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Hello all,
Last year I replaced my six years old Cambridge Azur 851N streamer/DAC with the new Eversolo DMP A8 streamer/DAC.
I have been very happy with the Eversolo - it functions flawlessy, and the app based control interface works like a charm playing classical and rock flac and DSD files from my Seagate 8TB HDDs.
Soundwise the A8 has a wider, deeper and cleaner soundstage compared to the 851N. So a step up in musical enjoyment. The only thing I could have wished for was - maybe - a bit more warmth from the A8's AKM DAC.
Well two weeks ago curiousity got me and I purchased the new Gustard X26-lll Sabre ESS ES9039SPRO based DAC with a 30 days return option. My old Cambridge 851N did not have an USB output so I had not been able to test it with an external DAC but the Eversolo A8 has both USB and i2s digital outputs which was part of my decision to purchase the Eversolo.
So how do the Eversolo's AKM DAC and the Gustard ESS DAC compare? Based on price alone, the Gustard at $1500 should be better costing almost as much as the Eversolo at $1900, but in reality?
I mean - if you read ASR and other "measure camp" reviews there should not be any difference since both designs measure 100% transparent.
Well - to this listener the difference in sound quality was obvious. It took the Gustard 75 hours to really open up but then it presented a soundstage that was wider, deeper and taller than the Eversolo AKM DAC with pin point placing and space between instruments. The sound was more textured and full, and to my surprise the sound was also sweeter from the Gustard ESS DAC than from the Eversolo AKM DAC.
So - again - Hat's off to the amazing and versatile Eversolo A8 and respect to Gustard and their implementation of the ESS 9039 Sabre DAC.
Follow Ups:
Almost worth the $3000 pricetag...maybe. Impressive build quality.
The 3000$ pricetag was above my limit, but I'm sure it would sound incredible in my setup.
I have been avoiding ESS Sabre DACs since I owned OPPO D95 and D105 SACD players and Sonica DAC. These earlier ESS Sabre models had a kind of digital sounding etched treble that was very analytical but also very tiring to the ears.
When I moved to the Cambridge 851N streamer/DAC and later the Eversolo A8 I got rid of the "ESS glare".
In light of my experience it is very positive that the Gustard implementation of the new ESS9039 DAC marks a new direction or development towards more musical ESS DACS.
I've had good and not so good sounding ESS based DACs. Some were excellent.My AKM DACs were all excellent. They're newer but I think it has more to do with implementation regardless of which DAC chips are used.
I don't know which older ESS DAC chips were used in my Oppo HA-1 DAC but that one in particular was lean and thin sounding. It was transparent but had no fullness, warmth. or robustness to the sound. My ESS based PS Audio DAC is quite the opposite. Go figure. Implementation ?
Edits: 03/10/25
My OPPO BPD-105D has the same ESS9018 as your HA-1. My OPPO Sonica had the ESS9028.
Both were more digital and leaner sounding than the Cambridge 851N's Twin Analog Devices AD1955 DAC that I upgraded to in 2020.
I once compared the Cambridge Analog Devices DAC to an ADI-2-DAC FS AKM using AES/EBU connection. Via AES/EBU these two DACs sounded more or less on the same level.
The new AKM DAC in the Eversolo A8 to these ears sounds more refined than the ADI-2-DAC.
As you suggest - implementation is probably the key factor here.
I was super interested in the Eversolo A10 and was pretty set on buying it. But I decided to expand my search to consider other choices. I found and bought an Auralic Vega S1 streamer/dac/pre-amp.
Admittedly I have not heard the Eversolo, but the Vega S1 sounds REALLY good. I'm very happy with it.
Interestingly, it too uses an ESS Sigma Delta Chip but "only" to decode the digital signal. It has an FPGA circuit to handle all filtering and post processing.
Here's how Auralic describes it's "Fusion Dac":
This innovative approach involves modifying a high-performance, manufacturer DAC chip by bypassing most of its functions, such as PLL, digital filter, and oversampling circuits. Instead, AURALiC deploys its proprietary clock reconstruction, digital filter, and oversampling technologies, ensuring that only the precise switching network inside the DAC chip is utilized for the final digital-to-analog conversion stage.
The Vega S1 has Anaglog R2R volume controls, Anaglog and Digital inputs, Dual 60fs Femto Clocks and a full-featured phone/tablet LightnighDS control App.
When evaluating streaming DACs I'd recommend adding the Vega S1 to your list.
It is possible that there are other streamer/DACS out there that could be as good or maybe better than the Eversolo A8 but the $2000 A8 was perfect for me at the time of purchase and the price was right.
In an earlier Audio Asylum thread some months ago I recommended the A8 to fellow AA Inmates so my first post in this thread was primarely aimed at other A8 owners that could have interest in my findings regarding replacing the internal AKM DAC with an external DAC.
When I got my A8 I planned on comparing the internal DAC to my fully upgraded Schiit Bifrost multibit that I enjoyed for years. After setting the A8 up last August I still haven't gotten around to it. I'm just enjoying the music and great UI. I moved the Bifrost to my bedroom system.
Gsquared
I too have enjoyed the A8 very much, but then I got this offer of 20% discount on a brand new Gustard X26-lll, which I could not resist.My current audio chain is now like this: Eversolo A8 streamer > Gustard X26-lll > Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 digital amplifier with room correction > ATC SCM19 V2 speakers.
Edits: 03/10/25 03/10/25
" My current audio chain is now like this: Eversolo A8 streamer > Gustard X26-lll > Lyngdorf TDAI 2200 digital amplifier with room correction > ATC SCM19 V2 speakers."
3 boxes of electronics, with their own cases, power supplies, cables, etc. Personally, if starting from scratch, I'd have gone for a good all-in-one and spent the saving (compared with 3 boxes) on bigger / better speakers.
The ATC 19s are from their Hi-Fi rage and these are far more suitable in the home than their Professional range. I understand their model 40 is a very capable speaker.
My strategy with hi-fi is to spend as much as possible on what makes the sound we hear (the speakers) and choose carefully to ensure the electronics don't let the speakers down. My own speaker to electronics list price ratio is 7:1 and I believe this offers best value and great sound, though I accept that my next upgrade should be in electronics.
You have already earlier stated your preference for all-in-one boxes but that is beside the point in this thread. Would you care to stick to the topic?
Edits: 03/11/25
This is a Forum. It meanders. It can not be controlled by the OP or anyone (other than a moderator) . You can start it on the Eversolo A8 but you can't keep it there just by saying so.
So, enjoy the ride and perhaps everyone will learn something by the conversation. By the way, that's how actual conversations work, as well. They weave in and out of topics and many times end up somewhere completely different.
Absolutely right!
In fact this thread is about adding an external DAC to a device that already has a DAC, so perhaps I was less off topic than our friend suggests! I was proposing that this route adds unnecessarily to the cost of a system where perhaps resources could be better allocated by avoiding duplication, multiple boxes, cables and power supplies.
If budget is no problem, then multi-box systems may be an attractive proposition, particularly to those who like the jewellery aspect of piles of impressive boxes! Vive la difference!
the initial post again:"It took the Gustard 75 hours to really open up but then it presented a soundstage that was wider, deeper and taller than the Eversolo AKM DAC with pin point placing and space between instruments. The sound was more textured and full, and to my surprise the sound was also sweeter from the Gustard ESS DAC than from the Eversolo AKM DAC."
I was proposing that this route adds unnecessarily to the cost of a system...
Some of us don't find that notably improved fidelity constitutes "unnecessary cost" within our budgets. The real villain IMHO is the all-in-one concept where you're *locked* into one company's vision in time without later duplicating functions (like this case or yours) or complete replacement. That concept, however, does provide value with the $230 48V Fosi MC351 Integrated DAC/amp in the garage system.
Edits: 03/12/25
I love those ATCs.
Gsquared
Edits: 03/10/25
It will be interesting to see what you end up keeping.
If you read the DMP-A8 reviews they tend to say that the A8 'fixes' the shortcomings found in the A6. This particular review below gives high praise to the A8 over the A6 and lot of what he says about the A8 sound can be found in his review of the Gustard X26 III. He's very thorough in his reviews, isn't he?!
Review of Gustard X26 III
Review of EverSolo DMP-A8
I have a more 'robust' sounding DAC but it doesn't match the detail retrieval and soundstage size of the DMP-A8. Plus the DMP-A8 has a legit preamp section with relay stepped attenuator. I take full advantage of it for driving my power amp.
Keep us posted! Thanks.
The only thing I could have wished for was - maybe - a bit more warmth from the A8's AKM DAC.
what you're hearing is the unit's analog stage using OPA1612s. Similarly, this review indicates the Gustard uses discrete outputs. You see lots of three legged components on the board.
I'm not surprised at your conclusions.
I've been considering the Eversolo A10 streamer preamp and note that it uses the ESS 9039 PRO DAC chip. Perhaps Eversolo have chosen this for their top model as a significant DAC upgrade.This is the top ESS DAC and a step up (or maybe even 2) from the excellent one used in my NAD M33.
I suspect the A10 cost may be no more than the A8 plus the Gustard, so you may be able to upgrade the Eversolo, as you say the Gustard can be returned without loss. I'm sure the other parts of the A10 represent improvements over the A8, so you'd benefit by more than just a better DAC.
Just a thought! The lower the box count and cable count, the better!
Edits: 03/09/25
The difference could be a matter of 'voicing' as many reviewers thought the ESS based Eversolo DMP-A6 could have been more full bodied and perhaps a bit warmer. The AKM based Eversolo DMP-A8 answered that desire according to folks who have heard both and it soundstages pretty nice too. And now Eversolo is back to ESS for the $4000 Eversolo DMP-A10.
Exciting, dynamic, forward, with huge soundstage seems to describe the Gustard X26-III per the YouTube review below. And could the R2R Gustard R26 be the polar opposite? It was smooth but a little flat to my ears. Not very dynamic. I had one in my system for a couple weeks.
The Holo Audio Cyan 2 is described as smooth, mellower, laid back while the Gustard A26-III is exciting and forward. Pick your poison as the reviewer says.
I have the Eversolo DMP-A8 and I'm enjoying it a lot but it's been a while since I've had another DAC in the setup. The Gustard X26-III is priced sanely so I might have to audition one someday.
View YouTube Video
00:00 About X26 III
05:31 Sound
09:11 vs A26
10:37 vs R26
11:54 vs Topping D90 Discrete
14:24 vs Holo Audio Cyan 2
18:52 vs Laiv Harmony DAC
22:20 Audio renderer
23:39 Final thoughts
Well, I have long been in "the fewer boxes the better" camp, but since I had an extra Furutech power cord and Curious USB cable on hand I thought that testing the Gustard "for free" could be interesting.
Actually the result of my test was so rewarding, that I will no longer go with One-Box streamer/DAC solutions like the Eversolo A10. My Eversolo A8 plus Gustard X26-lll was cheaper than the Eversolo A10, and actually the A8 has a few aces up it's sleeve (like the i2s output) that the A10 does not have.
Also I think every new generation of DACs - coming maybe once every year - will have better sound quality than is obtainable now, so the DAC in the A10 will be "old" in only a few months.
On the other hand - the streamer part of the A8 will not be outdated anytime soon.
Interesting. I think that DAC development has long-since reached the point that new versions offer such minute improvement from the previous generation as to not be worth spending good money on.i2s out is surely only needed in the A8 if you feel its DAC isn't good enough and you need this output to deliver a digital signal to an alternative DAC that won't accept a more conventional connection - AES/EBU (the best and missing from both and A10), coax, or optical (the worst). If the A10 includes an exceptional DAC, none of its digital outputs should ever be needed.
I say this having never heard the A8 or A10, but the specs are such that I'd never consider the A8, but would seriously consider the A10 - as a possible alternative to the NAD M66 that I'm more likely to go for. The A8 has no Trigger so how do you turn on the DAC and amp? Another reason for not wanting the A8, particularly as I need the preamp to activate my amps and my hybrid speakers!
If adding to one's hi-fi investment, it'll most likely be best put any extra into better speakers as these ALWAYS offer a significant improvement in the sound that reaches our ears if chosen carefully. As it happens, at present I feel my electronics may be the weakest link in my own system, as my speaker to electronics list-price ratio is 8:1
PS - Looking at the Gustard spec, I see that it uses the identical ES9039PRO chip set as the A10. But the cost of the Gustard includes the case, the power supply, the sockets, the power cable and an interconnect - all of which you wouldn't need to pay for if that identical ESS DAC chip was installed in the streamer preamp - as it is in the A10. Just a thought!
Edits: 03/09/25 03/09/25 03/09/25
"The A8 has no Trigger so how do you turn on the DAC and amp? Another reason for not wanting the A8, particularly as I need the preamp to activate my amps and my hybrid speakers!"The trigger output from my DMP-A8 turns my power Amp On/Off. Can be done from the A8 front panel or the On/Off button on the A8 Remote Control.
"but the specs are such that I'd never consider the A8, but would seriously consider the A10"
Which specs in particular? I haven't read up on the A10 but that one is twice the price of the A8.
Edits: 03/10/25 03/10/25
had to buy a longer cord when we remodeled the family room with the cabling going through the wall chase.
Eversolo needs to work on their Chinese ("trriger") spelling. ;)
Sorry, Abe. I looked at both the A8 and A10 but missed the trigger on the A8. As it happens, I'm somewhat annoyed I bought the Alma-Sphere Class D monos before checking that they don't have triggers. I still use triggers for the amps in my hybrid speakers.
Do you use the Eversolo control app and if so, how comprehensive and intuitive is it? Also is it available for Windows and iPad, or just Android?
Thanks
I've used the Eversolo control App on my iPad and iPhone. It is available for Android but I'm not sure about Windows as it is a mobile App and I think Microsoft gave up on mobile when their Windows phones were a flop.The control App allows you to pretty much do what you can do from the Eversolo front panel touchscreen but on your phone/tablet. This is nice but in most cases you're not messing with the touch screen except during setup. You would typically use the App that is Applicable (ha!) to your streaming service. Since the Eversolo is Roon Ready, I use the Roon Remote App on my iPad.
They additionally provide a handheld remote for basic functions like On, Off, skip, pause, stop, start, volume up/down/mute, and some functions to choose different display settings on the Eversolo screen. These might include album art, VU meter styles, audio bar chart styles, etc.
Unfortunately many audiophile brands don't include a 12v trigger. It's not a deal breaker for me but a convenience feature that I use when available.
Edits: 03/11/25 03/11/25
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