The MagnaHiFi site now lists the A10 with a price of 3123 Eur excl VAT. It specifies an ESS9039 PRO DAC chip not AK. Just one HDMI port for ARC, but the text detail mentions another one for I2S but not obvious in the picture shown for the rear. A bit more detail on the DDC functions, with say USB or other digital in coupled with SPDIF digital out now possible even with EQ applied if you want. The room correction apparently can utilise a separate calibration microphone plugged into a USB port of the A10 directly. Mobile phone microphone also allowed, but whether all models permitted not stated.
https://magnahifi.com/eversolo-dmp-a10-high-end-streamer-es9039-pro-dac/ OK that is at least informative. The Digital-to-Digital is explained here with a diagram. It justifies a bit more the price. It for sure uses the ES9039 Pro and not the AKM4499 anymore. It also includes (as guessed by me before) an ADC to convert the Analog inputs to Digital. So all inputs make use of the Equalizer plus Room Correction for output via the Internal DAC and Subwoofer outputs. Digital output is here listed as SPDIF only? New questions: - Won't DDC work with that USB DAC Digital output? It is nowhere in this picture. - Where is the XMOS intermediate processing applied in this picture? Before room correction I presume? - I2S HDMI output is again in the specifications but not in any of the pictures. I guess it is simply not there anymore. HDMI DSD/Audio is not there for sure. - How are those subwoofer outputs driven. I would expect them to be digital fed via 2 dedicated extra DAC/R2R channels (not like suggested in the picture here). - How suitable is that DSP AK7739VQ Chip for room correction? It is the same used with the A8 just as an equalizer there. My AMP uses multiple DSP's to do those same combined tasks. USB Input / Outputs are specified as isolated which is a good feature. Above all desktop/tower PC's may benefit from this where connected via USB.
Of course there is: the marvellous new alien spaceship shaped silvery remote, with the exact same front face and buttons of the A6/A8 one but most likely rechargeable via USB!
When I saw this remote control, I immediately had associations... with a female instrument for spoiled girls, hee-hee-hee
It is not an update but a new concept: All combinations of setups can use that room correction including subwoofer driving it seems. It all depends now how well that in fact sounds in practice. Putting room correction integral at the digital audio source is the correct place no doubt about that. This above all integrated with a top class DAC. It does not make much sense using it with an external DAC of any type. So yes it is a unique piece of equipment potentially worth that kind of money compared with other existing solutions.
I couldn't have written that better myself, you just can't always measure up to sound quality! There are so many parameters that can have an influence, if you use, for example, an ESS or AKM dac chip, here the ESS chip can tease a little if it does not have optimal working conditions, and develop the so-called "ESS glare" which gives a slightly artificial Midtone & treble, and you just can't measure up to that
no one needs the useless display in the volume control, the big case with heatsinks that serve no purpose, glass plate on top all the useless gimmicks that increase the price.