EverSolo Z8 DAC & Amp Review

[Veri]

Please translate back to English so that we can understand what you say..

Hello Amirm, congratulations on your essays and your generosity!
I would like to know if an audio device, in particular this Z8 that I just bought, is really sensitive to increases in operating temperature, rather than using it cold, and my second question is a bit similar it concerns burn in, should a device be run-in for several hours before delivering all its qualities? Were you able to measure the differences, cold or hot running-in or not? Thank you in advance for your reply (From France)

 

[Agoue]

@amirm
Hello Amirm, congratulations on your tests and your generosity!

I would like to know if an audio device, in particular this Z8 that I just bought, is really sensitive to the fact of rising in operating temperature, rather than using it cold and my second question is a little similar, it concerns running-in, does a device have to be run-in for several hours before it delivers all its qualities? Were you able to measure the differences, cold or hot running in or not? Thank you in advance for your return (From France)

 

[Agoue]

hello to all, I have just bought and put into service my eversolo z8, replacing my 3dlab. I am unpleasantly surprised by the restitution, which I find very brilliant and tiring with magnifying effects on the details of the voices and the piano notes for example. I tried the different filters but this very clear shiny and lean sound remains. do you have a different experience?

 

[0rangutan]

hello to all, I have just bought and put into service my eversolo z8, replacing my 3dlab. I am unpleasantly surprised by the restitution, which I find very brilliant and tiring with magnifying effects on the details of the voices and the piano notes for example. I tried the different filters but this very clear shiny and lean sound remains. do you have a different experience?

I suspect that one person's shiny and tiring is another's clean and detailed.
I find the DAC to be (as it should be) transparent and uncoloured. Filters shouldn't change this much at all.
Instead, perhaps look at EQ at source? Or "softer" speakers?

 

[Jimster480]

Wow this is really nice and it looks good too. The price and performance is better than Topping and SMSL's "best" even if technically there are a few DAC's ahead of it because we are splitting hairs at this point in terms of SINAD performance.

 

[Tovarich007]

Wow this is really nice and it looks good too. The price and performance is better than Topping and SMSL's "best" even if technically there are a few DAC's ahead of it because we are splitting hairs at this point in terms of SINAD performance.

Frankly, at such a level of measured performance, write "better" or " technically ahead" means nothing.
Built quality, componentry and measurements seem to be approximately on the same level for all these devices.
It's splitting hair, as you write.

All is a question of taste in the end. I mean : taste in esthetics, because for the hearing I don't think there can be audible differences, or so tiny ones....

Ah yes, there is another much more important but rarely talked about issue : the question of reliability. Maybe some brands or models are more reliable than others.
Difficult for us to judge this at present, anyway, on so many new and just released models.
I wish that ASR could do more in-depth reviews on internal built quality and risks of unreliability (there maybe some internal details that only a very seasoned technician is aware of in this domain, and I'm not one).

That's MUCH MORE important for me that 1, 2, 3 4 or 5 extra points in measured Sinad

 

[0rangutan]

Ah yes, there is another much more important but rarely talked about issue : the question of reliability. Maybe some brands or models are more reliable than others.
Difficult for us to judge this at present, anyway, on so many new and just released models.
I wish that ASR could do more in-depth reviews on internal built quality and risks of unreliability (there maybe some internal details that only a very seasoned technician is aware of in this domain, and I'm not one).

That's MUCH MORE important for me that 1, 2, 3 4 or 5 extra points in measured Sinad

Oh, have you owned a Topping product too?

 

[IAtaman]

I wish that ASR could do more in-depth reviews on internal built quality and risks of unreliability (there maybe some internal details that only a very seasoned technician is aware of in this domain, and I'm not one).

I think read/heard Amir talk about reliability issues for a few products in the past. For one of the class D amps, dont recall which one, he was complaining how close they put the filter caps to the heat sinks, causing potential points of early failure. Honestly, with 120db+ levels becoming a norm, I think that is not a bad idea, another aspect of engineering perfection if you will. Not sure if it is ASR's style.

 

[Tovarich007]

Oh, have you owned a Topping product too?

I own one DX7s. very good and powerful (if necessary) sound on headphones, good sound (at a lesser degree) on line outputs, I am satisfied by the value for money, but I don't like much the ergonomy and there is an annoying plop at extinction (no "off temporization" implemented, Topping should fix this !).

But otherwise, I have encountered no reliability problem, this model is good, all in all, but I know that some other owners have been less lucky. How many ? I don't know, happy people don't talk nor complain, only the unhappy ones.

The question is, which is the ratio of problems encountered ? I don't know it and I don't particularly focus on Topping or SMLS or other chinese brands. Some high priced high end brands are not particularly reliable too, and that's even more shocking.

If, for Topping for instance, reliability or bugs problems rise only at 2, 3 or even 5 % of all the products sold, it's would be an acceptable ratio, because zero flaw doesn't exist in industry.

But if the unreliability and bugs ratio rise to 8, 10 % or more, it's definitely unacceptable ! And moreover, Topping and other makers don't seem to be much concerned about the complaints from their consumers. The absence of an efficient "off temporazation to avod "plops" is well documented now, and i don't think this problem has been solved.

Once again, I do regret deeply that ASR doesn't focus more on built qualty, ergonomy and reliability questions.
I don't give a damn on the absolute level of SINAD or SNR or harmonic distorsion and all the ridiculous competition for extreme good measured performance between the chinese (and other than chinese) brands.

Beyond a certain threshold of performance, these criterias have absolutely no importance for listening (I am speaking for electronics only, mainly Dacs, Speakers and headphones are a whole different story), Of course, Amir is right to blow out the audiophle and subjectivist bullshits and show that very good measured performance can be achieved by relatively modestly priced products. ASR is a very useful site and tool for this.

But compatibilty of impedances, lack of convenient ergonomics, risks of unreliability, lack of temporization system, etc. are way more important for daily use.

Please Amir, enlarge your investigations when you test a product ! Test less products but more indepth.

 

[poxymoron]

Hi folks.
Taken from the Eversolo specs on their website, can anybody explain what the italics below mean:

Low Gain:
Output Level(Vrms)：1.2Vrms@0dBFS
Max Power：： 45 mW@32Ω

High Gain:
Output Level(Vrms)：2.8Vrms@0dBFS
Max Power： 26 mW@300Ω

Is it me or are Eversolo presenting their headphone specs differently to other amp manufacturers? Cards on the table, I cannot get my head around how one determines what amp can drive what IEMs/headphones.
Thanks for your time.

Edit:
Okay, I've done a bit more research and I think I can make sense of the spec above.

 

[rozel]

I'm definitely no expert but it's worth mentioning that the z8 has two gain levels in its settings - i think the z6 does too

 

[JSmith]

A beautiful and responsive 3 inch LCD display can provide different levels of information including three types of VU meters!

Since you posted this review... I've been considering buying this DAC simply for the VU meters! ... has been in my cart for the last two weeks, not that I need anymore DAC's.

This seems like a great DAC, simply superb test results, thanks and good to see Zidoo appreciating ASR.

There is also a Z6 model;

Eversolo ，DAC-Z6 High Resolution DAC ，Hi-Fi DAC，DAC-Z6

Eversolo ，DAC-Z6 High Resolution DAC ，Hi-Fi DAC，DAC-Z6

www.zidoo.tv

... which also has the VU mode, if that interests other members;

3-inch LCD screen, with diverse VU meter modes.

DAC Audio - ES 9068*2
XLR Audio Output
Output Level(Vrms)：4.1Vrms@0dBFS
THD+N@A-wt：0.000094%@1kHz（-120dB@1kHz）
THD+N@No-wt：0.000117%@1kHz（-118dB@1kHz）
Noise@No-wt ：<3uVrms
SNR)@No-wt：125@1kHz
frequency response：20Hz-20kHz(±0.15dB)
CROSSTALK：-123dB@1kHz
DNR)@No-wt：125dB@1kHz

JSmith

 

[IAtaman]

Since you posted this review... I've been considering buying this DAC simply for the VU meters!

Oh great, I was thinking I am the only one! There is something about VU meters.. Not sure what it is but it always gets to me. Does this mean I am also a Ninja?

 

[Observer]

Thx, Amir !

Some top performer product, yet with a terrible, terrible name.

Review and Measurements of Hifime UDA38Pro DAC

This is a review and detailed measurements of Hifime UDA38Pro DAC which is built on the flagship ESS DAC chip, the ES9038Pro. I purchased this a few weeks ago based on suggestions from members that this is by far the cheapest implementation of ES9038Pro. I paid USD $260 including shipping from...

www.audiosciencereview.com

EverSolo is maybe not the best name, but it sounds better than Zidoo or RME ADI-2 DAC FS.
(name "sound", not the unit sound quality)

I notice that you are no more "anti BS crusader", interesting.

 

[VintageFlanker]

I notice that you are no more "anti BS crusader", interesting.

...Moved to a signature to a some review's index. What of it?

EverSolo is maybe not the best name, but it sounds better than Zidoo

The full name is Zidoo Eversolo DAC-Z8.
It just sounds terrible to me.

RME ADI-2 DAC FS is sure both not marketing-friendly and over-complicated, but it sounds acceptable to my ears (The name, of course, not the actual SQ ).

 

[Observer]

...Moved to a signature to a some review's index. What of it?


The full name is Zidoo Eversolo DAC-Z8.
It just sounds terrible to me.

RME ADI-2 DAC FS is sure both not marketing-friendly and over-complicated, but it sounds acceptable to my ears (The name, of course, not the actual SQ ).

Ok, full name is rare in use for EverSolo but I got the point.

Regarding "anti BS" signature,
I remember it because in discusion then, you find/post THD measurement for amp that I use but measured at higher power then is rated. (egg. manufacturer max power 100W/8ohm measured at >110 w/8ohm). I guess it is used just to make amp looks worse, kind of twisted science

 

[VintageFlanker]

I remember it because in discusion then, you find/post THD measurement for amp that I use but measured at higher power then is rated. (egg. manufacturer max power 100W/8ohm measured at >110 w/8ohm). I guess it is used just to make amp looks worse, kind of twisted science

Don't have a clue what you're talking about...
Yet, it would be very unlikely that I posted measurements to show a specific THD number... at 110W/8Ohms, since in that case, it would probably has been "continuous power", so 1% THD+N anyway. There's no "twisted science", here. You probably have misinterpreted my post.

 

[Observer]

Don't have a clue what you're talking about...
Yet, it would be very unlikely that I posted measurements to show a specific THD number... at 110W/8Ohms, since in that case, it would probably has been "continuous power", so 1% THD+N anyway. There's no "twisted science", here. You probably have misinterpreted my post.

It was long ago, maybe it wasn't intentional.
Amp was Italian, magazine was French so it looks they just don't like their stuff

 

[amirm]

Please Amir, enlarge your investigations when you test a product ! Test less products but more indepth.

That is just not in the cards. There is so little objective data out there for audio gear. Testing more equipment is far more important than testing one thing to death. I also have massive backlog of gear. There are boxes everywhere right now! No matter how fast I test, more is coming. Indeed, the more I test, the more comes!

 

[Observer]

There are boxes everywhere right now! No matter how fast I test, more is coming. Indeed, the more I test, the more comes!

Then is maybe wiser to test less.