is basically A8 into Genelecs; tt and cd transport remain but the A8 is basically doing the streamer and preamp jobs really well.

Thanks! Did you try the I2S out into the Venus? I'm wondering if there were any micro skips? I had a Venus and loved it but couldn't get rid of the micro skips when used with my Oppo 205 so replaced the Venus with a nDac, - which doesn't quite put as big a smile on my face.

 

[gez]

The reviews may be good, but is it truly "better" than other streamers? Perhaps, someone could argue, in the streaming DAC/PRE category. For me, and for almost £2000, absolutely not. I would say that the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 remains king for this price bracket.

Consider this - even the £90 Wiim Mini has bit-perfect digital output to an external DAC. So if you use an external DAC, then £90 is all that you need to spend on a streamer!

With separates, you could achieve the same specification for about £300, including the same (or at least similar) AKM chip(s)!

Yup, overpriced for no benefit what so ever.

e.g. Femto accuracy clocks. a) I'll believe it when I see it and b) totally and utterly irrelevant as that level of clocking accuracy isn't even needed. Jitter can't be heard at low nano second levels, let alone pico second levels that basically all digitial equipment can already achieve comfortably.

And it's basically software, and if there is a truism about software it's that it never stops developing and no there is never a "final ultimate to end all solution".

 

[gez]

If only it was as simple as that. Perfect data transfer is not the only requirement for good sound quality. If it was then according to you then all streamers with a usb output would sound the same. Also there would have been no desire for the usb output board on my Antipodes Oladra to have been upgraded recently at the factory with significant improvements to its sound quality. Also the Innuos PhoenixUSB regenerator would not make the difference it does to sound quality.

One can indeed improve upon perfect data transmission and that is why it is so difficult to design and manufacture a really good sounding streamer.

Look at the Innuos Statement which only has usb output as does their Zenith and yet both sound quite different to each other possibly in part due to their different usb output boards. They also both sound quite different to the usb output in my Antipodes streamer.

I think you are doing a disservice to suggest that merely achieving perfect data transfer is the only objective. Also please be aware that perfect noise blocking galvanic isolation on usb is something of a mythical beast. If the signal can get through then often so can the noise. Optical ought by rights to achieve perfect noise blocking but it has many other issues and can end up generating noise in its conversion process hence why Innuos do not use optical on any of their streamers apart from the entry level Zen Mini.

That's an oxymoron. By definition anything that's perfect cannot be improved upon. The term transmission encompases all, bits, jitter everything. So if transmission is perfect, it's perfect. It's impossible to improve upon.

 

[gez]

That's interesting and a detailed evaluation. What is in theory the best transmission method? I have an admittedly cheap streaming setup i.e. raspberry pi4 with hifi Berry Pro hat on, which seemingly reduces noise from the pi and then produces an optical and coax output signal, i run tidal via volumio software and have some locally stored music on usb. I use the optical out into my rega dac r and it sounds pretty good, better I think, than the native pi USB before I added the hifi Berry hat. However, I haven't ever compared to a more competent streamer. My impression is that my setup is likely pretty good, given its a single purpose computer with no moving parts, however I think it would likely be bettered by a more competent streamer but not until you start spending a lot more money e.g. innous, Linn, Naim etc.

Optical. By which I don't mean typical TOSLINK, I mean Optical as a method. It's immune to RFI etc and is capable of bit rates that no electrical system can ever dream of matching. There's a reason it's used in the backbone networks of the worlds telecommunciations and ISP operators.
Therefore, if someone were to implement an audio optical solution, based on true optical recontsruction (rather than the crude electrical modulation of an LED as used by TOSLINK) that ran at 1Gb/s or more then all this talk of jitter and noise would become a total irrelevance. But no doubt audiophiles would still claim to be able to hear differences.