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Eversolo DMP-A8 Balanced Streamer/DAC Review

Rate this streamer/DAC/Preamp:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 8 1.8%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 12 2.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 82 18.6%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 340 76.9%

  • Total voters
    442
Not quite. Precision timed relay operations ensure no transients and are a feature of the higher quality implementations. Benchmark HPA4 etc.
The HPA4’s relays are much noisier, @Eulipian, you would still need a phono, not least because you need the RIAA equalisation.
Keith
 
The HPA4’s relays are much noisier

There's physical noise (a given, which will vary) and there's electrical transients in the signal. This is where Benchmark have basically taken it to a whole other level.

Relays have a finite actuation (on) time and de-actuation (off) time. One is overcoming the spring tension using and electrical/magnetic field and the other is collapsing that field and letting the spring pull the contacts away. Timing is different and depends on current drive for 'on' for each individual relay and type.

By timing the actual relays, using short throw and high quality (gold) contacts, the transients in the signal can be kept incredibly short or non-existant depending on the direction of change and the speed of operation.

Basically a relay attenuator is a simple (and very cool) concept, but there's so many poor implementations out there as to tar the entire "type" with the same brush (crap). Some IC attenuators/drivers even look at zero-cross detection of the signal to ensure the transistions occur without the potential for transients.
 
being that there is no dedicated subwoofer output, is it possible to integrate a subwoofer while still using the HPF?

Perhaps using RCA to speakers with DSP and XLR out to the sub? I don’t expect to be able to have two separate DSP setups for the two different outputs, but being able to defeat DSP on one set would make sense. Could integrate a MINIDSP before the sub in that case.

If not than you’ve got a high pass filter that you can’t use to integrate a sub? Am I missing somethin?
Perhaps this:
1721938475067.png
 
No you would need the sub to implement its own filter.
Keith
Okay, let me try to get this across properly. What I’m asking is if there is a way to use the high pass filter on the speakers while still using a sub. I understand that the sub will have to employe its own LPF, but I’d want to be able to use the HPF in the unit for the speakers.
 
Okay, let me try to get this across properly. What I’m asking is if there is a way to use the high pass filter on the speakers while still using a sub. I understand that the sub will have to employe its own LPF, but I’d want to be able to use the HPF in the unit for the speakers.
The way it looks to me is a HPF or LPF apply to each channel where you set them so I guess you could connect a subwoofer to say an RCA connection but it will have whichever filter you set for that channel. I don't really see why this thing has HPF and LPF they would only work properly if there were 4 channels not 2 or a subwoofer out. You can apply a HPF or LPF and connect a subwoofer but it's going to only get the same frequencies as your main speakers.
 
What I’m asking is if there is a way to use the high pass filter on the speakers while still using a sub. I understand that the sub will have to employe its own LPF, but I’d want to be able to use the HPF in the unit for the speakers.
The DMP-A8 is a pure stereo DAC, which means it cannot output a high-passed signal for your speakers and simultaneously output a full-range/low-passed signal for your subwoofer.

For this, a device needs to have at least three distinct analog output channels.

Some examples are WiiM Ultra, miniDSP 2x4, miniDSP Flex, RME ADI-2 Pro, as well as most AVRs on the market today.

If you want to use the A8 in a 2.1 setup with full crossover (HPF+LPF), then the best way would be to buy a studio subwoofer with built-in crossover and pass-though.

The connection would be A8->Sub->Amp->Speakers.

Such a sub splits the incoming signal into bass and everything else, plays back the bass, and outputs the rest for playback on speakers.
 
Last edited:
Keith
 
Not cheap, but a lot of functionality (although missing a few bells and whistles), performance just short of SOTA, and seemingly great build quality—“seemingly” because I have not seen it in the flesh. Plus, what appears to be a very attractive and usable GUI. All of that is good enough for “great” from me.
 
Hallo, I have been reading hundreds of articles about me ever solo DMP products also last of months. I truly believe that the dmp6 was a master stroke of ever solo!

Then they turned out the DMP 6 master edition, which I thought was a pretty difficult proposition in the sense that it proposed and incremental increase and Performance compared to a price increase of about 175%.

The dmp8 is an all together different proposition! It is a jack of all trades: Streamer bypassing the Android notorious Digital Sound System settings, a extremely good Dac, good preamp m, best interface on the market, DSP for some.streams but via software and not hardware Implementation (and not for all signals as far.as I can see. In short much better hardware an implementation than the DMP 6ses!

As I am only using Headphones to listen to music the absence of a dedicated HP amp with balanced/unbalanced connectors is quite a drawback.

In my case will stick to Room with an RMI 2 DAC FS as an endpoint for Qubuz. I also have Spotify which I upscale via Hqplayer to the RMI.

Compared to the fluidity and internal integration of the DMP 6/8 the remains clumsy but it works will look of a second hand DMP AT in 2/3 years time.
Best audiophile regards
 

Or try this:



Or this:

 
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Or try this:



Or this:

Why? They will come out with a Zidoo / Eversolo platform that does subwoofer output. In fact I am sure they are going to introduce a home theater appliance soon. The DMP-A6 was the best platform for DSD multichannel output hands down.
 
Mariofandetriangle is thinking buying this one juste to use it as a streamer but will keep is McIntosh dac d100 because he pretends that it is much better hahaha

Old dacs cant outperfom much newer dacs
 
Mariofandetriangle is thinking buying this one juste to use it as a streamer but will keep is McIntosh dac d100 because he pretends that it is much better hahaha

Old dacs cant outperfom much newer dacs
Nah. The D100 sound was hallucinatory; holographic and all-enveloping (Head-Fi). But seriously, has anyone seen measurements of the D100, and would the difference be audible anyway?
 
Very Nice Review. Bought A8 just hours before this test was published. Replaced PC, Intona, D90 and Pre 90 in my setup. Used it for a couple of days and am very happy with my aquisition. The Phone app (Iphone) has lost contact with A8 on a couple of occations but no other issues with it. Sounds awesome.
 
Hello ! ;-)
This DMP-A8 is very interessting !
But I have a question.... I have read that PEQ was available only in USB input. Would you confirm ? Because I would like to use the spdif input with the posiblity to have PEQ too...
Thanks a lot ... ;-)
 
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