Eversolo DMP-A6 Streamer Review

[dustinyo]

Wow, that is a seriously impressive set of features and performance for the price. Any word on if Topping is planning to release something similar? I actually might get this, but if Topping plans to release something similar I might actually wait, just because I already have an A90D so it would just match better

 

[Kevinfc]

I wish there was something similar that could run Daphile.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

I wish there was something similar that could run Daphile.

Well, since Daphile is little more than Logitech Media Server, there is - piCorePlayer, on a Pi of your choice, with 7" touchscreen.

 

[sublime finish]

The question is would you be better off with the DMP-A6 or the DAC-Z8 and a WiiM mini/pro? Both from a sound and usability perspective.

(First post, love the site, including all the nerdy bickering).

 

[multisport4me]

The question is would you be better off with the DMP-A6 or the DAC-Z8 and a WiiM mini/pro? Both from a sound and usability perspective.

(First post, love the site, including all the nerdy bickering).

Pretty much a wash price-wise, isn't it? The DMP-A6 also has HDMI Audio out and supposedly can output Apple Music in hi-res - which I value. May not be for everyone but I'm looking forward to trying it out.

 

[laudio]

Why do you need "real" meters? We had meters to keep tape recorders from saturating during recording. No such need is there today with streamers. The other function of meters was to give you something to look at. And this streamer gives you the best example of it. It has a very high contrast display with the most gorgeous simulations I have seen. It has half a dozen meters so you can pick on. The main information you need out of the meter is that when it is not moving, there is no content going to it (this is useful for troubleshooting).

"No such need is there today with streamers."

Exactly. So why pay more for them? Or use them as a criteria to evaluate a streamer.

 

[laudio]

I beg to differ....

LMS needs a DSP solution. But other than that - would also beg to differ. It's been around 10+ years and still ticking, unlike a lot of other streamers.

 

[amirm]

Exactly. So why pay more for them? Or use them as a criteria to evaluate a streamer.

Because it is pretty and adds enjoyment to the experience.

 

[Purité Audio]

The question is would you be better off with the DMP-A6 or the DAC-Z8 and a WiiM mini/pro? Both from a sound and usability perspective.

(First post, love the site, including all the nerdy bickering).

I don’t have the Wim but I will be able to compare the Z-8 ( laptop/roon nucleus) against the A6.
Keith

 

[Oldasdrt]

Let's Avoid the Term Chi-Fi

I often see the use of the term "Chi Fi" to describe audio products from China. I see the intention and don't think anyone is trying to be racist and what have you. Still, I like us to show the highest respect to products from around the world. As avid readers of this forum know...

www.audiosciencereview.com

No ill will intended

 

[PeteL]

Wow, that is a seriously impressive set of features and performance for the price. Any word on if Topping is planning to release something similar? I actually might get this, but if Topping plans to release something similar I might actually wait, just because I already have an A90D so it would just match better

I highly doubt we will ever see something as polished in term of Industrial design and display size or quality, I feel it's not in their DNA to do that, but the Topping M50, associated with one of their balanced DACs should give you somewhat similar functionalities, although significantly less features. I don't see it Roon certified if it matters to you. There is no internal storage neither and external limited to 256G, among a few other things.

M50 Digital Music Player-TOPPING

 

[Snoopy]

If this had a headphone amp and DSP......

Well it's roon ready..that gives you all the DSP you could possibly need including convolution filters

 

[PeteL]

Well it's roon ready..that gives you all the DSP you could possibly need including convolution filters

For an extra 829.99. I also don't think it's "all the DSP you could possibly need" There is no real room correction features in Roon.

 

[Purité Audio]

For an extra 829.99. I also don't think it's "all the DSP you could possibly need" There is no real room correction features in Roon.

There is extremely comprehensive parametric eq in Roon.
Keith

 

[BobPM]

I tested it exactly how I would use it and commented on its usability. With it is large touch panel LCD, it is very easy to use if it is near you. No current DAC for example can compete with it since they lack such an interface. I found no quirks in its usability or I would have commented on it.

For people who want to use it as a pull streamer, no I did not cover that aspect because I consider that the wrong approach to streaming.

With all due respect, this "preference" for push streamers is peculiar and makes your streamer reviews only partial and useful to only a niche audience. The idea of a push streamer is essentially relegating the device to a thin client model getting data off of some other computer that is handling the pull function. It requires an expensive setup, is energy inefficient, and something only an engineer or computer geek would really appreciate. Moreover, the main computer gets ignored in the review so it is not really a complete analysis of the "streamer" system.

90% or more of the market doesn't want or need multiple computers running just to download a song. At least separate your reviews into network/client systems like Roon, and standalone devices running efficient software in an unobtrusive manner that someone with a music degree might be comfortable using. If it were a computer, there would be benchmarks to see how powerful the streamer was, an evaluation of the OS/software used to access the services, how many services it would access, and how robust the device was such that it didn't lock up frequently.

Please add a standalone streamer category that has some useful metrics.

 

[BobPM]

And how does this pull / push approach really work? In your push model, some part of the system is still having to "pull" the data off the tidal or other music service system. In Roon it's the Roon server. How is it an improvement to push the data to another computer instead of buffering it internally and sending it directly to a DAC? Seems like a fairly unnecessary step that adds complexity.

 

[PeteL]

There is extremely comprehensive parametric eq in Roon.
Keith

Yes I know, but the poster was saying "all the dsp needs" That's a bit exagerated. It does EQ very well yes. Can you do a digital cross over in Roon?

 

[multisport4me]

Tough crowd. Especially for a free review.

There seems to be a plethora of sites and youtube channels that do audio streamer reviews. This site measures audio performance empirically with a well-qualified engineer with a certified (and expensive) Audio Precision analyzer. To my knowledge, Amir does this as a crusade to impact the industry and encourage them to do a better job of designing their products. The fact that we get to use his analysis to make a more informed decision is gravy....and also FREE!

I'm not sure that Amir has ever evaluated UX designs of any products beyond perhaps a mere mention of how pretty it might look or cumbersome in some cases. He measures stuff - pretty much the exact same stuff -with every review. Don't buy the DMP-A6 if you don't like the specs or think this review was too limited for you to make an informed buying decision. Simple as that. I don't get why, when someone offers up reasons they might buy this thing, some of you feel the need to shout the person down. Nobody in this hobby are qualified to judge others as what they buy, can afford to buy (or not afford) because no matter how many tests results are posted there is still a huge degree of subjectivity in this hobby....from one extreme to another.

BTW - I bought BOTH the Master and standard version of DMP-A6 to compare them myself. I'll keep whichever I like. I hope none of your heads explode over that.

 

[Purité Audio]

Yes I know, but the poster was saying "all the dsp needs" That's a bit exagerated. It does EQ very well yes. Can you do a digital cross over in Roon?

Yes.
There is an article here, m/c with a couple of subs , Roon is pretty cool imho.
Keith

 

[ThatGuyYouKnow]

Tough crowd. Especially for a free review.

There seems to be a plethora of sites and youtube channels that do audio streamer reviews. This site measures audio performance empirically with a well-qualified engineer with a certified (and expensive) Audio Precision analyzer. To my knowledge, Amir does this as a crusade to impact the industry and encourage them to do a better job of designing their products. The fact that we get to use his analysis to make a more informed decision is gravy....and also FREE!

I'm not sure that Amir has ever evaluated UX designs of any products beyond perhaps a mere mention of how pretty it might look or cumbersome in some cases. He measures stuff - pretty much the exact same stuff -with every review. Don't buy the DMP-A6 if you don't like the specs or think this review was too limited for you to make an informed buying decision. Simple as that. I don't get why, when someone offers up reasons they might buy this thing, some of you feel the need to shout the person down. Nobody in this hobby are qualified to judge others as what they buy, can afford to buy (or not afford) because no matter how many tests results are posted there is still a huge degree of subjectivity in this hobby....from one extreme to another.

BTW - I bought BOTH the Master and standard version of DMP-A6 to compare them myself. I'll keep whichever I like. I hope none of your heads explode over that.

And the reviews are very much appreciated. I just want to know if the inputs can be routed to the digital outputs before buying this. The product manual still does not load on the EverSolo site.