How many bands? 5? Does it include the Q value?

10 band PEQ with adj fq points and Q value adj.

Thanks for replying here and apologies that I didn't see the original comment!

What is needed to upgrade firmware?

My pleasure. I'm so glad you found my review useful. Thanks for letting me know!

Does your audio file friend offer downloads?

Thanks so much for the feedback! I've scheduled a convolution (and EQ) filter for January and begun researching it. 🙂

Thanks for letting me know. I'll schedule something in for January.

@@PassionforSoundThanks. Great insight on the DSP and also your comparison with the Geshelli gear.

My pleasure!

I'm glad you liked the review.

My pleasure! I'm glad you like it. 🙂

Correct! 🙂🙂

Look inside of them. IF you notice they have similar but Different PS modules then it is too quick to say they sound exactly the same without quantitative SNR, distortion etc. measurements to confirm that. For me, I am buying them to test them as streamer of my 10TB local music lib comparing to using JRiver (which can do professional DSP functions with support of any VST plug-in like emulating tube tones, so far found no streamer on the market can do so) on PC with multiple layers of reclocking, galvanic isolation to external DAC.

I'd gladly be proven wrong of course! That would mean it is worthwile to upgrade. Let the comparing and testing begin 😂

That's what I'm wondering . I have a schitt bifrost 2 and I like the way r2r dacs sound so not worried about the internal dac of the a8 unless it's better than what i have

I'd take the Bifrost 2/64 over the DMP-A8 DAC stage.

Here you go: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i7-nd7eV073XZ2w.htmlsi=zXidE1oG0zfPZuNa

My pleasure! I'm glad you liked the review.

It doesn't cover all of the DSP settings, but try this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i7-nd7eV073XZ2w.htmlsi=um53UGsVAG7nUZX9

My pleasure. I'm glad you liked it!

Glad you liked it! I've scheduled a convolution filter/FIR video for January. 🙂

That's great to hear from someone who finds the loudness feature useful. I figured there would be certain situations where it is valuable so now I know. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing the suggestion

Glad I covered everything needed, Ace! I'm a hug fan of the A8 and it's the centre of my office setup now, but I also agree with the appeal of separates.

Maybe something like an Anthem MRX 1140 might be a better fit for you? An AIO solution with all the things. Effective tuning that's easy for most general home users to get use from. Or are you using studio gear?

@@StephenMcGregor1986 I was thinking the same thing. I own a Anthen MRX 540 (intended pairing) and think I already have state of the art room correction etc with ARC so the main feature being DSP with the DMP-A8 is kinda useless for me. The more I dig into this unit it is becoming apparent this is "probably" a decent preamp but as a superior streamer/dac its just above entry level which is not what I need for this price. To hear Passion for sound state the Gresseli JNOG with the latest AKM and op amp upgrade has a better sounding dac gave me pause. Another reveiwer states the latest sub $600 Gustard varient sounds better too. This DMP A8 release is turning into real Sh*t show marketing gone off the rails. A6 owners are pissed,the reviewers are calling each other out, 2 reviewers say its the best thing they ever heard under 3K ,2 reviewers say its only true value is as an all in one box and the Sound Quality is meh and you can do better for less $$$. and now this thread. This is not what I was expecting. I am going cancel my pre order I'm not convinced the DMP A8 is what I was hoping for sadly.

I wouldn't go so far as saying the sound quality is meh. I think it sounds wonderful. I just think people need to have fair and reasonable expectations. I also agree that a dedicated subwoofer output would have made sense and to then tie the HPF/LPF to specific outputs which I don't think I saw an option for (but I didn't dive super deep on that)

Depending on what you need, it can be a nice upgrade. If you're only looking for better sound quality, an external DAC can get you even better gains if you don't mind an extra device in your stack.

Sure thing. I'll check out the OCA video too in case I can learn a bit more about it (I suspect I can)

It's on the way. Stay tuned towards the end of January 🙂

Yes, a guide for how to compensate for room modes would be great. If there also is a comparison with dirac, then it would be fantastic!

I can't promise a Dirac comparison, but a basic tutorial on creating FIRs for the DMP-A8 (or Roon) I can do. I've scheduled it for January.

@@PassionforSound oh can’t wait 🤗

Glad you liked it! I've put a convolution filter video in the January schedule 🙂

I've got a video coming about how to setup a FIR filter or EQ, but I'll probably stop there on this one. Too many product reviews to get through!

Yep. The A6 is brilliant already for your setup.

How do you rate it as DAC vs the Wandla?

@@trun1979 I don't yet have an answer. I bought the A6 and the A8 to compare the two against each other, as well as to compare their DACs against the Qutest and the Wandla. A/Bing is clumsy, clunky affair. I can tell you that the streamer sounds great. Running it, in pass-through mode, it's really impressive. Both the Qutest and the Wandla were as clear and detailed as I've ever heard them, with fresh artifacts popping out from songs I'd heard for decades. My intent was simply to use one of these devices as a streamer and keep my Qutest and Wandla as external DACs. Considering the Qutest to cost 3X the A6 and the Wandla to cost a thousand more than the A8, all I wanted was the best streamer I could get for less than the price of the HiFi Rose. I also couldn't resist that 6 inch display. The A8 is reputed to have a better DAC because of its AKM chips, though it doesn't hurt that it also comes packed with dual Femto clocks and a hybrid PSU. I started listening to it first and it's incredible. Going back to the A6 (to listen to its DAC) just happened. I'm barely into it even as we speak. All I can say, a few tracks in, is that I'm surprised and dazzled. I don't yet hear anything disappointing. I'm not yet hearing the step down I should be hearing from the lesser sibling in EverSolo's pair of integrated streamer/DAC/amplifier combos.

I have the A23+ and shopping a P6 but lately the used market for any P series Parasound has gone bonkers pricey. I’m using a Sonos second gen connect into a Smsl SU-9 into the A23+ fantastic matching. Always wondered if the P6 would be an improvement🤔

Yes, the DMP-A8 is a very capable, single box solution that also sounds brilliant.

I'm so glad that you liked it!

I would be surprised if we see a Master Edition of the A8 because I have a feeling they've adopted the same components in the A8 as were used in the A6 Master. That said, unless you need the DSP, the jump in price doesn't equate to the jump in performance IMO.

​@@PassionforSound That's what I call an honest unbiased opinion - thanks

Best answer of the year!!!@@PassionforSound

I've opened a big can of worms for myself to sift through and research on this one. Buckle up! 😂

Sorry for being impatient. Quick peek looks like plug miniDSP UMIK-1 into REW. Select it as input source. Upload mic calibration file. Position mic at left ear position and run a measurement with long 20 / 20K sweep. Save output file as Left.wav then repeat for right. Then import those files in the A-8 FIR menu? I guess this will give the A-8 the basis to create a filter that's "opposite" of the measurement to theoretically reach a flat response? Thanks for entertaining all of our eager replies.@@PassionforSound

That's the basics of it, yes. The problem I've found with that though is that it's killing the imaging on my Harbeths. Any frequency response adjustment also risks producing timing/phase issues too and I think thats the problem, but I have to do more testing to get it right and be sure of what's going wrong.

Great. Thanks.@@PassionforSound

I agree. They have clearly put together an excellent design team.

The DMP-A6 offers much of the same functionality, including the VU meters, touch screen, etc.

Can you remove the op amps, or are they soldered to the board?

That would be great if they're able to find an op-amp setup to get the most from the DAC stage. As for swapping op-amps, I haven't opened it to have a look, but I believe they're a surface mount op-amp that's used so no easy swapping.

Done. It's scheduled for January. 🙂

I think you're not alone in that wish. Let's see if EverSolo have anything else up their sleeve... (That's not a hint - I have no idea)

Done. Scheduled in January 🙂

I think it's a really good balance. For those just wanting a nice streamer box for an external DAC, the A6 is perfect. For those wanting a super powerful all-in-one, the A8 is amazing!

The Umik 1 explanation will come up in my convolution filter video, but you need a separate computer for that part (i.e. you don't connect it to the DMP-A8) As for the active sub, yes, both the XLR and RCA can operate at the same time so you can definitely do that.

For using REW, you need to connect the mic to the PC and the PC to the DMP-A8.

I wasn't aware of that. Thank you for sharing!

See if you can get your hands on a Zidoo Neo Alpha and I think you'll be blown away. Not only does it have the top-line Sabre 9038 Pro DAC, but it has balanced analog preamp outputs to run directly into an amp, multiple power supplies to handle all the separate components, every quality Bluetooth codec imaginable, split HDMI to optimize audio and video, and some of the best Japanese circuitry with high-end Elna capacitors and such. Oh yeah, and it plays nearly every VIDEO file under the sun. If I didn't already have an Oppo 205 that repeats many of these functions...I would probably get it in a heartbeat.

Thanks for letting me know!

That's what I love about it too!

I'm glad you feel that way. I'll see what I can arrange with Volumio. 🙂

I agree that an IIS input would have been nice.

​@@PassionforSound why ?

Because it's a nice connection to have.

It has IIS? What's the difference?@@PassionforSound

I'm not sure what you mean about "what's the difference?" but IIS uses an HDMI connection to carry the digital data using the protocol that's used on the inside of DACs. In my experience, it often produces a slightly better sound than other connection types - perhaps due to better noise rejection, the fact that it carries timing data, and/or some other factors I'm unaware of.

LoL. Hopefully EverSolo won't be one of "those" brands. So far they appear to be even-handed in their product development (no new DACs since the Z6 and Z8)

It's on the way. Scheduled for January.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

There was no imagining going on and the test with the J2S tells us all we need to know which is that using an external DAC renders each of these equivalent as streamers only and, therefore, the A6 with a top notch DAC is better than the A8 without an external DAC (unless you need DSP / preamp functionality). If you want a single box solution that sounds great and has lots of functionality, the A8 is pretty hard to go past.

I've scheduled it in for January. Stay tuned 🙂

@@PassionforSound Great news, thanks!

I'd recommend staying with what you have. As the DMP-A6 + Geshelli J2S comparison showed (although I didn't explicitly call it out), the streaming stage via digital output offers no significant benefit of you're using an external DAC.

Im debating between the a8 vs a6+denafrips combo. Are you using the preamp from the a6 with your setup or do you use an external preamp and power amp or integrated amp?

I use either an integrated (Enleum AMP-23R) or pre-amp (Burson Soloist Voyager) and Monoblocks (Burson Timekeeper GT) so I don't use the preamp out from the A6. That said, it's a lossless control at the digital side of things so it's a perfectly good option for a variable output.

The DAC is just one part of 3 or 4 major functions of this device. Judging it for the DAC quality without considering all it does is unreasonable. After all, the J2S can't do volume control, streaming, Bluetooth, or DSP. Both have different purposes.

​@@PassionforSound To me it's reasonable because it's one part in the chain, so in this case, I will prefer to buy a seperated DAC, Streamer and Headphones AMP if my number 1 priority is the sound quality. Enjoy

That's always a good choice. Separates will almost always provide better sound quality for the same total cost - they're just less convenient (but worth it IMO).

I'm so sorry to read this. It sounds like you got a dud. I'd be seeking a replacement unit because I've not heard a single other report of issues with the A8 and mine hasn't skipped a beat.

@@PassionforSound I have an update - long story - part user error. Still want to confirm this with EverSolo. So here is what happenned - when I unboxerd it I hooked it up to my Klipsch Fives in my offce first through RCA. It was handy. I set it up so I could run XLR out to my listenning area, and when in my office use the RCA. The office has several sources, all prettu much bluetooth. Not looking for critical listenning, just less apps to use ;-) Fast forward a week, I'm very happy enjoying the emotion it brings out in my Cornwall IVs. In between I ordered a Tos-Link optical cable to replace the RCA feed in the office from the EverSolo to the Fives. This was for internal streaming and when I wanted to shoot my desktop over to it. So, I replaced the RCA cables with optical, and did some streaming - sounds great! Never ever thought I setup a blue-tooth black-hole of sorts. When I see the DMP-A8 as a bluetooth audio device on my windows machine, I figure - OK, lets connect. I do, and no audio.... That lead me down a rat-hole - because, it was a live BT end point, it connected, what's up ? Streaming worked over the optical. So what gives. That is when I did my reboot, reset thing - no change. Rebooted windows, tried an iPhone, no change. The next morning, I was back in settings just looking around. Of course I had already scoured the internet - and their user manual - nothing connected I'm in the APP and I notice when I click input to bluetooth, my optical-out goes grey ??? Yeah - that was it, apparently bluetooth-in does not conduct through to optical or coax. Any SPDIF. Never saw that coming. And the kicker is that the bluetooth end point is still up, and accepts connections, like it is there and ready. So - more to come It worked before,

The bluetooth-in, not being able to route through optical-out, is apparenty a feaure, not a bug. They just confirmed. Engineering said there is no digital out path fopr digital inputs ?... I said, what about your internal streamer/dac? That goes out digital. He said no, engineering told him only analog lliek RCA/XLR, USB, and IIS At that point (if you see the contradiction) I stopped Seems weird

That's a surprise that BT can't go out via optical. I knew that the general digital inputs didn't, but I wasn't sure of why. They probably do have a good reason for not going digital to digital (except for network streamed content), but these subtleties do get lost in translation often.

I'm glad it was helpful for you!

@@PassionforSound, j’ai une question : y a t il une fonction Balance sur cet appareil ? J’ai une paire de Martin Logan ancienne et un panneau sonne moins fort que l’autre Je pourrais éventuellement rattraper cela avec une Balance Encore Merci pour votre très bon travail

It's the Hugo TT2 that I use, not the Hugo (although the Hugo and Qutest are excellent). 🙂

I've scheduled one for January 🙂

Thank you VV!

My pleasure. The upgrade is noticeable, but not huge IMO.

theres chance you can hear that way, 3 point difference will guarantee huge improvement, although experienced ears im sure find 1 difference tobe huge

Yep. No discernible difference so I focussed on other comparisons for the sake of time.

@@PassionforSound thanks!

I don't plan to test the power supply for the A6 because I've got too much other gear to get to, but it would likely be a nice addition

That's an interesting question and one I can't answer. What I can say is that the 4499EX chip used in the A8 has been preferable to me over any other chip-based DAC I've tried so far. In other words, if those are built around other chips, the A8 is likely better.

I don't do a lot of speaker listening and have higher quality preamps already so I haven't properly tested the preamp on this. I do believe he is correct though. The only integrated amps I can suggest from experience are the Enleum AMP-23R and Linear Tube Audio MZ3, but both are a bit unique and won't suit everyone. Alternatively, a few of the headphone amps I've reviewed are also very good preamps (Burson Soloist GT or Voyager, etc.) but I'm not sure if you also need a headphone amp.

Shit in = shit out

Yes, there's a limit to what these devices can do, but I'm unclear on what you're suggesting is missing here. Having a PC setup doesn't improve the viewing experience of online video content because the quality is restricted by the platform's compressions, etc.

I'm afraid it's unlikely I'll be getting a Master Edition in. As a pure streamer, I doubt there'll be any difference. If you're using the DAC though, the 4499EX chips in the A8 are a clear step up from any other current 'off-the-shelf' DAC chip I've heard

I think Soundnews and Steve Huff (who said it sounds better than the A6) were testing the A8 with much better amps than what are being used here. Steve was very clear in stating if your system is not highly resolving don’t chase the A8 the A6 will serve you just fine. I believe that’s the case here the test support equipment being used are meh at best in my opinion. Not defending the A8 but system matching is very important in any evaluation.

This video did mention system synchronicity@@balooo2863

I tend to err towards understating differences because I feel like there's too much hyperbole in our hobby. I also stand by what I said in this video that the differences are noticeable and significant, but not dramatic. Anyone expecting a huge leap in their system by going from the A6 to the A8 could be disappointed. If they're expecting an incremental improvement, they'll more likely be satisfied. As for the quality of gear used, the Burson Timekeeper GTs, Enleum AMP-23R, Burson Soloist 3X GT and Cen.Grand Silver Fox driving Focal Utopias, Meze Elites and ZMF Calderas should all be suitably resolving I'd say.

I'm waiting on the one without a Preamp, speaker connections, screen, DAC or Volume Control. Suspect it will be the DMP-2A.

@@ChatGPT1111 lol I think they call that the WiiM.

Great! It's already recorded and it's coming soon.

Was just about to check on this. Eager to see it. Ready to dial in my room. Thanks in advance.

I'm not familiar with all the options available. I have a Pioneer USB CD/DVD/Blu-ray (I think?) drive

As far as I know, they didn't include it. I'd actually forgotten the A6 had HDMI too. I don't use multi channel so haven't explored this properly, but I think you have it right.

Absolutely! You can choose if both outputs are used at the same time.

Sorry, I could have been clearer about that. I was referring to phono input because there aren't a lot of other devices people need preamplification for these days. I was thinking of those using a turntable with inbuilt preamp just looking to integrate it into a larger system.

It's been recorded! 🙂 Editing when I get back from holidays and releasing in January.

It would be hard to have DSP for analogue input. You would need to convert the analogue to digital apply the eq then reconverted it to analogue

I was surprised to not see a balance control in the DSP. I can't recall if there's balance control buried somewhere else, but agree that it would have been nice to include.

There is now a beta/alpha firmware for the A6 (1.2.36) supporting the full EQ and PEQ from the A8

@@PassionforSoundInformation I have seen in forums says the next firmware update will likely include balance control. Maybe this will be over the next several months.

Oh wow! That's cool

The A8 has the better DAC so it will outperform the A6 if you're using the XLR outputs. That would be my recommendation.

Thanks you.@@PassionforSound

I found the T2 more analogue/smooth sounding when i demeod bs the a6 (which i found to have a more brittle/digital presentation).

It might have a VERY slight edge, but it wasn't enough that I noticed a difference in my comparisons so you'd really have to go hunting for it.

Glad you liked the review. I haven't tried the Marantz so I can't help with that - sorry!

Thanks for the sub! Here's a link to the DAC. You can choose how to spec this DAC from the Geshelli store (at the link). My version used for this video has the Sparkos Labs op-amps and the AK4499EX DAC chip.

I’m also curious about the potential lower price and deeper sound stage you mentioned with the combination of the A6 and Geshelli DAC but not sure where I can buy this DAC in Australia

The A8 is definitely the better DAC compared to the one in the A6 so that's a worthwhile consideration. As for the A6 + Geshelli J2S option, you can buy direct from Geshelli unless you're outside a metro city in Australia. You should see options here on their store for shipping direct: bit.ly/J2SAKM

@@PassionforSoundthanks so much for the response. I’ll definitely look into it. What’s your thoughts on whether I should feed my cd player through the Eversolo DAC rather than direct to my M5Si with rca connections?

Without knowing the M5Si specifically, I'd probably suggest going direct to that. There's rarely a value in adding a preamp if you already have volume control

I can't compare directly to those as yet, but based on my testing, it probably comes down to whether you need a dedicated streamer or whether you want the built-in DAC, DSP and pre-amp. My test with the DMP-A6 and J2S DAC showed that you might as well just get the DMP-A6 if you're looking for just a streamer. I've got the new Lumin D3 coming in for review soon so hopefully that will give me a good point of comparison to see how a dedicated streamer compares against these do-it-all boxes.

So glad you liked the review! If your pre-amp is only a pre-amp and not doing any other duties then it's maybe not required once you have a DMP-A8. It's quite possible that the Levinson could be a better pre-amp, but it will depend on whether you're running any other sources through it. Because a pre-amp's job is to be transparent, it will only sound as good as what's before it in the chain spot won't be adding anything to the DMP-A8 by adding it. However, if you're still going to run CDs via a separate transport/player and not using the DMP-A8 for the CDs, then there may be some value in keeping the Levinson. Hopefully that all makes sense.

@@PassionforSound Thanks so for your reply! FYI, many others on Facebook have pointed me to your review of the DMP-A8.. again due to your practical experience and comprehensive details, Its well received! To follow up on your response, I only use my Levinson to listen to CD's, that's it. I am still educating my self in this arena and really appreciate others insight. My first and most important requirement is to select an excellent quality DAC followed by a platform that can accommodate my CD collection, the 4tb storage is ample. Streaming is new to me as an audiophile, assuming the right quality DAC, high quality cabling, using sources like Tidal 24/192 backed by a good connection internet connection with class A equipment should satisfy? I am on the fence, do I need a Streamer/DAC/Storage/Preamp..or do i need a DAC/Streamer/Storage and continue to use my Levinson.? My Levinson is fantastic! really made a difference

It's really hard to answer that question for you. I think the best bet, if possible, would be to grab the A8 and try it as a streamer/DAC into the Levinson, and then remove the Levinson and try the sound direct from the A8. If you feel like the A8 is as good or better then you're all set to relocate or sell the Levinson.

@@PassionforSound Thank you so. much! That makes sense to me! Mark

Where can I grab this 23rd century tech? Do you have a time machine@@markbastin8583

I didn't. He did. I don't delete comments ever.

@@PassionforSound Okay, regardless of returning the DMP-A8 to Eversolo, I appreciate your honest review!

I've actually recorded a video discussing the topic. The A8 was gifted to me and I intend to keep it. Having a "library" of comparison products allows me to provide extra context in future reviews, answer more questions, etc. Check out the upcoming video on the topic for a deeper explanation. 🙂

The size of the A6 is just right, isn't it? Unless you need the A8's extra features, the A6 and a small DAC like a Mojo 2, Bifrost 2, or Geshelli J2S 4499 will be as good or better anyway 🙂

Interesting! Yet another brand I've not heard of. Thanks for sharing.

@@PassionforSound I got it for $1664AU back in August 2022 from their online store in Ali. They now have it at $3173AU which is way too much given the DMP-A8's price. That said, the DMP50 is really high quality product using two ESS9038 Pro chips, decodes DSD512 and weighs 8.5kg. They also claim to use genuine German Wima and Japanese Elna caps in it. Just a shame it has no gapless playback.

That's a good point on one hand, but I'd rather just plug in a great big drive at the back of the device, tuck it all out of sight and then forget about it.

This one has rear USB ports.

Anybody thaught of a usb extension.... you can get them at different lengths....... Simple solution 🙂👍🏻❤️

That's a good point. Slightly more fiddly than a chassis mounted port, but it opens up more versatility.

It's a one-box solution in the sense that it has streaming, DAC and preamp covered. For people running a streamer and DAC and preamp before a poweramp or active speakers, this solves a lot of issues. No one product is going to suit all people. As for the turntable question, it will depend on the turntable you have. The A8 can add 10dB of gain to the analog inputs so it will depend on the output of your turntable and whether it's got a built-in phono pre-amp or not.

Glad you liked the review! Unfortunately, while you could have both connected and quickly and easily toggle via the app or the touch screen, but they won't both run simultaneously.

The moment you add tubes, they're going to have very different character so it's a tough comparison. I'd say the DMP-A8 preamp is ok, but it won't match a dedicated pre-amp of around $1,000-1,500+

I don't have the Aurender, Lumin or Innuos products here to compare them with. My comparisons with the DMP-A6 using the internal DAC and external DAC both show that the two perform at the same level as pure streamers. I've also tried the FiiO R7 as a dedicated streamer vs the DMP-A6 and found them comparable. I've got the Lumin D3 coming in for review soon so that will be a chance for a pure streamer comparison.

Unfortunately, I don't have the Qutest anymore to be able to say. What I know from various experiences though is that the Chord DACs produce more depth in the soundstage. Most chip-based Delta Sigma DACs tend to flatten out the stage which can bring everything forward into more of a wall of sound. This can create that sense of density that you're talking about with the instruments so I imagine it's that that you're preferring. The A8 will sit somewhere between the A6 and the Qutest in that regard because the AK4499EX chips produce more depth, but not as much as the Chord DACs.

I like "analog" playing, where the instruments have their own natural mass and body. From my experience, there was no more air in the presentation of space in Qutes, I had it in the system for 5 years! Qutest had more details; you could listen to every line of the instruments. The message was dynamic, but on the other hand "velvet", this was all a plus. However, it lacked mass and descent. Maybe you need to change the Delta sigma to the R2R DAC, which in the future will become a partner for the "A8", which will be at my place next week. Thank you for your answer. Regards! 🙂@@PassionforSound

Haha. Yes, that's a little circuitous! All good though, I understand. Unfortunately, there's no way to make that work with the DMP-A8. ☹️

When you get two DACs at a similar level like this, the first impression of them will often be that there's no difference at all. That's because the obvious characteristics like resolution and overall tonal character are about the same. When you listen a bit deeper though, you'll sometimes find that there are differences. In the case of the J2S, the quality of the op-amps in the output stage were helping to improve things like soundstage depth and bass extension/weight IIRC.

@@PassionforSound I see what you mean . Thank you 🙏

I agree the market is ripe for a “bargain”Aurender

I agree that it would be nice to have a DAC-free version for less money, but I also think there'll be a huge number of people for whom the A8 will provide a better DAC than the Topping, SMSL, etc. options that they've probably already got. (Not knocking Topping and SMSL - they're fine for what they are)

It all comes down to what is affordable for people.

​@pt265I tried A6, it was not as good as my modified Wiim. I am sure it could sound better if they wanted to make a streamer only product which could have been better with audio parts like LPS, super cap and etc for same money.

I think it's probably on par with the OCTO, but a bit different (OCTO is a bit chunkier sounding). I haven't tried the other two DACs you mentioned, but would expect the A26 to be even better based on my experiences with the R26.

It depends a lot on what you're looking for. The A8 has features that the others do not, but if you don't need those features, something like the A6 (particularly the Master Edition) with a quality external DAC can be just as good or better. The WiiMs are also good, but can't match the higher end streamers with a decent DAC.

Hmmmm... I don't currently have a DAC connected to the USB socket so perhaps the system is smart and only shows USB when it's connected. If I select optical or coaxial at the moment, it shows the analog outputs and IIS so there's hope. Let me check when I can attach a DAC...

So kind of you to check. Thanks! @@PassionforSound

No problems, but sadly, I have bad news. The USB output is only available when using the internal player for local or streamed files.

I suspected as much, but many thanks for the confirmation. @@PassionforSound

No, unfortunately not. It's one set of DSP settings across all inputs and outputs. ☹️

That is correct. The analog inputs go via the R2R volume ladder and then out the analog outputs only.

It's recorded and in the queue. Coming very soon!

I've got one scheduled for January. You need a computer for the measurements, but not after that.

Thanks for the reply. Looking forward for the tutorial 😊

I can't tell which DAC chip is in the H190. It's an AKM, but unlikely to be the AK4499EX which was only released about a year ago (I think the H190 has been around longer than that, yes?) So, the A8 is likely to be better in terms of depth in the soundstage, but might not be significantly different in other ways.

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not able to provide tech support. Please contact your retailer or EverSolo.