Eversolo DMP-A6 Streamer Review

[Stefti]

I was hoping for some guidance from the community on options to improve the sound of my setup.

I`ve added the TA-ZH1ES (as preamp)and solved the "digital" issue
The A6 sounds fantastic through the Kefs LS 50W but is too harsh with the Headphones
The TA-ZH1ES was exactly what I needed it
Also, the A6 may need a break-in

 

[Purité Audio]

The A-6 is audibly transparent if it sounds harsh that is down to your headphones, also electronics don’t ‘break-in’.
Keith

 

[Stefti]

Probably
The MM 500 do have a more transparent sound signature
Not to mention the A6 EQ
Still the Taz made a significant difference
Thanks Keith

 

[Nutul]

(...) Also, the A6 may need a break-in

Of course it does! Some 300 hours look as the usually suggested (and generally accepted) period for such thing.
/s

 

[Gremlins]

I was hoping for some guidance from the community on options to improve the sound of my setup.

Get rid of the vintage tubes , thèse are far thé weakest element of your setup, by faaaaaar

 

[Gremlins]

Of course it does! Some 300 hours look as the usually suggested (and generally accepted) period for such thing.
/s

Ho damm, where does thé believe of breakin Come from???

 

[tw99]

I have had the Eversolo DMP A6 since its release. It replaced a Sonore optical rendu with linear power. I have very good Revel speakers, all vintage tube electronics. Internet is all fiber. The A6 streams to a Okto Stereo 8 via USB. Firmware is currently updated on the A6 and the Okto. The A6 has, since its arrival, sounded bright and digital. Oddly enough, I am spending more time listening to Radio Paradise (FLAC) streaming via my Roku Ultra/Oppo 205 than via the A6. The Oppo sounds really good playing Redbook CD's, fantastic playing SACD's via the Oppo's HDMI outputs. The A6 is the weakest link in my setup.
Proposed solutions: adding Roon; the Beatchnik linear power upgrade for the A6; trying a new dedicated streamer.

All fiber internet (transmission using light) will definitely cause a brighter sound, it's obvious...

 

[Doc_Octopus]

/S

LOL

 

[stevenskl]

If you want 3D audio from Apple Music, the only way to do it is by using Apple TV 4K connected to your AV receiver, but the downside of that lossless audio will always be resampled to 48 kHz and that’s the max, you will not get 24-bit/96-192 kHz hi-res audio, of which at the moment only the DMP-A6 can (another way is to use a USB dongle to a DAC but that’s not why people use streamers). Tidal like you said you can get spatial audio via HEOS which also take advantage of the AV receiver.

HEOS doesn´t play back anything other than stereo, no matter, what your AVR can do.
Anyway, Roland Krüger from Masimo said on Youtube that they will bring out an Atmos and multichannel capable HEOS streaming device this year. Atmos and multichannel capable HEOS within an AVR probably in 3 years.
I hope that there will be something like a DMP-A7 with Atmos capability soon.

 

[Morbeas]

Quick question; I've read the best output port to use would be HDMI, but wouldn't that bypass the internal DAC and send the digital signal directly to my AVR? Surely the DAC in my Denon AVR isn't better than the one found in the A6?

 

[Morbeas]

HEOS doesn´t play back anything other than stereo, no matter, what your AVR can do.
Anyway, Roland Krüger from Masimo said on Youtube that they will bring out an Atmos and multichannel capable HEOS streaming device this year. Atmos and multichannel capable HEOS within an AVR probably in 3 years.
I hope that there will be something like a DMP-A7 with Atmos capability soon.

I'm currently listening to a multichannel track playing through HEOS via Tidal Connect, so HEOS definitely supports surround formats.

 

[staticV3]

Quick question; I've read the best output port to use would be HDMI, but wouldn't that bypass the internal DAC and send the digital signal directly to my AVR? Surely the DAC in my Denon AVR isn't better than the one found in the A6?

The AVR's DAC could be better in that it may support Surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos, whereas the Eversolo's DAC is limited to Stereo.

As you can see here, the Atmos version of a track is almost always superior to Stereo.

Furthermore, many AVRs will digitize analog input signals, in which case they'll go through the internal DAC anyway.

In this case, using digital in is preferred as that'll remove one D->A and one A->D conversion from the chain, resulting in cleaner audio.

Edit:
There's conflicting info on whether the A6 supports bitstreaming Atmos via HDMI, but it looks more like No

DMP-A6 Tidal Atmos via HDMI

Just got my A6ME yesterday, still burning in. Even tho Atmos is not a must to me, but I would think it's still good to have for users that have Atmos...

forum.zidoo.tv

 

[stevenskl]

I'm currently listening to a multichannel track playing through HEOS via Tidal Connect, so HEOS definitely supports surround formats.

Which HEOS are you using? Actually it´s impossible, there are no HEOS devices that can play multichannel. In case of a multichannel source, they play it as stereo. You are probably upmixing it in your AVR.

 

[yllanos]

I have had the Eversolo DMP A6 since its release. It replaced a Sonore optical rendu with linear power. I have very good Revel speakers, all vintage tube electronics. Internet is all fiber. The A6 streams to a Okto Stereo 8 via USB. Firmware is currently updated on the A6 and the Okto. The A6 has, since its arrival, sounded bright and digital. Oddly enough, I am spending more time listening to Radio Paradise (FLAC) streaming via my Roku Ultra/Oppo 205 than via the A6. The Oppo sounds really good playing Redbook CD's, fantastic playing SACD's via the Oppo's HDMI outputs. The A6 is the weakest link in my setup.
Proposed solutions: adding Roon; the Beatchnik linear power upgrade for the A6; trying a new dedicated streamer.

Just add an external DAC.

 

[Purité Audio]

Yes good idea a really poorly measuring yet reassuringly expensive dac might just do the trick, or an external clock the list is endless.
Keith

 

[Morbeas]

Which HEOS are you using? Actually it´s impossible, there are no HEOS devices that can play multichannel. In case of a multichannel source, they play it as stereo. You are probably upmixing it in your AVR.

Playing on my Denon X3800h receiver and it absolutely is not upmixing.

 

[stevenskl]

Playing on my Denon X3800h receiver and it absolutely is not upmixing.

Sorry,
but that´s not possible. Even the latest and most expensive Denon (A1H) and Marantz (Cinema 30 (which I own), AV 10) cannot stream Tidal Atmos or any other multichannel music via HEOS. HEOS can only stream stereo, that´s simply a fact. You should probably be able to see the input signal on your X3800H, which then should show stereo.

 

[Stefti]

The A-6 is audibly transparent if it sounds harsh that is down to your headphones, also electronics don’t ‘break-in’.
Keith

I understand your logic and I agree...to disagree
For reference take a look at Andrew Robinson's (escape the HiFi rabbit hole) very last segment, which eco the Eversolo (cleanliness) and why (like a lot of people) chose to preamp. the Macintosh in his case to absorb the "digitalness" and give a more organic sound (in my situation using the Sony.)
I also give the TAZ another take using another Headphone (Grado 325) this time using the TAZ as an amp
I was knocked out by how good and velvety the 325 sounded (it makes me want to try another Dynamic headphone for comparison) But the Grado`s love the TAZ
So you`re right about the MM500 planar being overly aggressive
If I didn`t need more amplification the TAZ could be my only DAC/AMP solution

 

[Salt]

Preference of (harmonic) distorsions is pretty common and discussed in the "do we crave ..." thread at length.
But only a basically transparent system gives you a chance to tune 'as like'.

 

[Purité Audio]

I understand your logic and I agree...to disagree
For reference take a look at Andrew Robinson's (escape the HiFi rabbit hole) very last segment, which eco the Eversolo (cleanliness) and why (like a lot of people) chose to preamp. the Macintosh in his case to absorb the "digitalness" and give a more organic sound (in my situation using the Sony.)
I also give the TAZ another take using another Headphone (Grado 325) this time using the TAZ as an amp
I was knocked out by how good and velvety the 325 sounded (it makes me want to try another Dynamic headphone for comparison) But the Grado`s love the TAZ
So you`re right about the MM500 planar being overly aggressive
If I didn`t need more amplification the TAZ could be my only DAC/AMP solution

And here’s to you Andrew Robinson Jesus loves you more than you can know…
Keith