Review and need-to-know Eversolo DMP-A6 streamer

Could you help me understand how the surround part would work with the HDMI, how exactly one would configure it? Thanks!

 

Use Native formats myself only. Bitstream out on the player and Direct output on my AMP. Sounds great with a lot of albums. But must say some 2CH albums sound well using THX upscaling to MCH using my AMP too.

 

I don't find Dirac changes the sound signature at all in my system. I only use Dirac for movies or multichannel music listening. The biggest difference is that the blend of the LCR and surround speakers and subs is much better with Dirac then when it's off.

 

I'm happy for you man, there is nothing wrong with people having different experiences - that's what life is about. I tried it for a while on my Arcam SA30 and in the end, wasn't happy with how it changed everything when I wanted to change specific frequencies only.

Maybe I should've used the word "tricky" instead of "stupid" but there you go...

 

One can manually tweak Dirac for all frequencies. Doing so is a lot of work and never got into it myself.

 

It's all good! I've never manually adjusted the Dirac settings as it's just the automated calibration. If I had the skill set I'd do it manually or use the XMC-1's parametric EQ. Chances are someone with the proper knowledge would get better sound out of my system.

 

Not many settings you can tweak, basically taking measures in a different way (narrow vs wide) and changing the target curve

 

Changing the target curve is the tricky part because you can't alter 2 separate frequencies without altering everything in between these - this is the curtain type of setting which I really didn't like.

 

Good morning,

I recently purchased one of these products. And, the truth is, I'm a little lost with the configuration issue. I have a large music file in flac, dsd, multichannel, SACD and I didn't like the playback that my Denon 4800 made through HEOS. So, I decided to buy this Eversolo. I have a series of questions in case those of you who have had the device for a while can give me a hand.

1. Say that I have connected it via XLR / RCA cable to the Denon. But reading here, it is not very clear to me if, with this connection, I could correctly reproduce multichannel audio, or, to do so, I would have to connect the Eversolo to the Denon via HDMI. Forgive my ignorance.

2. Another question I have is regarding the DAC filter. I think I understand that it is recommended to leave it with the FAST ROLL-OFF LINEAR, and I would like to know if it is correct. Although I have also read that with the rest of the filters the differences are subtle.

3. And finally, I have read that the correct thing to do is to activate Passthrough and set the volume to 0 dB. But I'm sure of the exact menu section where this is selected. Within Settings/Audio, I see that there is an option that says "Fixed sampling rate output", which is marked as Original sampling rate. And another option that says "Volume passthrough mode", which is unchecked by default. Then, within Settings/Audio/XLR/RCA OUTPUT there is another option that says "Boot volume". And I don't know which one I should touch, except that in the equipment manual I read that you have to configure it to the maximum when sending MQA through digital outputs (which I don't have connected right now), but that it is not necessary to do so when sending through analog outputs (which would be my case right now).

Thank you very much, in advance, and, once, sorry for my ignorance.

All the best!

 

Hello,
Not sure about pt.1 so I'll leave it to others.

2. Correct, I haven't found much difference between these so mine is on the default
3. Volume passthrough mode - this is the one you want to turn ON. It will set the volume of the device to 0DB and you'll control the loudness from the Denon.

 

For the first point:
If you want to hear in multichannel, then you've to use HDMI and let the Denon decode your stuff. For DSD, you can set in the DMP-A6 the HDMI output to DSD native (the Denon doesn't understand DoP), but it will converted in the Denon to PCM, if you're using here any DSP.
The analogue output doesn't make much sense, if a DSP (also bass management or Dirac) in the Denon is active, because then the Denon will digitizes (ADC) this sources again.

 

Good morning and thank you very much for the reply.

So, what would be the recommended configuration for connecting the Eversolo? Because I understand that the DAC that the player has is better than the one in the Denon 4800H.

Thanks!

 

Again: If you're using a DSP in your Denon (bass management, Dirac,...) in every case the DAC from your Denon will used.
If you don't have at least two or more equal speakers + sub(s) in a perfect room, it doesn't make sense to use the analogue output from the DMP-A6.

 

I apologize for my ignorance.

So, if I connect via analogue via XLR/RCA, I should remove the Audissey Room correction on the Denon and only output the music to the two front speakers. Using, for example, the Pure Audio option that the Denon has.

And, if even then, connecting via analogue doesn't make sense, I would connect the Eversolo to the Denon via HDMI and apply that Audissey correction. In this case, the Denon DAC would work and not the Eversolo's. In this case, it wouldn't make sense to buy a player as expensive as the Eversolo since its DAC wouldn't be used.

 

How many of these multichannel tracks do you have and listen to? I personally have no idea what these are but I'm thinking that you'll listen to the RCA output when listening to normal music files and sometimes use the HDMI for the multichannel.
In any case your Denon is not for music - these receivers sound bad and are ment for video (I own the 4400).

 

I'm using the DMP-A6 as a transport only with it connected to a Marantz SA-KI Ruby CD/SACD via USB. The USB output is for stereo music only. The HDMI output is connected to an Emotiva XMC-1 processor. I use the XMC-1's Dirac room correction for multichannel music files but not for stereo music.

So there is flexibility with the DMP-A6 as to how it is used in ones system. The DMP-A6 is a bargain at it's price point in my opinion whether it's used as a transport or using the the analog outputs. I doubt you'll find an external streamer at the price point of the DMP-A6 with an HDMI output. I'm not even sure if there are any external streamers available at any price point with an HDMI output. That feature alone was one of the biggest reasons for buying the DMP-A6.

 

There are a lot of other streamers with hdmi out (also from zidoo), but the DMP-A6 is the only one, with a HDMI out, which can output not only PCM/flac, but also DSD in multichannel.
I'm using for multichannel also a XMC-1, but with the eversolo (through HDMI) and the exaSound e68 (analogue 8 channel) without any DSP (I've invested in speakers and hardware room corrections).
The exaSound (understands DSD512 in stereo and DSD256 in multichannel through USB) DAC is a lot superior compared to the DAC from the Emotiva and the eversolo.

 

The Zidoo Neo Alpha also outputs DSD via HDMI

 

Aah, had it never on my screen.

 

This is a great feature of the eversolo. I only wish that future machines also include video, since you can't select separate hdmi inputs for audio and video on any receiver that I am aware of.