Eversolo DMP A-8 compared to Eversolo DMP A-6 ‘Master’

[KING DRANZER]

Only peak/dip filters at the moment, perhaps hi/low pass will be added.
Keith

That be great if they could do that over firmware rollout.

 

[Ze Frog]

Answer to my question was in comment above, lol.

 

[Ze Frog]

What is this? Just linking to your own blog now?? Isnt this one of the reasons Erin got banned?

I don't get it either. It's great this site has vendors and company reps when it's for customer feedback and research, but this kind of thing seems like the start of infiltration that will lead to this place becoming the typical forum of people trying to sell stuff. I'm amazed Erin got a ban for effectively doing what the site in my mind was about, giving the consumer facts. Is Erin still banned? Only this is making me question my membership here if people like Erin get banned yet salesman can push products and link to blogs designed for their gain through luring people to specific products. No offence to Keith of Purite by the way, just felt this site upon joining was a bit more tightened up to becoming a marketing arm for whoever.

Most vendors and companies seem to be here to garner consumer opinion etc to better know what the consumer wants and clarify certain things which is actually awesome. There are many brands on here who the best advertisement in my mind is they do the above mentioned but don't do the whole marketing thing and seem to respect what (in my mind at least) , what this site stood for.

 

[BDWoody]

What is this? Just linking to your own blog now?? Isnt this one of the reasons Erin got banned?

This is the 'desperate dealers' section, which is where Members who are dealers can post in this fashion.

I'm amazed Erin got a ban for effectively doing what the site in my mind was about, giving the consumer facts. Is Erin still banned?

That's vastly oversimplified, and isn't at all what Erin was doing. That said, Erin is not banned and he is free to post here whenever he likes.

yet salesman can push products and link to blogs designed for their gain through luring people to specific products.

Desperate dealers section only.

If you see it elsewhere in the forum, let us know.

 

[prestigetone]

I don't get it either. It's great this site has vendors and company reps when it's for customer feedback and research, but this kind of thing seems like the start of infiltration that will lead to this place becoming the typical forum of people trying to sell stuff. I'm amazed Erin got a ban for effectively doing what the site in my mind was about, giving the consumer facts. Is Erin still banned? Only this is making me question my membership here if people like Erin get banned yet salesman can push products and link to blogs designed for their gain through luring people to specific products. No offence to Keith of Purite by the way, just felt this site upon joining was a bit more tightened up to becoming a marketing arm for whoever.

Most vendors and companies seem to be here to garner consumer opinion etc to better know what the consumer wants and clarify certain things which is actually awesome. There are many brands on here who the best advertisement in my mind is they do the above mentioned but don't do the whole marketing thing and seem to respect what (in my mind at least) , what this site stood for.

It's also really hard to discern what is objective versus what's a small vendor trying to promote their wares. I know a dealer is a dealer and they cant talk badly of their products, but you don't see many cons listed. I would love to see some threads where dealers talk about what constructively could be better about the products they sell.

 

[Purité Audio]

Personally I tend not represent bad products.
Before I realised the importance of measurements I could only really judge ( speakers for example) by a relatively short listen at say the Munich Hi-End , you place your order wait for the equipment to arrive and its only really when you have had a chance to listen to it that you realise that a, you have made a costly mistake or ( hopefully) b, it turns out to be better than hoped for.

Now I always ask for measurements before I commit.
Electronics are slightly different in that , they might measure really well but not be that reliable or the manufacturer might not be that helpful in dealing with component failures or both.
Or worst case you discover that the equipment is actually a, a fire hazard or b, so badly designed you just can’t connect it to expensive loudspeakers!
Keith

 

[sandeep_s300]

is the DMP A-8 better than the A-6 master edition……………..?
Well, here is my impression of the A-8. I received my DMP A-8 a week ago and been listening a few hours per day,
I had the dmp a-6 master edition for 6 months. It sounded ok on my system, say 7,5 out of 10.
I use the audiophonics purifi power amp with sparkos up-amps. XLR cables
and dynaudio confidence 30 speakers.

still i preferred my topping d90se, via usb from the A-6, it has a much wider and deeper soundstage and a little more sparkle than just the A-6. But a little less bass and mid bass. But I preferred the sound of the topping dac, say 8 out of 10.

in short: I sold both devices for 1350 euro and bought the DMP A-8 for 2000 euro.

I hooked it up and immediately heard clear differences!
more tight bass, fuller midrange and the same soundstage and sparkle in the highs As the topping dac. It sounds rounder but more tight, but with enough detail and ‘sparkle" that I like. Very life like instruments. Good transient sound. snare instruments have the nice realism and tenor saxophone the deep grunt. Very nice. speakers disappear more. A clear improvement over the A-6. I don’t use the DSP. Tried it a bit but could not reach consistent improvement.

i rate my system now 9 out of 10.
so I like the dmp a-8 very much and the upgrade is very substantial in my system over the A-6 master edition. Better than I expected actually ;-)

also like the 12v trigger and the hdmi arc.

a A-8 combined with the purifi power amp makes a high end affordable system I like very much. And I found this combination because I read this forum site, thank for the advice Amir and others!

btw: I know that my very positive opinion is subjective, you don’t have to remind me or anyone else.

Just what I wanted to read . I am leaning on A8 as I wanted to get rid of roon on mac to proper streamer. I was also thinking about A6 . I use topping d90 iii sabre with hypex ncx500 power amp by Apollon . It looks like I can imagine using the A8 as dac and preamp and it should sound equal or better than the d90 iii sabre which uses dual Ess flagship dacs.

 

[Purité Audio]

It won’t be better as the Topping dacs measure impeccably , it won’t be worse either.
Keith

 

[sandeep_s300]

It won’t be better as the Topping dacs measure impeccably , it won’t be worse either.
Keith

This is where it gets confusing . A6 as streamer only with d90 iii dual sabre Dac, as the a6 have the previous flagship sabre model .

A8 however uses AKM flagship dac . It will have different sound signature .

 

[sandeep_s300]

There are a lot of opinions on the Eversolo DMP-A6 versus DMP-A8. My initial thoughts were that I would not hear a big difference if I used them as streamers only going into my Gustard R26 or Weiss 204 DACs. Boy, was I wrong. I’d consider my setup middle of the road but definitely not basic.

My test gear:

Gustard R26 DAC

Weiss 204 DAC

Audio Research SP20 Preamp

Buckeye NC502MP 4-channel amp (only 2 amp channels used)

Mofi Sourcepoint 10 speakers (brighter than neutral sound) and Wharfedale Aura 2 (less bright)

Room treatments: 50-60% of my room is treated with sound panels and wool carpet. I have GIK bass traps in each corner and sound panels at first reflection points as well.

My test setup:

When testing as Streamer only: Streamers into DACs using USB. DACs into Preamp with XLR cables. Preamp into amps with XLR cables.

When testing Streamers as all in one units without external DACs:

Streamers into Preamp with XLR cables (used RCA cables with HFR as it doesn’t have XLR). Preamp into amps with XLR cables.

I always used my preamp, so can’t compare what it would sound like only using the onboard preamp/volume control.

Other testing notes: I started with blind tests and ended with unblind tests because I could clearly hear the difference by that point. I level matched each time. I did tests at 63 dBA, 66 dBA, 70 dBA and 75 dBA. The A6 and A8 were new. I let each break in for 2 weeks before testing. I have owned the HifiRose 250 (original version) for a year, so it was fully broken in.

I can say all three are very good and if you don’t compare, you could easily live with any of them. I think that’s why you see a lot of opinions in the Eversolo Facebook groups where people strongly prefer one, but haven’t necessarily A/B tested versus other ones. I saw so many opinions that I wanted to test for myself to see if there was really any difference, especially using these as streamers only. I figured there would be differences using them as standalones with their internal DACs.

Spoiler, there were audible differences between the three as streamers only. Believe me, that surprised me. I listened to them each for a long time and kept A/Bing to see if I was really hearing a difference.

The hype with the Eversolo devices has been HUGE. I think they are both a great value but the HifiRose is not bad. I was surprised that the HifiRose could hold its own given it has not been hyped nearly as much. The HFR can be had on the used market for around the price of a A6 ME. I did not have a ME, so I could not compare the ME version.

My final ranking in order of best to my ears with my setup in my room:

#1 A8, #2 HFR 250, #3 A6

All were better with the DACs. Each DAC adds its own unique sound signature to the streamers. I prefer the Weiss 204. However, most people will be more than happy with the Gustard R26.

The A8 benefitted the least from the DACs as its internal DAC is very good. In fact, I preferred its internal DAC over the A6 with Gustard/Weiss. That surprised me quite a bit. I altered the dBA level during testing because I thought my ears were deceiving me. Results rarely varied even when making the sound louder or quieter. Results varied slightly by song, but it became clear the A8 was the best overall. My hypothesis is that the DACs can’t fix the deficiencies I hear in the streamers.

I will say, if you have warm speakers or a warm setup, you may very well prefer the HFR 250. It is a little brighter than the A8 but still retains 90% of the great sound of the A8. Some may even prefer the A6 if they have a warm setup but it lacks some of the detail and separation of the HFR and A8. I don’t think many would prefer the A6 with a bright setup like Klipsch or Focal BE speakers. In my room, I could not listen to the A6 very long at 75 dBA. It was just too bright even using it with the external DACs.

Songs that showed the A6 to be too bright/harsh: Let’s Dance, Rosanna, Don’t wanna fight, Willow.

Songs where it was almost too close to call between the three when using them each with an external DAC: Jolene, Margaritaville, Piano Man, Titanium, Kawaski, Hurt, Drum Solo.

With warmer songs, the A6 and HFR benefitted from having a brighter sound signature. However, there was still more detail and separation with the HFR and A8 but it was so close, that it wouldn’t be worth the expense for the more expensive units if you primarily listen to warmer songs.

All three benefitted from the external DACs. The A6 benefitted the most, but it still couldn’t tame the brightness. I thought the DACs could but they could not. The A8 benefitted the least and I did not think the Gustard added much benefit unless you like how it changes the sound of the A8. To me, I would save my money and just use the A8 by itself until you can get a more expensive DAC like the Weiss or at that price range or more. I plan to use it with the Weiss but it may be overkill.

Any of the three can be perfect for YOU depending on your setup. All three will work with a warmer setup. I’d probably go with the HFR with a warmer setup and save the money. Avoid the A6 with a bright setup. It will be too bright for certain songs unless you listen at low volumes.

I plan to run more tests and even compare them against a Wiim Pro Plus and iFi Zen over the next couple of months. I hope this helps those looking to make a decision. I know for some that a $2000 streamer seems expensive, but in high end home audio, the A8 could be considered reasonable. There’s lots of “Amazing” gear for $10K+, so $2K seems like a bargain for a true end game piece of gear in this crazy audiophile world. And it can be used without the need for another DAC.

I wonder what setup would be nice for one who have neutral speakers , like the MK sound S300 . I have the new Topping D90 III Sabre DAC / preamp connected to hypex ncx500 with sonic imagery 994 opamp. I want to get rid of the Mac noise that is contributing to the streaming via roon. Therefore, looking for a quiet streamer instead . Not sure if my local dealer will have both A6 and A8 in their demo room. A6 with D90 III vs A8 with D90 iii or A8 by itself is something I need to make a blind decision on.

 

[Purité Audio]

This is where it gets confusing . A6 as streamer only with d90 iii dual sabre Dac, as the a6 have the previous flagship sabre model .

A8 however uses AKM flagship dac . It will have different sound signature .

No
Keith

 

[Purité Audio]

I wonder what setup would be nice for one who have neutral speakers , like the MK sound S300 . I have the new Topping D90 III Sabre DAC / preamp connected to hypex ncx500 with sonic imagery 994 opamp. I want to get rid of the Mac noise that is contributing to the streaming via roon. Therefore, looking for a quiet streamer instead . Not sure if my local dealer will have both A6 and A8 in their demo room. A6 with D90 III vs A8 with D90 iii or A8 by itself is something I need to make a blind decision on.

No difference between your Mac and a streamer, I used my macbook pro as my reference for years comparing to everything including streamers.
Keith

 

[sandeep_s300]

What do you mean? There is night and day difference between DAC based on their implementation and every piece of electronics around it, likewise, Mac mini vs aurallic Vega g2.1 streamer has night and day difference . It's to a point that there is no blind test required, good ears can pick the difference playing any track and within 10 seconds. My iPhone is full of such AB comparison videos

 

[Purité Audio]

No just marketing and comparisons conducted without the very simplest ‘control’ ie unsighted.
Keith

 

[Ucftechguru]

What do you mean? There is night and day difference between DAC based on their implementation and every piece of electronics around it, likewise, Mac mini vs aurallic Vega g2.1 streamer has night and day difference . It's to a point that there is no blind test required, good ears can pick the difference playing any track and within 10 seconds. My iPhone is full of such AB comparison videos

I agree with you Sandeep. The A8 is the better streamer & DAC. There are lots of videos confirming that. Saying they sound the same as just streamers is not true if you’ve listened to both like I have. Even as streamers only, the A8 sounds better. If your system is neutral, the A8 will accentuate the mids more. The A6 will sound brighter.

 

[sandeep_s300]

I agree with you Sandeep. The A8 is the better streamer & DAC. There are lots of videos confirming that. Saying they sound the same as just streamers is not true if you’ve listened to both like I have. Even as streamers only, the A8 sounds better. If your system is neutral, the A8 will accentuate the mids more. The A6 will sound brighter.

1 hour ago demo it in store - A6 ME and A8 with pair of $90k pair Sonos . I like the sound signature of the a8 and it’s akm dac. Last 8 years I have been using various sabre dac implemented components and never liked the akm before , but this is different. Time to do many many tests now with the flagship sabre dac that I have .

 

[Purité Audio]

I agree with you Sandeep. The A8 is the better streamer & DAC. There are lots of videos confirming that. Saying they sound the same as just streamers is not true if you’ve listened to both like I have. Even as streamers only, the A8 sounds better. If your system is neutral, the A8 will accentuate the mids more. The A6 will sound brighter.

No, I really wouldn’t listen to idiots on you tube.
I compared them here unsighted and level matched

Eversolo A-6 Master versus DMP A-8!

The new Eversolo DMP A-8 was introduced earlier this month, I have now had the opportunity to compare all three Eversolo streamers the A-6, the A-6 'Master' and the new A-8.Audio Science Review has measured the standard DMP...

www.puriteaudio.co.uk

Keith

 

[Chester]

I agree with you Sandeep. The A8 is the better streamer & DAC. There are lots of videos confirming that. Saying they sound the same as just streamers is not true if you’ve listened to both like I have. Even as streamers only, the A8 sounds better. If your system is neutral, the A8 will accentuate the mids more. The A6 will sound brighter.

A streamer that can accentuate certain parts of the sound? I would love to understand the science, please elaborate.

 

[Shorty]

It's to a point that there is no blind test required, good ears can pick the difference playing any track and within 10 seconds. My iPhone is full of such AB comparison videos

Aahhhh…. the old ‘it’s so obvious, I don’t need a blind test’ cliché.

 

[sandeep_s300]

Aahhhh…. the old ‘it’s so obvious, I don’t need a blind test’ cliché.

I never do blind test as brain can still cheat. I record A B and send to friends who does serious music listening and simply ask them which is better sounding and why. And for certain component swap, one doesn't have to when the difference is night and day.