I own the A6 and I am very pleased. But I have curiosity for the A8. I will use analog out to my power amp and I will not use any analog in or digital out is the A8 worth in my case? Is the AKM implementation and preamp section much better in the A8? I see reviews everywhere saying that A8 is better suited for bright speakers compared to A6, sound is fuller and more analog, etc experiences from people having tried both? thanks
I have both the A6 Standard and A8. The A6 will be sold… I use XLR out to active speakers. I agree with the reviews. The A8 is better for the reasons mentioned. At double the price, it is much less of a bargain. So, if you have the extra money, the A8 might be better for you. But only buy it, if you are going to use analogue out. I think the A6 sounds brighter and has a boosted bass, compared to the A8. I also think that I have a better soundstage and a more analogue sound. I’m new to the more expensive side of hifi, so I have very little to compare to. I will be using DSP for the FIR filter (using Room EQ Wizard and a UMIK-2 mic). I have an acoustically treated living room and would say that speaker placement and absorbers are the best way to spend your time and money (much more so than better speakers or other gear).
Happy new year my friend…if you make your move with umic and the room eq wizard tell us please the results and w hy not give us some fotos…show us the light my friend….then I take out my Umik and start playing with the dsp and A8…thank you!!!!
I made a post in the thread ‘show your system’ (I believe, it was called). But here is the latest ones. My man cave I did a test run the day I got the mic. I made some changes, adding new front speakers later on. They need to be used a little before I make new measurements… My room size is not ideal for best results but my RT60 between 200-400ms should tell you that my room is treated (for those who play around with REW).
I have used REW for years. It is good to know your room and overcome the issues, however a super flat response might not be what you want, because you might not like it. A reasonable flat response yes, nobody wants boominess of lows or harshness of highs, but perfectly flat… not for me
I had the A6 for about 3 months and was very pleased with the features and development support from Eversolo but in my system(1977 Klipsch Cornwall speakers, Integra DTR 30.6 avr and Parasound HCA 750A amp) it was definitely bright. Not terrible and the warm-ish sound of my amp balanced it some but the top end was very forward. I jumped on the A8 and was able to A/B them for 5 days. The A8 has a more weighty sound and more broad soundstage with no top-end crispiness. I could hear no difference in clarity or tone but the A8 had a more full sound that was readily apparent. One of my favorite test tracks - Fantasy by The XX showed the differences easily . The A6 was returned for refund and the A8 has been getting a workout.
For the A-6 to sound bright it would have to have a treble lift in its FR, yet if we look at its measurements:- https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/eversolo-dmp-a6-streamer-review.44198/ Completely flat, comparisons if they are to have any validity whatsoever must be level matched and unsighted. As to brightness I would take a closer look at your speakers. Keith
There are many who do not implement even the simplest ‘control when they compare. Measurements don’t lie. Keith
I'm new to the forum. I am evaluating the A6 and A8 for my system, primarily for streamer / DAC functions. I tied the A6 as a preamp (per the saleswoman's recommendation) directly into the amplifier and listened for about 30 seconds. Nope. Not gonna work for me. I listened to the A6 as a streamer / DAC and it sounded pretty good, but still not what I want. It sounded a bit bright or "beamy". (This might be caused by the interconnects that I am using.) I went back to the store to look for the Z8 DAC or the A6 Master Edition. After a dialogue with the store owner, he recommended that I try the A8 back for trial. I tied it into my system as a preamp. Much smoother sounding. One piece of equipment - no need for additional interconnects, etc. I'm extremely pleased with the A8. I intend to purchase it. I have until Friday. I'm putting it through the paces. Researching other functions, etc.
Hi, i'm confused. What do you mean by the usage Preamp vs. Streamer/DAC, Volume-Passthrough? You could tell after 30 Seconds when using it as preamp that it's not for you? What did you do different when using it as Streamer/DAC and why did it sound pretty good? If you like the A8, go for it.
When I took the A6 out for trial, the saleswoman told me that I could plug it directly into my amp and use it as a preamp. A6 -> Mini GaN -> Speakers I tried this and it sounded horrible - very harsh. I promptly took it out and plugged it into my preamp (Parasound Pre200). It sounded pretty good with the Parasound as a streamer/DAC. A6 -> Parasound -> Mini GaN amp -> Speakers This setup sounded a bit bright with some recordings. I did not swap interconnect cables to see if the sound would change much. The A8 setup is A8 -> Mini GaN -> Speakers I am not returning the A8. It works extremely well in this setup. Very detailed without being overly bright or harsh. Soundstage is open. I can use the loudness function when playing at low volumes. The A8 deals with poor recordings from the 70's-80's quite well. The best I've experienced thus far. I like the Tidal interface more than other streamers that I have on hand (Bluesound and Wiim).
