EverSolo Z8 DAC & Amp Review

[Gambertuni]

Hi everyone,

For someone who just wants to play apple music from her/his iphone using apple play 2, would you say that it's a good idea to buy this dac and a wiim mini using optical output? I'm asking this because the price of the eversolo streamer is around 250 € more expensive and the dac is not as good as this one - is my understanding correct? would the combo Wiim-mini + eversolo dac have a similar performance?

Apologies in advance if someone has already asked the following question (I may have overseen it)

 

[Nutul]

Hi everyone,

For someone who just wants to play apple music from her/his iphone using apple play 2, would you say that it's a good idea to buy this dac and a wiim mini using optical output? I'm asking this because the price of the eversolo streamer is around 250 € more expensive and the dac is not as good as this one - is my understanding correct? would the combo Wiim-mini + eversolo dac have a similar performance?

Apologies in advance if someone has already asked the following question (I may have overseen it)

I would say "a better performance". Ideally I would prefer to enter the Z8 via USB, but since you'll be using Apple AirPlay 2, it doesn't really make a difference; anyway, be prepared to hear perfectly reproduced lossy AAC...

 

[Gambertuni]

I would say "a better performance". Ideally I would prefer to enter the Z8

Thank you for your response

 

[renpar61]

Hi everyone,

For someone who just wants to play apple music from her/his iphone using apple play 2, would you say that it's a good idea to buy this dac and a wiim mini using optical output? I'm asking this because the price of the eversolo streamer is around 250 € more expensive and the dac is not as good as this one - is my understanding correct? would the combo Wiim-mini + eversolo dac have a similar performance?

Apologies in advance if someone has already asked the following question (I may have overseen it)

I have more or less the same situation. I have a Wiim Pro connected to the Z8 via digital coax, the DAC is in fact very good and I think this is the best option to get the most from it.
I have both Apple Music and Qobuz. Using Qobuz most of the times because I get the max 24/192 streaming via Wiim App, while AirPlay is limited to 44kHz, and the Wiim does not offer Apple Music integration.
There's another option with Wiim Pro (not sure if the Mini has the same): Chromecast via the Wiim App. I don't use it with Qobuz as Qobuz limits Chromecast to 24/96. There's a way to use it with Apple Music via an additional app thet adds Chromecast capabilities. I don't know if there's any sample rate limitation going this way.

 

[Gambertuni]

I have more or less the same situation. I have a Wiim Pro connected to the Z8 via digital coax, the DAC is in fact very good and I think this is the best option to get the most from it.
I have both Apple Music and Qobuz. Using Qobuz most of the times because I get the max 24/192 streaming via Wiim App, while AirPlay is limited to 44kHz, and the Wiim does not offer Apple Music integration.
There's another option with Wiim Pro (not sure if the Mini has the same): Chromecast via the Wiim App. I don't use it with Qobuz as Qobuz limits Chromecast to 24/96. There's a way to use it with Apple Music via an additional app thet adds Chromecast capabilities. I don't know if there's any sample rate limitation going this way.

Hey thanks a lot, this is really helpful! If I may ask, do you use the Wiim Pro instead of Mini because you'd rather use coax to connect it to your dac? Is coax somehow better than optical for such connection?

 

[renpar61]

Hey thanks a lot, this is really helpful! If I may ask, do you use the Wiim Pro instead of Mini because you'd rather use coax to connect it to your dac? Is coax somehow better than optical for such connection?

Correct. Coaxial connection can support higher quality audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. Optical is usually restricted to 96kHz. At least that's what I read. I've never been a big fan of optical.

 

[Gambertuni]

Correct. Coaxial connection can support higher quality audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. Optical is usually restricted to 96kHz. At least that's what I read. I've never been a big fan of optical.

I didn't know that, thanks! However, according to the wiim home page delivering 24/192 through optical shouldn't be an issue (see attached image) If this is in fact the case is may be a different matter...

 

[Agoue]

Bonjour. Comment brancher mon caisson de basses (SVS ou REL) ?
Je souhaite adjoindre un caisson de basses à mon système. Le fabriquant de mon ampli SPEC de classe D me dit que je ne peux pas utiliser les sorties HP pour alimenter en haut niveau mon caisson (Je n'ai pas bien compris pourquoi), alors je me demande comment faire :

J'utilise la sortie numérique du DMP A6 (donc sans passé par le DAC intégré) pour entrer dans le DAC Z8, et la sortie du Z8 alimente mon ampli en RCA.
Je pensais utiliser la sortie analogique du A6 pour alimenter le caisson de basses, mais on ne peut pas avoir les 2 sorties alimentées simultanément. De plus il faudrait que le contrôle de niveau agisse et sur les enceintes et sur le caisson de basses.

Avez vous une idée ? y a t-il des sorties qui sont alimentées simultanément que je pourrait utiliser, une vers l'ampli l'autre vers le caisson ? ?

Merci pour votre retour
André

 

[AdamG]

Bonjour. Comment brancher mon caisson de basses (SVS ou REL) ?
Je souhaite adjoindre un caisson de basses à mon système. Le fabriquant de mon ampli SPEC de classe D me dit que je ne peux pas utiliser les sorties HP pour alimenter en haut niveau mon caisson (Je n'ai pas bien compris pourquoi), alors je me demande comment faire :

J'utilise la sortie numérique du DMP A6 (donc sans passé par le DAC intégré) pour entrer dans le DAC Z8, et la sortie du Z8 alimente mon ampli en RCA.
Je pensais utiliser la sortie analogique du A6 pour alimenter le caisson de basses, mais on ne peut pas avoir les 2 sorties alimentées simultanément. De plus il faudrait que le contrôle de niveau agisse et sur les enceintes et sur le caisson de basses.

Avez vous une idée ? y a t-il des sorties qui sont alimentées simultanément que je pourrait utiliser, une vers l'ampli l'autre vers le caisson ? ?

Merci pour votre retour
André

Translation by Moderator. Please use English going forward. Thank you.

“Good morning. How do I connect my subwoofer (SVS or REL)? I would like to add a subwoofer to my system. The manufacturer of my SPEC class D amp tells me that I cannot use the HP outputs to power my subwoofer at high level (I don't really understand why), so I wonder how to do it: I use the digital output of the DMP A6 (so without going through the integrated DAC) to enter the Z8 DAC, and the output of the Z8 supplies my amp with RCA. I was thinking of using the analog output of the A6 to power the subwoofer, but you cannot have both outputs powered simultaneously. In addition, the level control would have to act on both the speakers and the subwoofer. Do you have an idea ? Are there outputs that are powered simultaneously that I could use, one to the amp and the other to the subwoofer? ? Thanks for your feedback Andrew”

 

[Purité Audio]

La plus simple est, the easiest is to use the combined RCA and XLR analogue outputs, main speakers to XLR sub woofer to RCAs.
Keith

 

[delfin150]

As it is my first post here, I want to say hello to everyone and ask about the “feature” of the z8, so amp :>. Do you think z8 is able to drive audeze lcd2c? I’ve heard that the amp inside is pretty average in terms of driving high impedance headphones. Lcd2c has 70ohms and theoretically is easy to drive, but performs better with a little bit more power and wonder if the z8 amp is going to be enough, or it will be a miss without an external amp.

 

[sbronf]

Hi, are there any sound quality differences between usb c and usb B input?
thank you

 

[Nutul]

Hi, are there any sound quality differences between usb c and usb B input?
thank you

You are joking, right?!?!?

 

[Veri]

Hi, are there any sound quality differences between usb c and usb B input?
thank you

It's just a digital (USB) input.


.....no, no difference in sound.

 

[Kirk1]

Can I get an answer from another owner?

I'm using the Z8 as a preamp into mono block power amps. Do you get a "buzz" when switching between inputs? Not sure if this is a fault.

Seems worse when using a sub connected via RCA and power amp via XLR (XLR to RCA cable). But that could just be the increased output via XLR.

It's not a huge issue but if it's a fault I'd like to rectify it

Thanks in advance.

 

[Brian Hall]

Can I get an answer from another owner?

I'm using the Z8 as a preamp into mono block power amps. Do you get a "buzz" when switching between inputs? Not sure if this is a fault.

Seems worse when using a sub connected via RCA and power amp via XLR (XLR to RCA cable). But that could just be the increased output via XLR.

It's not a huge issue but if it's a fault I'd like to rectify it

Thanks in advance.

No difference here.

 

[mlilliman]

Hi all, anyone know if they’ve added PEQ with a firmware update?

 

[Nutul]

Hi all, anyone know if they’ve added PEQ with a firmware update?

No PEQ (or any kind of EQ, TBH) as that would need to be implemented in the software domain, and there is not much computational power in the Z8 (info gotten from a Zidoo internal, on Eversolo "official" forum).
So, no. No PEQ.

 

[0rangutan]

Hi all, anyone know if they've added PEQ with a firmware update?

No, just a handful of extra VU meters

 

[mlilliman]

No PEQ (or any kind of EQ, TBH) as that would need to be implemented in the software domain, and there is not much computational power in the Z8 (info gotten from a Zidoo internal, on Eversolo "official" forum).
So, no. No PEQ.

Ah ok, thanks for the quick response.