Cambridge Audio EXN100 vs Eversolo A8 comparison blind test.

[Drakon]

Compared Cambridge Audio EXN100 to Eversolo DMP A8.

OK full disclosure this is not a technical benchtop measurement or review of these machines. If you are looking for that go no further.

Both are attractive with the A8 having a more modern appearance whereas the Cambridge looks more like the VCR sitting just a few feet away.

Setup was easy on both. The A8 comes with a remote. And between that and it's touchscreen things went quickly. However I had to stop it at the third Update. I'm not sure what was going on but it became annoying.

Both machines have a relatively large screen that I would find only useful for setup and if the device stays within arm's reach. A step or two away and they become unusable. The Cambridge has VU meters that can be displayed which are interesting and my wife likes but they are a pale comparison to actual meters and I doubt if they are calibrated. So they're entertainment.

The A8 screen is brighter and sharper but that I'm sure figures into it's lofty price. For me both are wasted as I would never be beside it and what I need can be done from a phone or the A8 remote.

A big pain for some might be turning on the A8 remotely using your phone. There is a "Wake on Lan" feature that did not work. And the A8 must be connected via Ethernet to use that feature. The instructions are prepared for failure is it goes on to say to use the remote if the device fails to turn on. Not a huge issue for me as I have to be at the amplifier to power it on as it also has no remote.

The Cambridge has a less cluttered app. Settings, Audio settings, on/off and sources are all on the home screen. There's a lot going on at the A8 home screen. However in fairness the A8 has more options. I won't go into all that. Amir has done a review on this streamer.

I set up an A/B blind test for both machines. My wife set in one room with the streamers swapping between them as songs played from Tidal via ethernet cables.

I set volumes as best equal. Turning off auto audio tweaking in the apps. Too bad there isn't a Neutral button in these apps that will stop any interferences.

Both were powered via their standard black cord in the box. Although the Eversolo salesman was quite keen on packaging the A8 with a $300 aftermarket power cord. I politely declined. Crutchfield sales never brought up such.

No I didn't open up the chassis and look inside any more than I might dissemble a TV, tool or appliance. They can use popcorn and playskool parts so long as it sounds good (to me).

In the end I found an overwhelming likeness for the Cambridge. It sounded sharper. The cymbals of a jazz piece were clearer and all but one operatic voice sounded fuller. Yes, yes subjective.

It was surprisingly as the Cambridge is described as warmer on the internet and by the salesman. After a long discussion with a Crutchfield salesman (before the A8 arrived) he recommended the Cambridge over other units even costlier ones such as a Hifi Rose RS451 after asking me questions about my music preferences and how I listened. My Crutchfield experience reached the corporate sales level with someone there picking up and carrying the ball when I was improperly transfered.

Just a quick plug for Crutchfield they are top tier. I look first to them for home Audio. Pro audio comes from Sweetwater and Crutchfield pro.

In classical, jazz and all but one opera vocal the Cambridge was chosen. I chose the A8 for one male pop and two female vocals.

Interesting later talking with my wife she found the A8's sound "Shrill" to use her words. Some songs were unpleasantly harsh. Nothing but praise for the Cambridge. Days back she had high praise for the Cambridge over music via the Yamaha receiver pre amp out. The Yamaha is Bluetooth.

The retail prices are close. I got a discounted Cambridge from Crutchfield so it came out $300 below retail. The Eversolo salesman gave a $100 discount.

I had planned to return the Cambridge due to it's inability to play Spotify Lossless but I've since started a Tidal account. Problem solved.

I'll do extended listening to the A8 to see if fatigue sets in. It doesn't with the Cambridge.

Perhaps there's an A8 setting or adjustment that can improve things. Thoughts?

Speaking of such the A8 has a lot of adjustments. There are six DAC filter characteristics choices. I tested it as it came with the "Short delay Sharp Roll-off" set. The XLR/RCA outputs have seven options. It goes on and on. Highly customizable. If flexibility with sources and sound manipulation is a goal I'd definitely recommend the A8. I find the choices something I won't use. I'm looking for a simple clean handling of the signal. Minimal bells and whistles. Not interested in separates. Need Preamp/streamer/DAC. So I'm not going to buy DAC x because it's "a better value" or this one does the same or better for a fraction of the price. Because it likely doesn't.

It's been a lessons in expectations. Researching the Eversolo and having read Amir's review I felt positive about it. During my blind test I was sure that I was picking the A8. Lesson learned. It's about the ears. Each DAC like a voice has a uniqueness. You like it or you don't. Price brings options, a brand name and perhaps nicer build but that guarantees nothing.

I must admit to being a little disappointed. The Eversolo is a sharp looking and feature stocked machine. There is little negatives I can mention. Perhaps if the filters and other variables mattered to me I might have come to different conclusion.

As is I'll be asking for it's RMA.

Trust your ears. In the end that's all that matters regardless of the nay sayers and "experts". Based on reviews and specs alone I would have bought the A8.

I read a post Amir made about measurements being all or nothing. They are neither. But certainly are a good starting point. The goal line is set by your and only your listening pleasure. Don't give that choice to the salesman or anyone else. Unless of course they are willing to buy the equipment for you. Santa?

 

[JeremyFife]

Hi, and thanks for taking the time to post your impressions.

You have been here since 2024 so you probably know what I'm going to say...

If you don't properly match levels (to 0.1 dB) then any listening test is compromised. I don't know how quickly you switched, how blind the listener was and how often you repeated the tests but the controls don't seem strong.

I don't mean to criticise, and I applaud you for posting a comparison. I'm afraid it's not much help to anyone apart from you and your wife.

Others may put this less gently, I hope not! Some members may offer suggestions on how to add better controls, I hope you take that as constructive and supportive.

Enjoy the music

 

[Drakon]

Thank you for your comments.

My setup was meant to be out of the box. Match volumes as best possible. All else being equal - same room, music and person. I figure the units would be shipped without tone controls neutral. Perhaps that was wrong.

It is not a controlled sound test. I don't have the gear or training. So it's highly subjective.

My wife swapped machines and music from another room. I saw nothing of what she was doing. She played a song and switched machines when I said to. Same song, same passage backing up when necessary. I listened carefully and gave sufficient time to each. Then called out my choice. Rinse and repeat. I felt the test quite fair as I was alone in another room and had not heard the A8 until then. So no history. Thus I couldn't guess which was which or be swayed in any way.

A db one way or the other couldn't make up for the distinct difference I heard. Maybe if the choices were more draws. As Amir has mentioned it's the build. Specific the filters on the output.

I would love to keep the A8 but the gulf is too wide.

I'm not trying to sell anyone on either machine. Other than a few items regarding the machines construction my point is to listen for yourself. Don't let specifications, looks or the opinion of others decide for you. Everyone want you to buy their machine or the one they bought. Think for yourself.

Again thanks.

 

[Everett T]

What reconstruction filters were used?

 

[Drakon]

What reconstruction filters were used?

Sorry, I have no idea. As I said Amir did a review of the A8. As for the Cambridge you may need to contact them.

 

[Everett T]

Sorry, I have no idea. As I said Amir did a review of the A8. As for the Cambridge you may need to contact them.

So the default ones, thanks.

 

[RandomEar]

I listened carefully and gave sufficient time to each. Then called out my choice. Rinse and repeat.

If you listen to one device for more than maybe 5 seconds, you'll loose the minor details of the other device from echoic memory and can't compare them reliably anymore. Switching that fast is often hard to do in practice when comparing different devices. Much easier with different files and ABX in software like with foobar2000. Nonetheless, it is absolutely essential. Otherwise, your results will equal a coin flip.

A db one way or the other couldn't make up for the distinct difference I heard. Maybe if the choices were more draws.

Oh but it does! Half a dB would be too much. Louder almost always sounds better, mostly due to the equal loudness contour of our hearing. Level matching really is the most essential of all controls - without it, any conclusion from such a test is meaningless.

People come here all the time talking about night and day differences and how they could never be due to this or that. And then they fail the most basic tests when blinded and properly level matched. It is what it is.

As Amir has mentioned it's the build. Specific the filters on the output.

Where does he mention that in his review?

I would love to keep the A8 but the gulf is too wide.

I'm not trying to sell anyone on either machine. Other than a few items regarding the machines construction my point is to listen for yourself. Don't let specifications, looks or the opinion of others decide for you. Everyone want you to buy their machine or the one they bought. Think for yourself.

Again thanks.

Based on how you tested, you can't tell if there is any audible difference at all between these streamers. Most likely, there is none. However, that also means you can't really choose the wrong one - unless the imagined differences swayed you to select the device which has worse features or other disadvantages for your use case.

 

[Drakon]

So the default ones, thanks.

I suppose. I stated the A8 filter selection in my main post.

 

[Drakon]

If you listen to one device for more than maybe 5 seconds, you'll loose the minor details of the other device from echoic memory and can't compare them reliably anymore. Switching that fast is often hard to do in practice when comparing different devices. Much easier with different files and ABX in software like with foobar2000. Nonetheless, it is absolutely essential. Otherwise, your results will equal a coin flip.


Oh but it does! Half a dB would be too much. Louder almost always sounds better, mostly due to the equal loudness contour of our hearing. Level matching really is the most essential of all controls - without it, any conclusion from such a test is meaningless.

People come here all the time talking about night and day differences and how they could never be due to this or that. And then they fail the most basic tests when blinded and properly level matched. It is what it is.


Where does he mention that in his review?


Based on how you tested, you can't tell if there is any audible difference at all between these streamers. Most likely, there is none. However, that also means you can't really choose the wrong one - unless the imagined differences swayed you to select the device which has worse features or other disadvantages for your use case.

Thank you. Food for thought.

I listened as quick switching was done and listened longer as needed. The difference is distinct and quite audible but of couse only to me. That's my big point. It's a personal thing. You can run the volume up and down all day but that won't make any machine including these sound differently or "better". Its not going to change its characteristics. Only what's under the hood can. It will only get louder or softer along with the singer and any characteristics might become even more apparent. But I can not prove that.

If listening is pointless or achieving it "properly" undoable without going to extremes then my advice is buy the cheapest equipment you can find and punt research.

But I appreciate and find value in your thoughts.

 

[RandomEar]

Thank you. Food for thought.

I listened as quick switching was done and listened longer as needed. The difference is distinct and quite audible but of couse only to me. That's my big point. It's a personal thing.

You can certainly have the impression that there is a difference. But if you listen again tomorrow and accidentally reverse the level difference between the devices, you will likely come to the opposite conclusion. That's the problem.

In your specific case, it's possible that there were some EQ or sound settings different between the devices creating an actual difference in sound. But without checking all the settings and without a valid test, nobody can say if that was the case.

You can run the volume up and down all day but that won't make any machine including these sound differently or "better". Its not going to change its characteristics. Only what's under the hood can. It will only get louder or softer along with the singer and any characteristics might become even more apparent. But I can not prove that.

Nope. Due to the equal loudness contour, volume does change the sound characteristic of music being played. Playing louder raises the bass and especially treble levels we perceive. Depending on how the source material is mixed, this can easily sound shrill or sharp when compared to the same song played at a lower SPL. It also depends on how you usually listen to the same song in case you already know it.

The whole point of my last post was to make you aware that any conclusions you draw from a flawed test are incorrect. I get that you put considerable effort into it with the wife and the blinding and everything. But if essential controls were missing, that effort on other aspects does not make the test reliable or valid again.

If listening is pointless or achieving it "properly" undoable without going to extremes then my advice is buy the cheapest equipment you can find and punt research.

But I appreciate and find value in your thoughts.

For most things excluding speakers and headphones, that is ironically a valid approach nowadays. A competent 80 $ DAC does not sound any different from an 8000 $ one and audiophiles go bonkers trying to deny that. The same is also true for amps if you know what to look for in terms of specs & measurements.

 

[staticV3]

In a nutshell:
Unless volume, tracks and oversampling filters are precisely matched, you will end up comparing volumes, filters, and masters rather than the Streamers themselves.

Labeling the resulting impressions as "Streamer A vs Streamer B" then is misleading.

For matching volumes, all you need is a $10 multimeter.

 

[Drakon]

A competent 80 $ DAC does not sound any different from an 8000 $ one.

We definitely part ways here. That in no way that can be true unless the build is the same and then it's basically a twin wherein your statement becomes factual. The equipment's build and design stamps it with, in this arena an aural distinctiveness. That's the point. Why try to make a tube amp sound like something else? People buy it because of among other things it's performance and sound.

My neighbor has a truck. I have a truck. Since they are both trucks any perceived differences in their performance must be false. My senses are being fooled. Regardless of the test conditions they are different and will perform differently because they are designed and built differently. No amount of tweaking can fix that. The only way to make them perform the same is tear down one and rebuild it as the other. I know that's not a good example but you get the point.

Same for anything that "touches" the signal which in audio equipment is everything. Here the choice of components especially DAC output filters will indeed set the machines personality so to speak. Now much of the time the difference is inaudible.

But I'll agree that if you tested some people using two identical machines there will be some that swears there is a difference.

And I can bet they really are hearing differences. Again unique to them. I can never tell someone else they don't hear what they hear or can't be hearing what they hear. That is a outrageous over reach and assumtion on my behalf. There ears.

So for me the Cambridge sounds - I won't say better but more pleasing to my ears for whatever reason that I'm not going to chase. So that being the case what reason do I have for sending it back and keeping the A8? Rhetorical question. There is none. And the view is they are the same somically. $80=$8000. Since both are competently designed.

Another bright spot is Cambridger responds to questions. With Eversolo you will get the same respallyonse from a lightpole.

Again i appreciate the thoughts.

 

[voodooless]

Oh boy….

 

[antcollinet]

A db one way or the other couldn't make up for the distinct difference I heard

That is exactly what it does. Due to the way our hearing responds to loudness, small level differences change the percieved tonality of what we are listening to. That would include:

It sounded sharper. The cymbals of a jazz piece were clearer and all but one operatic voice sounded fuller.

And pretty much all the other subjective comments you made.

 

[Overseas]

I suppose that more expensive electricity makes it sound different than using electricity from a cheap provider. Or maybe green energy givies a warmer sound than fossil energy,who knows.

 

[RandomEar]

We definitely part ways here. That in no way that can be true unless the build is the same and then it's basically a twin wherein your statement becomes factual. The equipment's build and design stamps it with, in this arena an aural distinctiveness. That's the point. Why try to make a tube amp sound like something else? People buy it because of among other things it's performance and sound.

Again: "If you know what to look for in terms of specs & measurements." - Important distinction. What matters isn't the parts you put in, what matters is what comes out of the device. You can put 1000 $ of ICs in a DAC and it still measures ****** if the designer is incompetent. Tube amps don't measure well, nobody disputes that they often sound different. They're almost a century old tech. This isn't what we are talking about here.

My neighbor has a truck. I have a truck. Since they are both trucks any perceived differences in their performance must be false. My senses are being fooled. Regardless of the test conditions they are different and will perform differently because they are designed and built differently. No amount of tweaking can fix that. The only way to make them perform the same is tear down one and rebuild it as the other. I know that's not a good example but you get the point.

There's no need to ridicule this if you don't understand the engineering behind it. Does your neighbours truck measure exactly the same? Same power, weight, size, wind resistance to the second decimal? No? So there's no point to make then.

Same for anything that "touches" the signal which in audio equipment is everything. Here the choice of components especially DAC output filters will indeed set the machines personality so to speak. Now much of the time the difference is inaudible.

There's no personality in any competent DAC. If there were, it would fail at its only task: Converting digital signals to analog as precisely as possible. We're building DACs today for gigahertz level devices in 5G, WiFi and radar tech - the wildest shit. Reproducing audio signals at a couple of kHz is easy mode for modern engineering.

How can DAC's have a SOUND SIGNATURE if they measure as transparent?

I know there are people out there that think cables affect sound, which is much worse, but there really is no response to something like that, but just to smile and nod. But what about people who talk about DACS as if they were headphone drivers or speakers, and talk about the SOUNDSTAGE...

www.audiosciencereview.com

But I'll agree that if you tested some people using two identical machines there will be some that swears there is a difference.

And I can bet they really are hearing differences. Again unique to them. I can never tell someone else they don't hear what they hear or can't be hearing what they hear. That is a outrageous over reach and assumtion on my behalf. There ears.

They can certainly have the impression that things sound different. And the next day, it might sound the same to them. Subjective impressions are unreliable and changing all the time, because they're not based on actual differences in sound. They're influenced by the listeners daily mood, their concentration, if they had a drink and so on. They hear what they hear, but it's not a reliable or reproducible impression. It's just our brain playing tricks on us.

So for me the Cambridge sounds - I won't say better but more pleasing to my ears for whatever reason that I'm not going to chase. So that being the case what reason do I have for sending it back and keeping the A8? Rhetorical question. There is none. And the view is they are the same somically. $80=$8000. Since both are competently designed.

Another bright spot is Cambridger responds to questions. With Eversolo you will get the same respallyonse from a lightpole.

Again i appreciate the thoughts.

There's no wrong choice between those streamers, I think. It's just the justification about audible differences that's questionable.

 

[antcollinet]

We definitely part ways here.

A DAC has one, and only one job, and that is to accurately convert the digital representation of music from the source into an analog representation of that music. Well measuring DACS do that with inaudible levels of noise and distortion, and with flat frequency response in the audible band. In other words the analogue output is (audibly) a perfect representation of the digitally encoded music. Any defects are below the level any human ear can detect.

If two DACS both achieve this (and well measuring DACS do) then the analog signal from both must be identical within audible limits. By definition, they must sound the same.

Yet on the other hand we know that our hearing is subject to perceptive bias (call it cognitive bias, or expectation bias if you like). What we hear is impacted by what we know, what we believe, how we feel, our life experiences, what we see etc etc. No-one is immune to this if they are human - it is how we are built. In fact we would be unable to function if our senses were not filtered by our unbconscious brain. Everyone is subject to this, it happens at the unbconscious level, and it is not possible to avoid it - even when we are aware it is happening.

So when we see someone state that they hear differences between DACs where the engineering, science and measurements all tell us that is impossible or vanishingly unlikely - do we just take the statement at face value - or do we attribute it to the fact that the listener is being fooled by his (humanities) very fallible auditory system?

 

[Drakon]

That is exactly what it does. Due to the way our hearing responds to loudness, small level differences change the percieved tonality of what we are listening to. That would include:





And pretty much all the other subjective comments you made.

If you say so. As I stated, but obviously the argumentative missed. Sorry I didn't read all the replies as can see where this (derailment) is going despite my efforts.

Of course what I or anyone for that matter hears is unique to me and them. It not up for discussion as far as I know no one else was here beside me. I had hoped my other comments about the app, set up etc might be useful to someone looking.

I've read enough comments of say speakers here and elsewhere described as bright or any number of other adjectives. If enough say they are bright then maybe they are and it's something to keep in mind if shopping. If a certain amp is repeatedly described as warm then maybe it is. You don't have to qualify or justify it with numbers although perhaps it can be. If a particular DAC is repeatedly described as X then . . .

I'm not going to argue the point as it doesn't matter. Nor am I moved to change an opinion based on what another did not hear. .Again no minor change is going to fix things. The minimum sound pressure change the human ear can hear is measured at 1 - 3 db. .1 db? Inaudible.

Again thanks. But a good bit of speculation both thought provoking and entertaining. And the comment about the DACs purpose is true thus the name Digital to Analog Converter. Along with it's complimentary components often different from it's cousins it can and does often impart its spin on things. I was going to use a Ferrari/Ford engine analogy but why bother as I feel there aren't many gear heads here.

Lets just leave it at you like what you like. It's a personal thing that can't be reduced to zeros and ones. How or why the ear hears what it hears is interesting but irrelevant here since it won't change either devices design. I get the arguments on tweaking I do. Just not 100% buying in. I'll play with it further researching what the difference filter changes do. I've listened to Amir's video on reading his data. Thank you sir. The A8 goes home Monday. I'm bracing for that salesman' conversation. Hopefully another will like what they hear from it.

Again thanks. I think we're done. I'm taking what I heard in my testing personally but not the commentary. We're adults (?) with different experiences and opinions and that's OK. How boring the world would be without it.

As the MCP said in Tron. "End of line".

 

[DVDdoug]

Without controls, the results aren't valid. It also has to be truly-random... You can't just switch back-and-forth between A & B. This is Audio SCIENCE review and we go-by measurements or controlled listening tests.

To be valid, blind tests have to be statistically repeatable. If you can identify "A" and "B" 9 out of 10 times you probably aren't "guessing" and you win!. But if you only get 6 our of 10 right, that's not much better than 50/50 and there is about a 40% chance that you are guessing.

One of the reasons for careful level matching is that if one is louder than the other (and if you can hear the loudness difference) it's a dead-giveaway.

An ABX test can be used to confirm if you can reliably hear ANY difference. You don't have to decide which one is better or define what the difference is. But if it's only a loudness difference that's not very interesting...

Controlled Audio Blind Listening Tests (video)

 

[voodooless]