Network Player/Streamer/DAC
Nicolas Chestier
Remarkable
Founded in 2017 and integrated into the Zidoo Technology group, Chinese brand EverSolo Audio has made a stunning entry into the hi-fi market in recent months with its DMP-A6 and DMP-A6 Master Edition network players, since joined in early 2024 by the DMP-A8. Tested here for you, the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition seems to combine build quality with top-quality audiophile components, plus highly intuitive ergonomics, all at an unbeatable price.
With its refined anodised aluminium chassis, the DMP-A6 Master Edition is a resolutely modern network player capable of playing all digital music up to 32-bit / 768 kHz resolution. It runs on a highly ergonomic Android 11 interface managed by a quad-core CPU, all of which can be controlled via a colour LCD screen or a dedicated application for smartphones and tablets.
PREMIUM DESIGN
Extremely well made from components often found in much more expensive products, it features a 3rd generation Xmos USB interface with a 16-core processor, a very low noise switching power supply, and an already very ambitious balanced preamplifier stage, which allows it to be connected directly to a power block, including the one recently presented by the brand, the AMP-F2. For conversion, the player uses two Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chips to separate the left and right channels, ensuring low crosstalk and optimum playback at up to 32-bit / 768 kHz PCM resolutions, as well as stereo or multi-channel MQA and DSD files. In addition to its 32GB of internal storage, the player is equipped with an M.2 SSD slot for installing an SSD drive of up to 4TB for additional storage that’s both fast and silent.
Compared with the ‘standard’ DMP-A6, it has a different finish with gold-plated inserts, OPA1612 amplifiers with improved noise and distortion performance, and above all a high-precision dual Femto Clock that ensures perfect data addressing while reducing jitter to very low levels.
To connect to the network, the DMP-A6 Master Edition uses WiFi and Ethernet links like its little brother, and incorporates a practical, high-quality Bluetooth 5.0 chip (Qualcomm) that supports the AptX HD codec, making it compatible with the majority of audio streaming services and network protocols.
FULL CONNECTIVITY
Located at the rear of the player, the comprehensive connectivity means that the DMP-A6 can be used as a pure DAC, with two USB ports (one USB 3.0 and one USB-C), an optical input and a coaxial input; it can also be used to connect a CD player, which can also be used to rip CDs to the SSD. On the digital output side, the Eversolo offers optical, coaxial, USB 3.0 and HDMI connectivity, the latter enabling transmission of PCM 192 kHz or DSD64 5.1 multichannel streams to a home cinema amplifier. The analogue output stage comprises an unbalanced RCA output and a balanced XLR output. The level of the latter can be fixed or variable, allowing the player to be used as a source or directly as a pre-amp with one or two power amplifiers. In this plethora of connections, only the headphone and subwoofer outputs are missing, leaving a little breathing space for the few remaining competitors in this price range!
THE SOUND
Listening to the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition reveals itself to be an extremely musical network player, with a relatively neutral soundstage and accuracy well above the average for its range. The implementation of ESS 9038Q2M chips delivers a warm result that doesn’t colour the sound, opting instead for a transparent and linear rendering, without being overly analytical or ever bland, with the great advantage of adapting to most musical styles. First used with various streaming sources such as Qobuz or Tidal, with compressed files as well as PCM or DSD Hi-res, the Eversolo’s reproduction is always very fine and precise, open and without any aggressiveness, even in Bluetooth. No detail is left in the dark, and even the sound quality is surprising for a product at this price. Even when paired with speakers and amplifiers from much higher ranges, the treble is diffused delicately up to very high levels, the midrange opens up with great fluidity and substance, and the bass offers roundness and tension with a very good foundation. When played back from a CD player or the internal disc, the sound retains all its qualities without the addition of disruptive mechanical noise or latency. The result is a particularly clear and detailed reproduction, devoid of any harshness or brilliance. The result is a musical experience that is richly harmonic and tonal, highly detailed and yet never distorts the rendition, whatever the quality of the files or sources used.
CONCLUSION
With the DMP-A6 Master Edition, the Chinese manufacturer already making a name for itself with its Z6 and Z8 DACs has come up with one of the most accomplished and complete network players on the market today, capable of competing with much more expensive products that are less complete and less ergonomic, particularly when it comes to the numerous parameters available, which can be easily modified using the excellent application and the 6-inch touchscreen on the front panel. Highly versatile, it excels in every domain with mastery and flexibility, its priority compared with Zidoo audio-video devices remaining totally focused on musical performance, with balanced reproduction and a soundstage bursting with nuance and detail.
ORIGIN
CHINA
PRICE
1 299 €
DIMENSIONS
187 x 90 x 270 mm
WEIGHT
4.7 kg
Type: network player/server/DAC/digital preamp
Pre-amplification circuit: Op TI OPA1642 amplifiers
Android 11 system and quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor with 4 GB DDR memory
Display: 6-inch HD colour LCD touchscreen
Storage: 32 GB eMMC SSD, M.2 SSD expansion port (up to 4 TB supported)
Network connections: RJ45 Ethernet, dual-band WiFi
Digital inputs: USB-C, RCA S/PDIF, Toslink optical, Bluetooth AptX HD, USB-A OTG for external support
Digital outputs: HDMI (management of PCM and DSD streams in stereo or multichannel), USB-A, Toslink optical, RCA S/PDIF
Analogue outputs: stereo RCA and XLR
Conversion: dual-DAC, ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chipset
Formats supported: PCM 32-bit/768 kHz, DSD512, MQA
Network protocols supported: AirPlay, DLNA, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect…
