Eversolo DMP-A8 Balanced Streamer/DAC Review

[jiji]

Wondering how to connect a sub woofer to Ever solo A8? IF i select both XLR & RCA out, then the EQ will be same for both? If that is the case how the crossover will work for subs?
May be a minidsp can help for RCA out and then implement the x-over for subs?
ps - I'm not interested to send the RCA signals to sub RCA input etc.

Anyone have implemented sub using minidsp in eversolo a8?

 

[Purité Audio]

Yes RCA / XLR but you will need the sub to have built in eq.
Keith

 

[jiji]

ok thanks, in that case I will route the sub through mini DSP, since I don't have an inbuilt eq in my subs.
This is same as you mentioned, but minidsp will act as a front end eq.

 

[danity_project]

Can anyone confirm that, when connected to a TV using HDMI ARC, can the TV remove control the volume of this unit? The unit is not HDMI CEC compliant, but I'm never clear on if that is required for the volume control if ARC is supported.

I found someone talking about this a bit here, and it sounds like there's a problem with going below 50% volume using the HDMI eARC volume controls from the TV.

Anyone else experience this? And if so - could you modify the volume range in the device settings to help with this?

 

[steveoat87]

Hi Mirror, I tried both RAW and Auto and still having problems playing multichannel DSD for Roon Ready. No difference at all between the two settings.

Hi Mirror. I was able to fix the problem with playing multichannel dsd files for Roon Ready. Apparently, when I first set up roon the settings didn't take. I disabled and re-enabled the settings and am now able to play multichannel dsf. However, now I have another problem. While I am able to play multichannel dsf files via Roon, when I try to play multichannel flac files. I am getting predominantly loud white noise. Is there anything I should change in the settings to correct this?

 

[Doc_Octopus]

This comment from stereophile A8 review site. What is he talking about Ultrasonic noise? Subjective by all accounts!!!! No testing has revealed this to be an issue.

Is the reviewer a schnauzer?

 

[rocknroll]

I am looking forward to seeing how the soon to be released (November) Node Icon compares to the A8.

https://www.audioadvice.com/bluesound-node-icon-reference-music-streamer

 

[REK2575]

I've seen a few YouTube reviews (yes, from the usual suspects) claiming that the A8's audio performance is noticeably better than the A6's.

I get that there may be very subtle differences in how the A8 and A6 sound, based on their different DAC chips (AKM vs. ESS), and that one might prefer the sound of the A8 to the A6. But does the claim that the A8 offers much superior sound to the the A6 really hold up? "The A8 may cost more than twice the price of the A6, but the upgrade in sound alone is totally worth it" is the gist of a lot of these reviews.

 

[staticV3]

But does the claim that the A8 offers much superior sound to the the A6 really hold up? "The A8 may cost more than twice the price of the A6, but the upgrade in sound alone is totally worth it" is the gist of a lot of these reviews.

It's their claims, they'll have to provide evidence.

No evidence -> waste of time.

 

[Purité Audio]

I've seen a few YouTube reviews (yes, from the usual suspects) claiming that the A8's audio performance is noticeably better than the A6's.

I get that there may be very subtle differences in how the A8 and A6 sound, based on their different DAC chips (AKM vs. ESS), and that one might prefer the sound of the A8 to the A6. But does the claim that the A8 offers much superior sound to the the A6 really hold up? "The A8 may cost more than twice the price of the A6, but the upgrade in sound alone is totally worth it" is the gist of a lot of these reviews.

There isn’t any difference in SQ.
Keith

 

[Jole]

I have read on zidoo forum, there are requests from many people with chord.. accuphase..benchmark.. etc..mainly expensive dacs who ask evo support to insert their dacs info to evosound in order to stream dsd via USB to their external dacs. Roon - Evosound - chord dave for example....

 

[Purité Audio]

Generally listeners never compare unsighted or level matched, then when you add cognitive bias, which the vast majority of the industry will never mention, differences are perceived which in reality do not exist.
Keith

 

[Spyerx]

I have both units, if i get some time this week I’ll hook them up via balanced inputs on my luxman integrated, play the same file played at the same time on repeat off the internal ssd, and see if i can hear a difference. I have a mic and software i can use to level match them, so I only have to switch inputs. Maybe will level match using the A6 as baseline and then adjust the A8 (I dunno, digital vs. analog volume??) I’m not sure I will be able to hear it… they both sound really good to me.

 

[Spyerx]

I have read on zidoo forum, there are requests from many people with chord.. accuphase..benchmark.. etc..mainly expensive dacs who ask evo support to insert their dacs info to evosound in order to stream dsd via USB to their external dacs. Roon - Evosound - chord dave for example....

First think i did was stick my benchmark dac3 in a drawer when I got the A8.

 

[EJ3]

My 1 (one) beef (and for me, it's a big one): the absence of DSP on analog input.
If it had that, I would be willing to pay a bit more & buy it. But since it doesn't, I won't be buying it.
We
I'll see what in between now & Jan 1. Hopefully something will pop up that has that feature. I can't do it now, as I won't get any more income until after Jan 1.

 

[Purité Audio]

I have both units, if i get some time this week I’ll hook them up via balanced inputs on my luxman integrated, play the same file played at the same time on repeat off the internal ssd, and see if i can hear a difference. I have a mic and software i can use to level match them, so I only have to switch inputs. Maybe will level match using the A6 as baseline and then adjust the A8 (I dunno, digital vs. analog volume??) I’m not sure I will be able to hear it… they both sound really good to me.

Milli volt meter at the outputs of each device would be more accurate.
But we have the measurements of each, both are impeccable so there are probably other things you could be doing that might be more worthwhile.
Keith

 

[REK2575]

I have both units, if i get some time this week I’ll hook them up via balanced inputs on my luxman integrated, play the same file played at the same time on repeat off the internal ssd, and see if i can hear a difference. I have a mic and software i can use to level match them, so I only have to switch inputs. Maybe will level match using the A6 as baseline and then adjust the A8 (I dunno, digital vs. analog volume??) I’m not sure I will be able to hear it… they both sound really good to me.

I'd be curious to hear your observations.

I can't get out of my head the words of one YouTuber who claimed the sound of the A8 was more "analog-esque" than the A6... at which point I stopped watching the review...

 

[jiji]

Why is the default settings for PEQ, FIR gain is set to -5? Actually after implementing PEQ, the gain reduced to 5 db due to that? Are we supposed to compensate by adding 5db in the volume control knob?
What happens if i set the gain of PEQ/FIR to 0db gain? Will i miss anything.
I know about headroom, but still i feel i have enough headroom even in 0 db gain(May be I'm wrong).
But I would say after spending some time with my Rew , I managed to get (FIR+PEQ) to compensate for my room effect and the outcome is awesome..Though it is a single point (MLP) measurements, it does sounds much cleaner bass. Is there anyway to implement multiple MLP measurements in the FIR?

 

[Purité Audio]

It’s to avoid pushing the unit into clipping, you can adjust of course.
Keith

 

[jiji]

It’s to avoid pushing the unit into clipping, you can adjust of course.
Keith

Thanks Keith. How to find if it is clipping any idea? To my ears I cannot find anything weird (its my hearing observation). It could be easily that I might miss some small details due to clipping. Can I measure the output voltage of xlr output or RCA with reference level(using multimeter to check if the voltage is within the specification ?I tried to make a sweep with rew with volume level of 15, I cannot see any clipping in the data.
For MLP, i got an idea like i can sweep for multiple MLP and make an arithmetic mean to use for FIR, which will be still a decent representation of multiple MLP's. Will give try next time.