This unit runs off a standard IEC cable, but the internal switch-mode power supply has a few tweaks to keep any mains noise at bay. This includes a choke filter alongside audio-grade components and it’s nice to see they didn’t forget the smaller details. The Eversolo performed skillfully as a transport using either coaxial or optical connections. It displayed the usual traits I associate with that task being expertly handled – convincing transient snap, precision imaging, impressive dynamic contrast, and a spacious soundstage. Despite the Eversolo being the least expensive component in the chain by a considerable margin, it never felt like a weak link. Switching to USB did make a noteworthy improvement in tonal density and dynamic scale, and I would thus choose that option ten times out of ten. That said, my experience is that the Aquarius DAC almost always performs better via USB than SPDIF, so I can’t say how much of this improvement lies with the Eversolo versus the DAC itself.

Eversolo has made an excellent streamer with well-implemented ESS DAC chips and an excellent pre-amp stage. The design of the streamer, and the layout of the menus are excellent and it really is a very impressive device for the money. AT A GLANCE Clean, crisp, and detailed sound with a slightly forward presentation. It’s not overly analytical but is neutral sounding overallThe sound quality of the Dac is very good, true balanced. Sure there are better Dacs but are there better balanced Dac streamers at the same price? I’ve been getting my ears around a few streamers recently and it’s really interesting to hear the differences between them. There are people who believe “DACs all sound the same” but I can assure you they do not. From the chip used, to implementation, to the analogue stage and power supply all these parts can and certainly do make a difference. The high-definition 6" LCD touch screen perfectly integrated into the aluminum chassis of the DMP-A6 Master Edition allows practical and ergonomic use. The user experience is intended to be as intuitive as possible. Thus, it is possible to access all player options and information through this beautiful interface. High speed SSD support

When listening to Gabrielle Aplin’s Home, for example, her vocals are stunningly detailed and it is a beautiful song. However, this is a song that needs to be portrayed with emotion and I found the DMP-A6 to be a little too clean to sound utterly convincing. Though the vocal harmonies are not lost and it’s easy to hear all the layers in the recording. There is a great sense of air and separation going on, however, the harmonics from the piano are a little muted.

This feeling is enhanced by the Eversolo app which is vastly more capable than the Zidoo branded examples. The reasons for this are twofold. The first is that the app genuinely does do more than before but does it in a way that is more logical and confidence inspiring than was previously the case. Once you have scanned your library, the browsing experience really is good; able to keep anything from similarly priced rivals honest once you’ve let it render and stabilise. The second is that the focus the Eversolo has on being an audio only device means that it has been forced to be more focused. Nothing had been left accessible only via on screen menus or otherwise away from where you expect to find it. A really excellent feature is the ability to cast the front display to your mobile device which makes adjusting menus vastly more simple. If it can be tweaked to be available in landscape (portrait only is a pain when your iPad has a keyboard attached) it would be absolutely perfect. It is worth noting that some of these refinements will make their way to the Zidoo products in due course too. The audio decoding of the DMP-A6 is entrusted to two ESS ES9038 Q2M DAC chips, a high-performance model widely recognized by audiophiles. It also supports high-resolution audio streams up to PCM 32bit 768kHz and DSD512, as well as decoding of MQA files. LCD Touch Screen Decoding is also recognisably related to what has gone before but, at the price that the Eversolo enters the market, it feels impressive. The DMP-A6 uses a pair of ES9038Q2M DACs which means that its fully balanced section is able to run with each channel being able to sum the negative and positive signal which is reasonably unusual at the price. Unbalanced RCA connections are also available and everything is powered by a low noise switching power supply that has been engineered with choke filters for additional noise rejection. the results are spectacular... exceptional detail retrieval an an extremely even presentation... is a streamer that simply gets out of the way of the music being played.

The Bluetooth 5.0 reception of the DMP-A6 uses a Qualcomm QCC5125 chip. This supports the SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD and LDAC high-definition transmission codecs, allowing you to enjoy high-quality sound reproduction via Bluetooth. A balanced pre-amp circuit It has the control and agility to deliver... exactly the right level of intensity...the DMP-A6 would be comfortable fronting a very capable digital-only system if you need it too. The transport functionality is arguably even more impressive. The DMP-A6 is equipped with an integrated memory 4GB DDR + 32GB eMMC to be able to use many applications. Functionally, this unit is better and easier to use and has an excellent informative screen which may be a boon if you are using it in a desk environment where its easier to see all the information.The Bluetooth 5.0 reception of the DMP-A6 uses a Qualcomm QCC5125 chip. This supports the SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD and LDAC high-definition transmission codecs, allowing you to enjoy high-quality sound reproduction via Bluetooth. So where do we start? The DMP-A6 has so many features it’s easy to get lost in them, but when setup you’ll find yourself using probably only a fraction of them. As a transport its pretty tasty, to give some comparison i was running a Naim Uniti Atom for a number of years but replaced it with DMP A6 & Gustard DAC and my system has never sounded so good.

Neither am I done with the comparisons to the Neo Stream. I maintain that iFi has the best affordable MQA decoding in the industry but the DMP-A6 runs it very close which makes it a formidable option for Tidal Connect. There’s a certain irony that, just as MQA’s future is looking uncertain, hardware is hitting the market that manages to overcome some of my earlier reservations about how it sounds but, whatever happens, the DMP-A6 has you usefully covered in this regard.

Darko.Audio contributor John Grandberg might be one of those reviewers. His written coverage of the DMP-A6 will land after my video. Think of mine as a first opinion and his as a second. Perhaps John will like the design of the DMP-A6’s VU meters more than I do. With no headphone output on board, his review will take in the Eversolo’s performance as a streaming DAC (and maybe as a streaming transport) from the perspective of a headphone listener. I will cover the Eversolo as a streaming DAC, with side-by-side comparisons to the FiiO R7 and Bluesound Node X conducted strictly in the loudspeaker domain. The DMP-A6 Master Edition is equipped with a third-generation XMOS 316 USB interface ensuring perfect reception and decoding of the USB audio stream. This supports audio streams up to PCM 32bit 768kHz, DSD up to DSD512 and MQA. For optical ports (Coaxial and Toslink), they support DSD 64 (DoP) and PCM 192 24Bit. Sound(overall)​These impressions were done with the DAC-Z8 connected to the SMSL SP400 headphone amp via XLR. While I’m treating this a DAC first over DAC/amp combo, I will mention the amp section later on.This is what the DAC-Z8 sounds like with the current headphone/IEM inventory I have on hand. Things like headphone pairings or different headphone amps will produce different results and impressions versus what my ears hear on my specific gear. The Eversolo DMP-A6 has just landed in Berlin so let’s dig into some specifics: it’s an audio streamer from Zidoo – hitherto makers of video streamers – that uses a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB read-only memory to handle digital audio streams arriving via Bluetooth or over Ethernet or Wifi via Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, DLNA, Roon Ready, or via on-device apps (more on those in a moment). Characteristics: Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz (±0. 2dB), Dynamic range: > 124dB, SNR: >124dB, THD+N: <0.00011%(-119dB)@A-WT, Crosstalk: >-124dB